"Figure Drawing Workshop #1 - "Choosing Your Materials"

**Adair_P** · #1 06-28-2009, 07:53 PM

Figure Drawing Workshop #1 -
"Choosing Your Materials"

This workshop is for everyone to participate and contribute. If you practice Life Drawing we want to know how you go about it, any special techniques you employ, show us your work......or if you just want to ask a question..... this thread is for you.

_______________________________________

What to take with you when you go to a Life Drawing Workshop....

_______________________________________

Link to other Workshop Threads ...

**macrobertson** · #2 07-04-2009, 02:36 AM

OK this is a great idea and a good place to start, what do you take with you to life drawing... (and what do you carry it in?)

I don't know any artists that bring exactly the same things... and as I tend go a bit overboard, Pauline has issued the challenge to 'Out' my drawing kit

here goes

I used to carry a pile of things with me every-week... and used to drop something just about every-week...usually Conte Pastels

and then I discovered a discarded bread tray, and now I carry everything in one go and don't drop anything

though I might get some funny looks

... the tray on a night that I do mainly A3 drawings

it contains
Sketchbook
Small Sketchboard, various A3 papers and some paper clips (some smaller paper for Gestures... I was given a huge pile of it and when that's gone will move on to something else cheap!)
Box of Graphite and Carbon Pencils
Box of Conte Pencils
Box of Colour Pencils
Box of Charcoal/Pencils
I will usually take my metal tripod easel as well..(not shown here)

On other nights I will carry an A2 Sketchboard, and a Variety of A2 papers
and the same drawing implements... though sometimes I will take Conte Pastels, or Pastels, or Acrylic paints as well ...everything fits in and doesn't fall out!

here's a sample of what's in the boxes of
Colour Pencils

Graphite & Carbon

Conte

Charcoal

and this is not even mentioning the huge variety of papers and surfaces to draw on and there is probably a lot that can be discussed about, drawing space, easels or sitting down, lighting, positioning the model etc!

So this thread is now open for ideas, suggestions and discussion about the materials you like, recommend -don't recommend, how you prepare, look after, use, or want to know about etc.
and this will be the first in a series of what we hope will be informative and in-depth threads on all you ever wanted to know about Life Drawing!

Mac

**Sonni** · #3 07-04-2009, 04:29 PM

WOW, Mac! This is enough stuff to draw for a month. Well, a week anyway. Two pencil sharpeners? Is that what the blue round things are? I need something that doesn't chew up pastel pencils--am no good with a knife.

My setup pales next to Mac's.

Something to consider...If you are drawing on a larger scale, as I often do, it's best to have an easel to hold your support. The sketchbook you see here is about 9x12, and I hold it upright in my lap when using it. For larger pieces, I use my pastel easel, and I use any paper that has a bit of tooth.

When you are looking straight on at the figure it's easy to distort your drawings if your paper is lying flat on your lap or table. For reclining poses where the forshortening is extreme, I've kept the paper flat and it seems to work.

**kevinwueste** · #4 07-04-2009, 05:24 PM

I feel so unprepared now seeing what the wise ones (tm) bring! I usually have a bunch of general 4b and 6b charcoal pencils and some wolffs carbon 4b and 6b's as well.. conte noire crayone pencil 2b or 3b ( very smooth, easy to erase). I sharpen them even sharper than you see here with a sharp hobby knife and then finish with sandpaper - usually the points snap off on the first detail but they're still sharp! The side edge is good for painting big swaths of tone. Any brand of smooth newsprint with 100 pages is good for short figures ( under 2 hours or so ) and for longer work, good zero acid papers with light tooth for me. I don't recommend the 50 page packs as the paper is so thin it's hard to use the last few sheets so this issue is compounded with the 50 sheet deals. I have a french easel I bring if drawing-horses or easels are not available. It's the standard, heavy one but it works. I also always have a drawing board ( like the one in the photo) with me, a bag to carry the pad and board and spare bull-dog -type clips to hold paper. I have no Pacifico in my drawing kit. I would like that.

**Adair_P** · #5 07-04-2009, 05:55 PM

Mac, Kevin....... how do you hold those pencils when you draw to keep the tips from snapping off close to the wood? Do you have your finger on the carbon itself to give it some support....... and do you mainly use them on their sides?
Mine are more like Sonni's...... and when I'm drawing there is no time to stop and sharpen them. I guess you have plenty of them and you just reach for another?
Sonni.... what time of the day do you take your first.......um......classes...??

**kevinwueste** · #6 07-04-2009, 07:30 PM

Holding your pencils like this (below) keeps sharpening them. I know people who will gradually turn their pencils as they draw to keep them honed ( i don't).

all of these techniques are light-touch ( even though it looks like I am holding them with all my might - it's all about trying to be as light and lively as possible ( i try, but fail all the time!) especially when first laying marks down - and rarely do i break a tip/lead off.. that mostly happens when I am sharpening and the lead is already fractured in the wooden sheath.

disclaimer: Part I. As you can see, something is wrong -- I am left handed! - if these are confusing I can flip them easily and post. Part II. - these are methods I have been taught/have observed and found they work for me. As ever, there are so many ways to draw! (so what's stopping you!!!???)

