Drawing from life is one of the most rewarding things for an artist and it merits more respect then working from photos. Because it’s a hell of a lot harder !

So I’ve put down the paint brushes and picked up the charcoal for a while, and I have to say ...I really miss my paint brushes!!!! 

The life drawing class that I‘ve been taking are great, the instructor has been very helpful and supportive as well as the other students, who all have a high level of talent. I’m learning a lot but the traditional method of line drawing seems to be a problem for me, along with foreshortening. 

I’ve already spent many years drawing with my paint brushes, and it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks but I’m trying.

Just for the record I’m reluctantly posting these life sketches because I think they suck. Soon I’ll post a  John Maler Collier painting I started working on from a photograph which will clearly show my dilemma between drawing from life and drawing from photos.

Drawing from life is one of the most rewarding things for an artist and it merits more respect then working from photos. Because it’s a hell of a lot harder !