Osher Figure Drawing Class with Model Amelia

We had a wonderful class with model Amelia last Friday morning.  We took a break from studying the construction of faces & feet, foreshortening and other structural challenges, and just played with ink and watercolor paint.  

A fresh perspective awoke in me, and I fell into the joy of figure painting.

We began with 3-minute gestures.  I used India ink, starting with a mass gesture in watered-down ink, and finishing with full-strength ink to find contours and shadows.  Because I was working at an easel, my wet brush occasionally dripped ink down the page.

Amelia brought us wonderfully fresh, challenging poses to work from.  She held her gestures rock solid still.  

After our gestural warm up, I demonstrated mixing flesh tones & shadows in watercolor for the class. We finished with a long pose of about an hour.  A lovely getaway into the Zen of painting.

Amelia arranged the pumpkins and gourds around herself to complete her scene.  

Many thanks to model Amelia for her lively gestures and inspiring long pose!