Sketching from the Recycle Bin

6/15/12, pencil, Stillman & Birn sketchbook

When I asked Chandler (instructor of the figure drawing class I took last weekend) how I might practice sketching at home without a model, she suggested using photos from the sports section of the newspaper, and I realized immediately what a great idea that is. I have no interest in sports, but as I routinely chuck the unopened sports section into the recycle bin, I am often stopped by the dramatic action photos I see published on the first page. So I retrieved yesterday’s sports section from the bin and found this ball player’s image, which made a useful gesture study.

For some female figures to practice, I continued rummaging through the recycle bin and found a TravelSmith catalog with plenty of swimsuit and lingerie photos to choose from. Shading the negative space formed by the model’s arm helped me to position the arm’s angle correctly. Using different colored markers was useful in restating lines.

6/15/12, Pentel Color Brush, Zig marker

6/15/12, Kuretake Brush Writer