Absolutely! Really good observation here!

Obviously, it looks like a twisted can

Yes Silks.....that's a good twisted can....I hope you recycled it?

Ernest...That umbrella is a pip.

It is interesting that everyone has a different idea of what drawing from life is. I used to think it was only what Jeanette is doing...then I thought it was wandering around the house drawing everything in sight. The most dangerous one that I did was drawing people on the subway on the way to and from work...dangerous cuz the men thought I was coming on to them !

Just watching TV tonight and sketching what was on the table in front of me. Like Silks, I wonder if anyone can identify everything in my sketch?

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Maire

Very nice sketch Maire. I think I can identify it all. You have a lamp, a brush, a cup with pencils, a kneaded eraser and the last thing I think is rolled tissue for blending.

Thanks, everyone!

Yes, Maire. I recycled it. And your drawing is very good

Thanks Taz and Siks....

Taz....Your guess is nearly right! The brush is for brushing off eraser bits. What you thought was rolled up tissue is instead tiny slivers of a white acrylic eraser which I cut with scissors so I can remove pencil in small places like the highlight of the eye and hair strands. I very very seldom use any type of blender for pencil.

Maire

Ah Marie a woman after my own heart - I continously cut my plastic eraser down to keep the bit I'm using sharp & clean. I was going to guess that they may have been a couple of pieces of conte - obviously there are too may things that can be that shape - lol.

I'm avoiding work today...so is my husband, here's a sketch of him napping

Sketching while my four-year-old played today. There's a challenge for you, drawing Zachary; he never really holds a pose for more than a minute, and often much less. I think maybe I need a book about life drawing; I'm trying to put in too much detail.
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Here's my two cents, but don't just take them as is, as I'm not good at life drawing myself at all...
The way I see it, your sketches look really good, you got the basic form and proportion down really nicely. What I think may help you draw a little faster is if you avoid shading... I see you shaded in his hair and the bands on his sweater, and on the bottom right one you even did a fair amount of facial shading.

Even long after the pose is gone, you'll still know what color his hair is and what colors the pattern on his sweater has and even the general idea of where the light is coming from. You could do a little quick scribble to indicate where the shading should go, but to fully color in hair and clothes and such may be what is slowing you down a little. I don't really feel like you're putting in too much detail except maybe when you add the facial features... but you seem pretty experienced at drawing in general, and I'm not sure if adding eyes, nose and mouth really take up all that much time for you.

One thing you could do to learn to add less detail is to play a couple games with yourself such as drawing your subjects using as few lines as possible, or while lifting your pencil off the paper as few times as possible... It will slow you down to concentrate on playing this game at first though, so it may be best to stick with subjects that don't move around as much, but once you get the hang of it and you go back to sketching Zachary, it might help you keep up with him a little bit more.

Hi Ernest.....I think your exercise with Zachary is one of the best ways to train your artist's eye. And that way you get some of your best action poses too even with minimum detail. The bottom left pose is my favorite - I bet he is playing with a car or something with wheels?

Marisa....Very good use of your lazy time - sleepers make good subjects, don't they?

Bigs....I never thought of conte sticks, but they do look exactly like the cut eraser bits, only bigger. I gave a hint about the bits though by putting them next to the kneadable eraser. I get these acrylic erasers at the dollar store (usually 4 on a card), so they are cheap enough to cut up to make certain there are clean corners to use. I do that too.

Cheers.....Maire

Ernest I agree with what has already been said - the contour type drawing exercise of Lycaryth's would be good but I think you are doing very well - I would concentrate to start with on gestural sketches that just give the basic shape in movement - I read this about drawing from life and it made sense to me. You will be slow to begin with but as you get used to the basic sweeping simplew strokes that work for you to convey the subject you speed up & are able to add more detail.

I'd also have a chat to Gibson over on WC to get some more tips - his quick people are great!!.

I would have never guessed they were acrylic eraser. But you learn something new all the time.

I taught a children's class in drawing today and while they were busy concentrating on their work, I did a little bit of sneaky sketching of them.

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I'm jealous Jeanette - these are wonderful !!!

Will just have to appease the green-eyed monster by sketching more and starting to improve.

OK, this is the kind of kid-sketching I'm doing now; this is Danielle working on a sewing project this morning. I am definitely happier with this. "Don't do any shading" seems like very obvious advice in retrospect, but it sure helped -- thanks, Lycaryth.
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Yay! I helped! *does a little celebration dance*

You're welcome Ernest

Looking good Ernest! Simple and eloquent.

Great sketch Ernest. Capturing quick poses usually never allows enough time to add shading, so you did well putting down the shapes and position. Great stuff.

Here are a couple of sketches that I did from a class I taught. I love the concentration on the kids faces. These are literally five minutes sketches. Kids, like animals, don't stay still for long.

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These are wonderful Jeanette - I can feel that concentration !

You only needed one to have their tongue poking out in concentration - I just love that with kids when they concentrate soooo hard.

Thanks Sue, aren't they fun? I love drawing people unaware, they're so natural then.

