Life drawing manchester

Why did I start a life drawing class?

This is one of the many questions I am asked when people come to my the life drawing class for the first time, or other variants such as, ‘so have you been to art college?’, ‘what made you start a life drawing class?’ ‘can you draw though?’. Although I am never upset by these questions, that would feel ridiculous, I am conscious that these questions carry with them the connotations that only those with formal art training should have the opportunity to provide an untutored life drawing class to those interested in art. And it is this implication that I would like to discuss, because I believe this attitude, or even the perception that this attitude exists, that can prevent someone from following their interest in drawing/art just because they don’t have a background of attending art college.

I believe that art should be available for everyone to enjoy and experience, regardless of your educational background. Art should transcend boundaries, to act as a fantastic equalisation, where anyone can enjoy great works of art and the process of making it. Art should bring people together; to discuss their views, thoughts and even their desires, hopes, dreams and impressions, in open discussion. Moreover, it should allow those who gaze upon it to be transported by the artists ambitions.

When looking to the works of Picasso for instance, his famous painting Guernica was a powerful political statement in response to the Nazi bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during Spanish Civil War. Even in today’s society, art can be used by anyone to express themselves in whatever way they feel, owing to this, art posted on social media sites was used by the masses in response to the fire of Notre Dame.

Art then like classical music should not be viewed as highbrow; to be reserved for those few who have attended art school, or who have cultivated their skills in Florence. Certainly any institution that develops your knowledge and skills in art is without question significant, yet I feel it is also important to ensure that the opportunity for the enjoyment of art is available to everyone, especially those who have not attained formal art credentials. This is because I understand how  an inner interest in art can take secondary position in consequence to educational or career ambitions.

Therefore I believe life drawing is one way to break down any perceived barriers, by demonstrating that snobbery around art does not exist, as it is an opportunity that is available to everyone. In other words, if you are worried about coming to a nude figure drawing class because you feel you lack formal training or credentials, please do not allow this apprehension to hold you back from enjoying the universal experience that is art.

Nichola.

Drawing Mediums and Becoming a Life Model.

When we started Bee Creative Studio in December, we hoped our vision of high quality life drawing classes would we successful. As a team we invest much of our time and energy in to providing what we hope is the best service possible. Although we are now half-way through March, if we look back to February we can confidently say our hard work is paying off. Every week have new and returning artists coming to our classes, with many choosing to branch out from pencils in to other media and materials, such as watercolours and charcoal.

However, if you are new to figure drawing, and thinking of trying out our life drawing classes for the first time, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the wealth of drawing materials to choose from. In this case it helps to know the difference between the various medias. There are three main materials predominately used in life drawing; pencil, graphite and charcoal.

Pencil

Pencils offer a wide range of tones across the HB grading system, it is for this reason pencils are generally considered the simplest tools, and are typically good for those new to drawing. However pencils offer only light smudging, meaning you won’t be able to eliminate your original lines in this way, and they may even feel quite unforgiving unless you use an eraser. Similarly, you can also find woodless graphite pencils or graphite sticks in a range of tonal value. Chucky graphite sticks allow for larger strokes, that feel more free-flowing and expressive than the precise nature of a pencil. For some, graphite can bridge the gap between the control of a pencil and the ability to blend and build colour in a similar way to carbon. Although graphite won’t give an intense black, it will give some sheen to your drawings which you may find can add to the realism.

Charcoal

For some the idea of using charcoal can be un-nerving, its loose powdery composition and intense black colour can be off pointing to those new to life drawing. However charcoal is not one-dimensional, and is in fact a wonderful, playful medium to use for drawing the nude figure. Compressed charcoal is made from powdered charcoal, and gives a very deep black. Its powdery texture means it can be smudge very easily by gently rubbing it with your fingers, the side of your hand and a tortillion/blending stump. In this way it is perfect for creating soft marks of varying shades of grey and for creating bold black lines.