**roy-p** · #7 07-05-2009, 01:43 AM

Ooooh... great posts already! So much to learn! I'd love the others to share their materials and methods too - so many experienced artists in this forum! This could be a great learning opportunity for us

Thank you kind and generous folks

The photos and the commentary are fabulous!

red.ochre · #8 07-05-2009, 02:32 PM

Primary items (per day) :
1 thermos coffee
1 bottled drink : cranberry juice or water
1 apple
1 bag pistachios or smoked almonds
1 candybar PayDay

Secondary items :

This is my old kit. Lost the lump of coal somewhere in Australia, or Arizona, don't remember, but it's what Mac has in his photo, "baton de saule".

Nowadays, all I use is :
a willow stick
a charcoal pencil
a white pastel pencil.

**Sonni** · #9 07-05-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Mine are more like Sonni's...... and when I'm drawing there is no time to stop and sharpen them. I guess you have plenty of them and you just reach for another?
Sonni.... what time of the day do you take your first.......um......classes...??

I don't have time to sharpen anything either, so I just grab another color...

Our group has started meeting at 9:30 a.m.. At break we often have champagne cocktails, liqueur in the coffee, or.... even a Bloody Mary. You wanna join us?

**Sonni** · #10 07-05-2009, 05:28 PM

Richard. what do you do with the funny shaped stick that looks like a ceramic tool?

Descartes · #11 07-05-2009, 06:06 PM

I take a lot of things but then never use them. The following is what I've used this term, mostly the thin charcoal.

Doesn't include last week's acrylics.

Quote:

At break we often have champagne cocktails, liqueur in the coffee, or.... even a Bloody Mary.

Sonni we have lukewarm coffee dispensed from a machine.

Quote:

Richard. what do you do with the funny shaped stick that looks like a ceramic tool?

I suspect he prods the model (or failing that uses it to model clay).

**Lauren F-M** · #12 07-05-2009, 07:09 PM

This is a wonderful thread!

It is really interesting to see what others use. Lots of new possibilities!

I will have to see what I use and take some photos later.

I find that in the group that I study atelier drawing with, there is an array of ways that people organize their pencils and such. In this method we are supposed to sharpen our pencils and charcoal to a long point with an X-acto, as Kevin has shown. One very organized fellow (he's a Virgo -- figures!) keeps them in a firm, leather zipped case that I've seen for sale at the art supply shop. It comes in a few sizes, for different numbers of pencils. He has them all sharpened and each is held in place by a piece of fabric elastic that is sewn across the middle. His has two sections, and he has all the graphite pencils, organized by soft to hardness (H to B) on one side, and all the charcoal pencils on the other, organized too. In this holder they can't move around, jar & break. Some day perhaps I'll get that organized.

Anyway, it is best to show by photos, as we are all probably visual learners here!

**macrobertson** · #13 07-05-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adair_P

Mac, Kevin....... how do you hold those pencils when you draw to keep the tips from snapping off close to the wood? Do you have your finger on the carbon itself to give it some support....... and do you mainly use them on their sides?

Pauline I hold mine something like Kevin shows, drawing from the side and using the point for detail, I use plenty of packing under the paper to cushion it, and with the mechanical pencil I try to use a chisel edge.

Breaking the leads is a problem when they are sharpened to a long point, but as Kevin said, it happens more often in the actual sharpening... I think some of them have been dropped too many times

and some of the finer ones like the Cretacolor break in drawing on a regular basis.
The colour pencils being soft, wear down very quickly, so I carry a supply of the same colours, so that I can just switch without sharpening too often.

I also have a large supply of various papers, and I find that the various combinations and techiniques will produce different results... I've never come across that newsprint here though!... or that beer

Mac

**Adair_P** · #14 07-05-2009, 07:54 PM

I never know what I'm going to use until I get the inspiration, so I tend to take heaps of stuff. I go prepared to work in inks, watercolours, pastels, all sorts of pencils, charcoal or contes. (I have AAAD - age activated attention deficit !

)
I'm not very neat inside those bags so I'm only showing the outside and how I pack. (Are Capricorns known for being disorganized?

)
I also take a folder of assorted papers for drawing and water media.... large paper and I stand at an easel, smaller paper and I sit at a card table.

markhelsby · #15 07-05-2009, 11:53 PM

Here is mine

Pencils - graphite, charcoal and carbon.
Vine charcoal.
Clips.
Putty rubber.
Ancient MP3 player covered in charcoal but it seems to have no adverse affect.
Chamois.
Tea tin to collect pencil shavings.
Razor blade for pencil sharpening.
Sandpaper for same.
Henry Yan's book for when I need inspiration!!!!!

Also take paper (a2), drawing board and a portable easel

Mark

Salute to our Gold Partners