I actually brought my oil paints to the life drawing session today. I was nervous at first but as soon as I saw the model’s pose from my seat I was confident that I could turn out a good oil sketch.
It has been a year and a half since I have painted from the live figure in oil. The last time I did this was before we moved to Oregon at Gage Academy in March 2015. The painting I did then, wasn’t too bad but I definitely feel as though I have a better grasp of the figure now.
I didn’t draw with charcoal to start this figure painting. I began the first 20-minute segment by drawing with my brush in burnt umber. The drawing wasn’t spot on accurate and honestly I didn’t feel a need to get it perfectly accurate. I just wanted to get it close and establish the position of the figure on the canvas. As long as I continued with a drawing mindset throughout the painting I could correct any mistakes as I go.
Many artists tend to separate drawing from painting. I disagree with this. This sort of thinking leads to paintings, especially figurative works, that have incorrect proportions. Instead, think of painting as drawing with form rather than line. One of the best books I’ve ever read on drawing explains this concept well.
