It's been a long time...

[Mary Jane Ansell]

Hi Cindy

What a lovely drawing - so fresh and characterful and wonderfully alive - I particularly love the way you have caught her mouth...

So envious of you working with this model too! She looks just my cup of tea, but perhaps a long way to come for me!!!

Beautiful.

All the best
Mary Jane

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Hello Cindy,
very nice classical drawing. Thank you for sharing.
Ilaria

[Kimberly Dow]

Cindy - that is absolutely lovely!

[Linda Brandon]

This is lovely, Cindy. You drew from what I find is the most difficult position, where the nose almost touches the cheek. Hard to get that western eye to turn properly and you did a wonderful job with it.

What is Fusain Nitram charcoal, and can you take a photo of a piece of it?

[Sharon Knettell]

Oh good heavens! My beloved Alma Mater, NOT!

I cannot BELIEVE they ARE ACTUALLY having portrait classes. That was ALMOST beneath them when I was there. They preferred we play with sand and explore abstract shapes in charcoal.

Good start, watch the neck area, it seems a bit long. However a lovely job all in all!

You won't believe how this will advance your work in so many subtle ways.

I thought I could go it without this kind of work until I kept running back and forth to the museum to see how poorly my work compared to Sargent , Reynolds, Gainsborough, Sully, Stuart, Copley, Monet, Manet, the list goes on. It was humbling.

Good for you Cindy!

[Terri Ficenec]

Hi Cindy-- great work! I especially like how you handled the hair and the mouth.

I'm curious how the class was run. . . were there class critiques of the works in progress, or was each on your own?

[Cindy Procious]

Originally Posted by Terri Ficenec

Hi Cindy-- great work! I especially like how you handled the hair and the mouth.

I'm curious how the class was run. . . were there class critiques of the works in progress, or was each on your own?

Thank you, my dear.

Well. Hmmm. How the class was run? (Is this thread public?)

It was run fairly badly, in my opinion. We had to set up the room every week when we arrived, because the people who were paid to do it were always late. We had to break down tables, put up all the easels, the model stand, the lights, the backdrop, etc.

I really liked the woman who taught the class, as a person. She's incredibly sweet and personable. But, as a teacher, she left a bit to be desired. And, since I was the most "accomplished" student in the class, I was given short shrift when it came to personal attention.

There were no critiques, not even a group critique at the end. Instead, we watched a slide show of the teacher's Plein Aire classes in France. I guess she was hoping we'd all sign up.

The one thing I learned from the class was to slow down, and make deliberate choices. Then check and re-check, and fix what's wrong. Always assess your work at the beginning of each session, and address the most obvious problem first. Sounds so basic, so obvious, when I read what I just wrote, but that's it.

[Cindy Procious]

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

Oh good heavens! My beloved Alma Mater, NOT!

I cannot BELIEVE they ARE ACTUALLY having portrait classes. That was ALMOST beneath them when I was there. They preferred we play with sand and explore abstract shapes in charcoal.

Good start, watch the neck area, it seems a bit long. However a lovely job all in all!

You won't believe how this will advance your work in so many subtle ways.

Thanks Sharon.

But I think that you're mistaking where I took the classes. This was not at the Museum School - but rather "Studio Art Classes" in the art studios on the third floor of the museum.

About that neck... I could have used another 4 or 5 sessions to finish this drawing. I didn't get a chance to model any of the neck muscles - which would have, I think, fixed the problem.

I thought I could go it without this kind of work until I kept running back and forth to the museum to see how poorly my work compared to Sargent , Reynolds, Gainsborough, Sully, Stuart, Copley, Monet, Manet, the list goes on. It was humbling.

Why would you torture yourself so? LOL. Ignorance is bliss.

[Marina Dieul]

Nice job Cindy !
You certainly learned a lot from this class!
I too wanted to find an open studio during day time, and finally found one from 6:30 Pm to 9:30 PM. I was afraid to be too tired and not able to concentrate, but finally I' m always surprised when they say it's finished! I think I could paint some few more hours! The day after, I' m tired, but I'm completely addict. ( Well, we will see next winter if I'm enough addict to walk in the snow to go there...) The nice thing with open studio is that you decide your own goals ...

[Cindy Procious]

Originally Posted by Linda Brandon

This is lovely, Cindy. You drew from what I find is the most difficult position, where the nose almost touches the cheek. Hard to get that western eye to turn properly and you did a wonderful job with it.

What is Fusain Nitram charcoal, and can you take a photo of a piece of it?

Thanks Linda (and Ilaria & Kim!)

Here's a link to the charcoal:
Fusain Nitram

We were asked to buy this brand. It's very nice - lays down a much more expressive line than vine charcoal. I noticed a huge difference.

It's square so it's hard to sharpen. Costs a lot more, so when it snaps off during sharpening and falls into the trash barrel, expletives fly (under the breath, of course)! And it's dumpster diving time! LOL.