Life Drawing to Finished Art

 

'Daffodil Burlesque Celebration with Cat'... Enticing curves, darting eyes with charcoal in hand, this is the action that responds to a posing nude, allowing the artist to metamorphose 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 neighbor's cat, was visiting. Miriah doesn't mind us admiring her as she captures the essence of a kitty in the day's life drawing session. Mariah's Dad, Pete, is a landscape architect and has planted a variety of daffodils around our rather sparse, industrial neighbourhood. Bonny is a Burlesque dancer and performer who travels the world, showcasing her talents. Both of these people contributed to the subject of this drawing, daffodils and a burlesque dancer.

*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 use a harder charcoal pencil and/or black conte stick to draw in the shapes. 

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

*Chinese Ink was used for 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 unearthed the older life drawing and was filled with a surge of inspiration to revisit it and create a final piece. The joy of rediscovering this piece was palpable, and it was a delight to breathe new life into it. 

Using purple soft pastel, I softly went over the grey vine charcoal, which mixed with the fresh purples to create a background that would visually vibrate against the complementary yellow of the daffodils. Deep purple colors evoke a sense of Burlesque atmosphere.  

The use of white and black acrylic was instrumental in bringing a fresh, stark contrast to the piece. It sharpened the lines and added a new dimension to the artwork, making the audience feel the impact of comparison. 

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my process is finding a reason to add a touch of sparkle with foils. I used purple, deep gold, light gold, and silver foil to embellish the head dress and bracelets, infusing the story with an effervescent vitality and a sense of fun.

Close-up of Miriah Kitty in Black Acrylic Paint

The daffodil base is a graphite pencil with a glaze of several shades of yellow-colored pencil.

Close-up of Bonny's Headdress, bracelets, and nipple cover.

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

* Daffodil Burlesque Celebration with Cat *

It was fun to revisit an old drawing and breathe new life into it!

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