AAU Expo

Today I went to the AAU LA Expo in Downtown.  I got to meet and chat with my teachers, alumni, and other students.  It was an amazing experience.  I love connecting with people.  

These were done during the figure drawing workshop with Craig Nelson.  Both are 25 min poses done in watercolor.  

These are the drawings I did almost a year ago at the last LA Expo. 

Figure Drawing Workshop- FDW Nudes

Nudes

watercolor on paper 

 9 x 12

 Done during Tuesday night Figure Drawing Workshop (FDW). I had such a good time last week using my watercolors that I thought I would use them again this week.  I love how free I feel when I use them.  With these I was really concentrating on massing in the forms and addressing the cool and warm areas of the figure. I think for the next long pose I am going to try and bring my oils just to try something different. 

On another note, I want a new scanner.  Our printer/scanner is at least 5 years old.  The printer is fine, works great.  The scanner is crap.  I think anything would be better then what I have right now.  I tried scanning the first image and all of the color variation was lost.  Very disappointing.  Another think to add to the list :)

Spring Break Figure Drawing Workshop

  

Nude

watercolor on paper 

 16 x 12

 Done during Tuesday night Figure Drawing Workshop (FDW).  I have not gone in a few weeks as I have been busy with school and since this week is Spring Break I thought I would go.  Tonight we did a long pose and I didnt feel like lugging my oils out there so I thought I would try to do a figure in watercolor... and I loved it!!   It was really fun to slowly build up the layers in this and the model breaks gave me a chance to step back and plot my next move.  I totally think I will do something like this again.  This reminded me how much I really like working in watercolor.  Here are the works I did at the last FDW I went to.
p.s. I have never done a nude in watercolor much less and nude from life.  Bobby Chiu of Imaginism Studios posts daily Tips on his Deviant Art account and today's tip was "Strive to do something you've never done before. Get in the habit of constantly exploring new things and ideas." I had this in the back of my mind today when I choose to bring my watercolors instead of my oils.  I am really glad I did.

This the 25 minute prep sketch I did to try out colors and figure out what I was doing :) 

 

I felt finished with the first piece and I didnt want to overwork it and the group was ready for a new pose so I did this:

 Nude 2

watercolor on paper

9 x 12

Much looser just really having fun and playing with the media and subject.  I started with a semi blind contour drawing and then filled it in with color.  I thought it need a background and then I felt the background needed jazzing up so I added salt.  I am pretty happy with all of these pieces.  I need to go to the FDW more often. 

Drawings- Hair, KA-POW!, Pizazz, Figure Workshop

Hair

mixed media on paper 

 18 x 24

For Mixed Media Painting and Drawing.  Exploring different pencil-like media.  Trying to get us to get used to using different media within a piece. Super happy with this.  I love the face. I really really want to come in a do a cool background in watercolor.  Maybe another time. 

KA-POW!

mixed media on paper

 18 x 24

Another one for Mixed Media.  Like the above piece, playing with the different conte, charcoal, pastels, to get a feel for how they work together.  

 

 

Pizazz 

mixed media on paper

 18 x 24 

For Mixed Media.  Same as the two above, more exploring. 

 

 Today I also went to a Figure Drawing Workshop I found in my area and hand a chance to apply my new mixed media techniques to the drawing I did from the model.  Below are some of my better attempts. 

P.s. My second time ever working from a professional model.  Next week we are doing a long pose (3 hours) I think I may bring my paints and see what happens :)