Long pose, day 5

If anyone is consistently reading this blog, you will probably get pretty bored with these progress posts. I'm sorry. I really just like to document my thoughts and progress for my own personal reference.

I've gotten to a point on this drawing where I'm a little confused about where to go next. There are a few drawing issues that were pointed out to me yesterday and still need to be fixed (I got a little zoned in on trying to capture that portrait, which still needs some tweaking, so didn't quite get to  them). But I'm just not sure how to approach doing the type of detail/finishing work I'm supposed to do here. Seems like the drawing has lost any fresh quality it once had and I don't know how to get that back, so my forward vision is sort of lacking.

Honestly, right now I feel like I'm beating a dead horse... which I mentioned during the session yesterday and one of the students said, "Well, isn't that what drawing is?" Oh, I certainly hope not. Not forever anyway. I would hope that with time and experience you can feel a sense of direction and purpose in every mark you make. I'm not there yet. Part of the issue, I'm sure, is just not knowing how to use the charcoal. I really have very, very little experience with it. And it seems the way it's sitting on my paper makes my drawing look like a grainy black and white, low-light photograph, yuck. I know really smooth, lovely transitions are possible--just don't know how to get there (I think the word the instructor used for my marks was "clumsy"? ha ;). The other issue is never having brought something to such a complete level of finish as is expected here. Also realizing that I'm having a difficult time seeing the subtleties of value in the lights of the flesh. 

But that's why I'm doing this. Learning curves are never easy, and usually not too fun :P Whether it's fun or not, I'm really loving this. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's true.