Followup to Vitality: The Flamenco Dancer

Wednesday evening we were lucky enough that Alessandra arranged to host Beth a Flamenco Dancer at the Plattner Home. Beth Steinbrenner is the Dance director of, and dances with Los Flamencos. She was very graceful and not only posed, but danced a bit for us as well. She had two different outfits to pose for the artists in.

There was a full house of people and the energy was definitely good. The many interpretations of the flamenco theme were astounting to say the least. When I returned to look at the gallery of pictures of the event, I was struck at how well Marlene's ink drawings provided the vivacity of flamenco and the energy that I was thinking of, but hadn't accomplished myself. Spectacular! Next time I will be sure to take a few sidelong glances at her technique to see if I can't learn a bit. Her drawing is shown below.

Drawing above by Marlene

Above: A happy group takes on the challenge.

Thanks go to Alessandra and Mark for taking pictures and hosting, and to Boaz for providing musical accompaniment as well. Some, but not all of the other great drawings and paintings from this event are shown below.

Does it get any cooler than that?

Week 2 of 6 Week Anatomy Intensive

January 24, 2010

See this event on our calendar at Meetup site.

This is a 6 week/12 hr Skeleton & Figure Study. The idea is to focus on both the model (Alessandra) and the Skeleton (working name 'Fat Albert'). Ale and FA will be in the same pose for 2 separate 1hr blocks per session, and we'll simply work from the top down with different angles and rotations.

Right now I'm thinking 6 people (5 plus myself), so we can get in close. But I may open it up to more after the first meeting because we may end up having enough room to go 360 around Ale and not just 180.

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Supplimentary Info from "Wir zeichnen den Menschen" by Gottfried Bammes

Proportion Investigation

The large correspondences between measured distances of body forms.

In construction of a figure after life, we play with what knowledge we have and focus with a priority on understanding the general interrelation of all the parts. We dedicate ourselves to this task with a very distinct energy and also to the practice of using artistic working methods in our experiments.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452—1519): The So-called Vitruvian man, around 1485—1490



Albrecht Dürer (1471—1528): Woman of eight headlengths, constructed 1509

The most famous examples; both artistically and didactically are those of Leonardo da Vinci (above) and Albrecht Dürer's (below). We owe our current useful working procedures to both. They are based on representation of the organic arrangement of the figure. With aid of the comparison of same or similar measurements we gain an overall-view and order. We orient ourselves thereby by measuring after that living model and discover (see illustration below):

The symmetry line of the figure's center (strong red line from vertex to sole) stops in the female figure at the height of the pubic bone and/or large process of the hip bone (trochanter major) (= geometrical body center, red arrows) and bisects the figure vertically into an equivalent long upper and lower division.

The lower part (leg length) is interrupted by the pushed in intermediate form of the knee. The lower edge of the kneecap(= situated at the knee gap, strong black arrow) marks the center of the lower length (= a body quarter)

In the Large upper part the nipple axis in most cases is under the upper body quarter (broken line).

Frequently the point of the chin halves the upper quarter (strong black arrow). From it a proportional rule (canon) results, according to which in our example the head amounts to an eighth of the overall length. It is a suitable basic dimension (module) for further distance investigations after height and depth (for this, see also the profile figures).

From the accepted arrangement in body quarters it follows: Sitting on a chair reduces the bodily height by a quarter (thigh length), and sitting on the ground by half of the overall height.

The greatest width expansion from hip-socket to hip-socket measures hardly up to a full body quarter.

The different arrow forms point to differently important classification points:

• red arrows: classification points of 1st rank



• full black arrows: classification points of 2nd rank



• linear arrows: classification points of 3rd rank,



• thin arrows: Classification points of 4th rank.

Vitality

sumi-mantis
Originally uploaded by cjbvii

If you were preparing for an event and wanted to go in painting with energy and vitality and not mess around with wasted time warming up, how would you go about it? You can always take pictures and work later, but that is not the same thing. Say you want to get into the juice of the moment and squeeze the energy right out on your paper or canvas without hesitation?

How do you capture the beat of a heart or the spin of bodies in space? How do you capture the momentary flip of a dress as the flamenco dancer twists and turns? The quick clamor of cymbals and the tilt of the head...

How do you do it? Do you begin with an energetic splash of ink and paint the details in secondary? Do you start with a few essential details, and then splash the rest in as an energetic after-thought? What of pencil or charcoal?

Someone(Henryk) recently told me about using a bottle of powdered charcoal to smear with fingers on the canvas. That might be a technique to get immediately into the thrust of the motion without fussing too much on the details too soon.



An energetic charcoal:

Charcoal above
by Jean Joel Spatfora
from his blog.

As with life, there are so many things buzzing past and all around us. Some of them are important, while others are just distractions. They may stand out, but they may absolutely not lend themselves to the greater idea. Identifying the greater idea in all the chaotic details is the issue. How often is it that one grabs upon one detail and follows it to a point to which we realize it is a dead-end road leading to nowhere or the edge of a cliff? Or, we discover that it contradicts another line because it is so self-involved that it is not looking at the effect that it has on other lines around it or the frame that the lines all swim in.