Being a life model:

Every week we aim to bring a different model into the studio, as everyone’s body is individual it create new challenge for our artists to draw. However we are always being asked what we look for in a life model. So if you are thinking of giving this a go here are some of the things we think are significant to becoming an excellent life model:

  • Be prepared for the different ways in which each life drawing class works, there is no ‘right way’ some classes are very structured with the principle artist not only asking you to pose in a certain way but they may also ‘rearrange’ you. So be prepared to be touched. However, some classes are unstructured, and they will expect you to come up with your own poses to fit in with the given time limits. In this case you will have to think on your feet and be inventive with your poses.

  • Have a good attitude, this goes without saying really. If you turn up in a bad mood or act in a way that leaves the principle artist or customers feeling uncomfortable you will not be asked to work again. Your attitude matters not only on the day but from the initial contact too.

  • Arrive early, punctuality is extremely important for life modelling. You will be asked to arrive early (10-15 minutes) before the class begins, this will allow us to check the poses with you for the upcoming session, check the lighting and props, as well as give you time to change. Being a life model is like any other job you are required to be there on the time stated and to make us aware if problems arise and you are running late.

  • Be confident, although you are not going to be participating in a naked catwalk, you will be nude in front on a group of strangers. However there is no perfect body, and life drawing is not about drawing perfectly defined nude figures. On the contrary life drawing is about people from all walks of life, all ages, and all abilities. When the artists are drawing they are looking for your unique features such as the lines on your face, the curvature of your spine, the scars or tattoos.

All in all being a figure model for a life drawing class is a wonderful thing, not only are you enabling artists to understand the anatomy of the human figure, you are contributing to someone else’s art.

I really appreciate you reading my words, there's no charge, but if you want to offer a little support, click on the button below to buy me a coffee or two!

 
 

Nichola

Tonal Drawing Technique in Life Drawin

Tonal Drawing

When we look around our environment, to the objects that make up the space we are in, we see the world by perceiving colour and tone. Tone, also commonly referred to as value, determines how light or dark we recognise something to be. Understanding the properties of value perception, although not extremely difficult, is immensely important for all drawings, whether you aim to create a realistic or abstract depiction of your subject. This is because a wide range of tones will turn a mediocre drawing in to a vibrant one.

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It is for this reason figure drawing presents the artist with a complex arrangement of tones that need to be selectively interpreted into drawn marks. However it takes practice and lots of it in order to judge accurately how light or dark a relative value/tone is. One way to develop our understanding of tone is to begin by categorising the values we see; looking for the lightest of lights, the mid tones, and the darkest of darks. The beginner artist may wish to practice observing value on a still life object, this will allow the artist to observe how light shifts, casting shadows and bounces off of a form. However you may find you will have more success with this exercise if you have one primary light source; allowing you to properly control the value.

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Drapery Technique in Life Drawing

We are always looking at how we can present new challenges for the artists that attend our Life Drawing workshops in Manchester, and it was with this in mind that we used draping on our model Andy. If you have never drawn the nude figure while partially covered with drapery, then I would highly recommend giving it a try, this is because it provides opportunities for studying aspects of volume. For anyone unsure, when we talk about volume we are referring to the surface area within a space; the exhibition of height, width and depth, resulting in an implied three-dimensional shape.

Drapery adds so much to life drawing, as it is an ideal tool for accentuating the shape of the human figure. If we look to the sculptures of ancient Greece and Rome, in a paradoxical way it actually enhances the nudity of the model by minimising some areas and accentuating others. And it is in this way draping can also be used as a compositional tool; helping the artist when arranging the placement of the visual elements that make up the pose. When there is draping on the model the artist will consider the following: the direction of the folds and the shadows they produce; how the body underneath supports part of the fabric; how the fabric may billow out or adapt to the figure; and the way gravity influences how the fabric falls towards the ground.

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When arranging the study of the draped figure, we considered how the fabric weight, and density determines the quality and direction of the folds, while also allowing us to ‘see’ the anatomical figure underneath. It is for this reason we choose a light flowing fabric, allowing the forms of the nude body to ‘show through’ to an a extent. We also considered the placement of the fabric, placing it so it only partially covered the body, enabling the anatomical regions to be easily recognised by the artists.