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Figure and Portrait Drawings


I just made a big leap in my understanding of figure and portrait drawing and wanted to share previous sketches and paintings before the new work. Above is a photo of the “figure drawing wall” in my studio and below is an assortment of my figure and portrait drawings from my Friday sessions…

Figure drawing wall in studio
Figure drawing wall in studio

I just made a big leap in my understanding of figure and portrait drawing so wanted to share previous sketches and paintings before the new work. Above is a photo of the “figure drawing wall” in my studio. I’d covered this wall with black non-fade bulletin board paper to avoid reflected light when I’m at my easel (that stands just to the right of this photo). Then I hung black metal grid panels that I got super cheap on Craigslist and use little magnets to stick the drawings to the grid wall. Now it’s easy to add, move or replace drawings with better ones as my skill improves and I can hang framed paintings from it with grid wall picture hooks.

Below are assorted figure and portrait drawings from past Friday Figure Drawing sessions. Click on any image to go to slide-viewing mode and click through them using the arrows on each side.

Charcoal on paper
Pregnant Mama, conte on paper
Woman with headdress, charcoal on paper
Charcoal on paper
Fallon in Elizabethan Collar, Pencil drawing
Top Knott, charcoal on paper
10 Minutes, charcoal on paper
Hat Guy, Conte on Paper
Conte drawing from first 20 minute session for underpainting
Brian in conte, 1 hour, trying to see the planes of his face
Pretty, pencil on paper
Headband (Martian?), conte on paper
Cross My Heart, Conte on paper
Brian, 10 minute pose, pencil
Brian, two 5 minute poses, pencil
Tired, Charcoal on paper

18 replies on “Figure and Portrait Drawings”

It does make it much easier using magnets, but if I was doing it again I think I might have just hung thin sheet metal (cheap and magnetic) and painted it with black chalkboard paint.

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Great way to display your drawings, Jana, and I like the way of replacing one with one more recent. Lovely work.

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Thanks Annie. It is a great feeling to take one I put on the wall because I thought it was good at the time and replace it with one that shows so much improvement.

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It does make it much easier using magnets, but if I was doing it again I think I might have just hung thin sheet metal (cheap and magnetic) and painted it with black chalkboard paint.

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Are these from live models? Or do you work from other images? 🙂 And what do you think prompted your “big leap?” I’m excited to see the next images! This post is really encouraging me to keep up with my practicing.

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Hi Brianna,
These are all from live models. I will write about the big leap when I post the 18 attempts at painting my sister. But the short version for now is the continuing practice and study led to seeing differently and understanding what I was seeing, the system of planes created by the skeletal structure and muscles that are there on everyone though more or less visible depending on the lighting. It just seemed like a layer of fog was peeled away and I could see more clearly. And then there’s the measuring and noting angles and shapes as well. It all just started coming together.

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I love figure drawing. Out of all the art forms I think the focus it requires is the most therapeutic. It’s nice to see someone enjoy it as well. I stumbled across your blog because we have something in common. We are both artists with the name, “Jana!” Promoting my art online is a new thing for me. I’ve been taking the time to view blogs that belong to other artist this week and I have slowly been starting one myself. Any advice with this is welcome.

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Hi Jana. Congratulations on starting your own blog. It’s a lot of work but a great way to make connections with other artists (and other Janas!) My only advice is to have patience while you make those connections. It can take a while to get found. I was fortunate when I started blogging in 2006 to be part of a group of artists that were also just starting to share their art on their blogs and it was the mutual support and consistent and frequent blogging that really helped us all to build good audiences.

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