I think that even drawing lines must require a bit of stopping to listen and feel what is going on. If you don't do so things can get carried far from their original design, or vision quickly and require repairs or reversing steps. This is the paradox of vitality. It must be quick to pay attention, but wrought with thought and focus.

Drawing: Flamenco Night @ the Plattners

Jan 27 @ 7:00pm

Beth Steinbrenner is the Dance Director for Los Flamencos. She teaches Spanish Dance and Flamenco Dance Classes. http://www.bethsteinbrenner.com/

Our sessions are open to all levels of artists and a variety of media. We provide an informal, lively but structured and serious environment in which to draw and experiment. Good work, good times, good music, and good folks.

At the Meetup (See Calendar here):

Snacks & drinks will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. BYO easel if you like using an easel. (We have chairs and floor space.)

Drawing begins at 7, so try to arrive at 6:45

As usual, if you RSVP Yes then withdraw less than 48 hrs before the event, you will be held responsible for the model fee.

See you there,
Alessandra

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Additional Info:

Flamenco is a style of music which is considered part of the culture of Spain, but is actually native to only one region: Andalusia. It is believed to have grown out of the fusion of Arabic, Andalusian, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures prior to and after the Reconquest. It is also applied to the dance style performed to flamenco music. The origins of the term are unclear - the word Flamenco is not recorded until the 19th century.

Flamenco is the music of the Andalusian gypsies and played in their social community. Andalusian people who grew up around gypsies were also accepted as "flamencos" (Paco de Lucía). Other regions, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have also contributed to the development of flamenco, and many flamenco artists have been born outside Andalusia. Latin American and especially Cuban influences have also contributed, as evidenced in the dances of "Ida y Vuelta".

Wikipedia:Flamenco

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Some music and dancing to set the mood:

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Flamenco danceraArt on the web:

flamenco dancer pencil drawing
Originally uploaded by Dan Newby

jjgCabLifeDr_2009_
Originally uploaded by steroidman626

http://www.danielgerhartz.com
Original art by Daniel F. Gerhartz

Print Script vs. Cursive Calligraphy

I was reading something about how few people write in (or can even read) cursive anymore and wondered if I was alone in being in love with cursive? Then I got wondering... as artists, how many of us prefer cursive, and how many print? Print has obvious applications in comic book style and in note taking, and filling out forms, but there are also times when the calligraphy of handwriting is compelling.

Is cursive stuffy?

Calligraphy_Mountains
Originally uploaded by Rashomon

Postproduced fast sketch
Originally uploaded by Isaías Loaiza

Quote from Qi Baishi

Qi Baishi

"When I cut seals I do not abide by the old rules, and so I am accused of unorthodoxy. But I pity this generation’s stupidity, for they do not seem to realize that the Chin and Han artists were human and so are we, and we may have our unique qualities too… Such classical artists as Ching-teng, Hsueh-ko and Ta-ti-tzu dared to make bold strokes in their paintings, for which I admire them tremendously."

"My one regret is that I was not born three hundred years ago, for then I could have asked to grind ink or hold the paper for those gentleman, and if they would not have me I should have starved outside their doors rather than move away. How wonderful that would have been! I suppose future generations will admire our present artists just as much as we admire these men of old. What a pity that I will not be there to see it"

-Qi Baishi

Upcoming Meetup Events

Wednesday:

This coming Wednesday Chris Manzo will be hosting his "Figure Drawing 101" session. This week's theme is "Veiled and Revealed" with models Danielle and Walter.

We will have two models again this evening - Walter (nude) and Danielle (draped). It should be an interesting contrast of form, material, and scale. If anyone has another light we could use (easily), please bring it and let me know.

Lively, supportive, and helpful group of drawers open to all levels of artists and media. Informal but intense atmosphere to draw in. Good work, good times, good music, and good folks.

6:45-10pm - please show up on time so we can begin promptly at 7pm.

Snacks and vino will be on hand - please feel free to bring something also to share... if we do not use it this evening, we will the next!

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Saturday:

Morning Krampus Day Painting @ Brian's Place




Cap'n Marrrrk (The Birthday Boy) will pose at my place for costumed drawing. It is Krampus day so Mark is going to do his best Krampus impression for us. Scary! Hold your stockings tight and watch out! Not heard of Krampus? Take a look on Wikipedia and prepare.

;-)

Saturday:


Cap'n Marrrrk Birthday Karaoke and Sketching Soiree

Cap'n Marrrrk loves Karaoke!
Need I say more?

So come join us for his b-day party.
Sing, dance, drink, chat, have fun, we know you will :-D

See you then,
Ale

Adebanji Alade: Focus on Portraiture

While some focus on the generalities of Urban Sketching, Adebanji Alade has shown on the blog "ADEBANJI ALADE: MY ART, MY PASSION FOR SKETCHING" an attention to the individuality and humanity of many characters and portrait subjects amongst the surroundings.