Life Drawing to Finished Art

 

'Daffodil Burlesque Celebration with Cat'... Enticing curves, darting eyes with charcoal in hand, this is the action responding to a posing nude, holding their pose, for the artist to metamorphous into art. And then there is the cat, puuurrrrring.

Original Life Drawing, 

Charcoal, Chinese Ink, graphite pencil on 12" x 18" drawing paper.

For a time period, I had an artist group come over to the loft for three hour drawing sessions with life models. Bonny, the model came one spring day to shine her beautiful light while Miriah, my neighbors cat was over for a visit. Miriah doesn't mind us admiring her, capturing kitty essence into the day's life drawing session. Mariah's Dad, Pete is a landscape architect and had planted a variety of daffodils around our rather sparse, industrial neighbourhood. Bonny is a Burlesque dancer/performer and travels the world showcasing her talents. 

*During the initial life drawing session, I like to use the soft vine charcoal to smooth in a grey background and block in the negative shapes. 

*To get the lines drawn quickly, I will us a harder charcoal pencil and/or black conte stick to draw in the shapes. 

*Graphite pencil was used for a softer grey highlights on the body and details. 

*Chinese Ink was used as thick outlines and spirals.

*White Acrylic paint was used for the white ribbon.

2024 Daffodil Burlesque Celebration with Cat

24" x 18" Drawing Paper

Black & White Acrylic Paint, Chinese Ink, Purple Soft Pastel, 

Yellowish Pencil Crayons, Graphite Pencil, Various Foils

Years later, I pulled out the older life drawing and was inspired to go back into it and make a final piece. 

Using purple soft pastel, I softy went over the grey vine charcoal that mixed in with the fresh purples for a background that would visually vibrate against the complementary yellow of the daffodils. Deep purple colors quiver a sense of Burlesque atmosphere.  

White and black acrylic was used to bring a fresh stark contrast and to sharpen the lines. 

Always a favorite fun bit for me, is to find reason to put in sparkle with foils. I used purple, deep gold, light gold and silver foil to embellish the head dress and bracelets as its story is effervescent of fresh vitality.

Close-up of Miriah Kitty in Black Acrylic Paint

Daffodil base is graphite pencil with a glaze of several shades of yellow color pencil.

Close up of Bonny Headdress, bracelets and nipple cover.

Purple and metallic foils featured in part of headdress & bracelets.

* Daffodil Burlesque Celebration with Cat *

It was fun to go back into an old drawing and bring it a new life!

DRAW DRAW DRAW  & draw some more.... Minaz Jantz