Here's another little drawing from life - a rubber duck and sort of transparent life ring. I let the kids draw it in class and they had fun with it. It was coloured pencil on sketchpaper - about 9 x 12

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I have that exact duck and ring (I collect ducks)

He is so cute! I can see the dilemmas that could happen though with those rotten elipses drawing his life buoy !

Oh yes Sue, the ellipse is sure off on that duck sketch

Here's a couple of sketches from my life class the other night. I'd really like to encourage others to attend a class if at all possible. It continues to test your power of observation and improve your drawing skills constantly.

The first sketch is done in charcoal on newsprint 18 x 24
The second is mechanical pencil on sketchpad 9 x 12

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More detail in the 2nd, but I love the immediacy of the charcoal - the lovely (almost cubist ) use of the side of the charcoal to block in the planes. Really like that one, Jeanette.

Jeanette, I really like the charcoal one and like Sue said, the blocking of the planes looks really nice. The second one is nice too, I like the look in the eyes. and the overall facial features.

Thanks Sue and Dean. Yes, the charcoal is interesting to use in broad sweeps instead of my usual tight control. Its great to loosen up with and go big.

nice challenge
and great drawings everyone

here's my drawing from life
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Kaly

Nice clothespeg Kaly. Good values.

Here's an oil painting I did today of a ceramic rabbit I found in the supermarket. Its small just 4 x 6 inches.

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Kaly, great peg there,

and

Jeanette, I see the Easter Bunny made it to your house!

I tried to quickly sketch a couple of people from a JCPenny catalog.

I like the fact you left your contor lines in place.. is that the correct word.. the lines that you use to find center and shape prior to drawing. It is helpfull to see how this is done.

Nice job, Trooper, but I should point out that "Drawing from Life" means... well, it means drawing from life, as opposed to drawing from photos.

I just got back from a week at my parents' house in the woods, and did a fair amount of sketching when the kids were otherwise occupied. The closeup is a doll (which make excellent models -- they will sit stock-still for as long as you need them!) My favorite is my Mom asleep on the couch.

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Nice to meet your parents. You look like your father.

Great sketches Ernest!

Definitely a family resemblance there.

I just discovered this thread which is where this sketch belongs; (it was posted in the "critique" thread) This is my first try with graded graphite pencils.
note: The original is much smoother than this grainy scan image.
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I hope to achieve a much more loose, sketchy, blocky drawing style than this tight draftsman drawing. I hope it's in me to let go and do that!
John

Good work John - if you want to get looser then get out the egg timer!!

Star to give yourself a 3 minute time limit to get the essence of the object down - the more you do it , the quicker you get and you'll get looser by necessity!

Try it - it works.

Sue

Thanks Sue, I had not thought of that(duh) and it sounds like the way to go.
John

I admire your people sketches, they look quick but with good likenesses...that's hard to do(takes talent).
John

Trooper, good sketches, but Ernest's correct, this is a Drawing from Life thread so everything should be done directly from a subject in front of you, not from photos or online images.

Ernest, you're getting good at this sketching stuff Nice little group of images here. I love capturing people while they sleep, its the true person then.

John, lovely drawing of the camera, good values.

Here are few sketches from my life drawing session last night. They are 1 & 2 minute sketches, 5 minute, then 20 minutes. ALl done in charcoal on newsprint.

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John, thank you, but what it takes is practice. I couldn't have done those a year ago; now I can. There are plenty of things I can't do yet, though, which brings me to my next topic...

Jeanette, your sketches really seem to reach past the surface to show the subject underneath; I don't know how else to describe it. That's really cool, and I am inspired. I guess I'm just stating the obvious, but your experience shows.

Hi everyone! I sketched one of my friends while he was weaving/knitting (excuse my english don't know which would be the right verb here) a wristband. I like how it turned out cause I got a decent sketch in spite he was a little restless. Except for the hands, he was moving his hands a lot, I prefered not to sketched them. I discover that if there is something harder to draw than hands, it is moving hands!
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Ernest, thank you. You're right, to obtain the ability to accurately place lines on paper takes both honed observation skills and years of practice. There is no other trick to drawing but that. You have to be willing to put in the time and have the desire.

Mr Ofir, excellent sketch! You've captured the concentration perfectly. The trick in sketching moving objects is to watch the movement for a few moments if possible, then capture the main lines of that gesture.

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[attachmentid=9645]pitcher and basin..life drawing, pencil

THis is a sketch made in '95 and my hand with the rose bud from last week. I don't see much progress because I never practiced. The question is whether I have a chance in learning the basics.

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Great sketches Oliverandjazz. I especially like the jug and basin. Just watch your ellipses to make sure you get accurate placement.

Elena, your sketches look good. These are after all just sketches so don't beat yourself up over how they look. You summed it up when you say you haven't practiced. That is the key to drawing. Draw every day, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, draw anything. Your c up of coffee, a piece of toast, anything is good to draw. The more you sketch, the easier you will find it to draw. I promise!

Now go draw something! Yes, right now!!

Thanks a lot Jeanette, both for your kind words and your advice.

Thank you Jeanette. The truth is that I draw everyday a few hours but more contour drawing and linear not value drawing.But i have to change that.I promise(!)

Turkish Ibrik(coffee pot) and grinder.

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Elena,

You started off that value drawing with a bang - the depth in the grinder is especialy good.