Creating Model Session – 15-03-25 – 1

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Perfectly Still

This pastel drawing ‘Model - 15-03-25 - 1’ includes a young woman called ‘Renee’. She is a professional model who could lie still perfectly for one hour at one stretch. We model sketchers in municipal center ‘De Blauwe Tram’ were very thankful for that. Most peculiar how models can differ. Last one was very dynamic and for lesser seasoned sketchers like my students that can be a tall order. However, Renee is also a ballet dancer and she said she can hold a pose for a long time. Instantly I remembered Spanish model ‘Julia’. She claimed she could bite right through muscle cramps. While performing as a dancer she often experiences those. Well, that’s not for me fortunately. Some cramps in my fingers when I sketch and paint for a long time though.

Horizontal Challenges

Anyway, this month’s model didn’t feel them too much as well, I think. She took a beautiful reclined pose and I luckily happened to have a full frontal vision. Her appearance is that of a rubensian woman. Simply a feast for the artistic eye! This having said, there was a bit of a challenge as well. These reclined model positions can prove to be tough to capture. Proportionally I can get hold of any position but the devils is in the detail. Limbs, belly, positioning and scale of the head didn’t offer many problems this time. This time it was the head lying horizontally I found difficult. You can get the features right of course, more or less but you only have one hour. I was glad to get the hands right during the live session but back home I elaborated this pastel further.

Not a Live Session Really

The truth is that not often one can complete a live model session drawing in one go. This wasn’t the case though as to this one. It was more or less finished alright but I saw the potential to do more. You see, Ingres paper can create charming loose structures. The downside is that some of them such as attire will be done no justice at all. They can become too flat looking. In my studio I had all the time in the world to elaborate her fluffy dressing gown. At first I didn’t know how but soon I found out applying my hatched strokes could do the job. That’s one thing solved. Next thing was that I found a certain amount of contrasts lacking. Not tonally but formwise. With her voluptuous forms she is all roundness. But that can be too much of a good thing.

Straight versus Round

Analyzing what’s missing were some straight linear forms Hence, I drew some lines in the table top. The negative space above her body I found a bit boring as well. It needed a bit of tonal darkening up. Finally, I also put a black block in the background at the height of her waist and hip. Even though not present in the live session it is based on an actual thing I saw. There I saw the legs of a fellow sketcher and student of mine who wore dark trousers. That was the solution! Round and straight balanced out. To conclude this art statement: I quite liked this approach: doing a model sketching session capturing essentials in the raw. Then finetune it later by exploring artistic ideas in the comfort of your studio.

Pastel drawing on Hahnemühle Dürer Ingres-Bütten Night Blue paper (48 x 62,5 x 0.1 cm)
Artist: Corné Akkers