 I enjoy watching people at work. Over the last dozen years or so of going to life drawing sessions, I’ve turned my attention to the artists as they ply their craft. While not completely still, their movements are generally gradual enough to catch the gist of their posture with the added challenge of frequent adjustments. An artist standing at an easel may back off with some frequency but even those seated upon the bench know as a horse might need to shift to relieve pressure or numbness. I draw with ink so should the artist move significantly I either begin a second drawing or incorporate the new position right on top of the drawing in progress in the manner of pentimento. I’ve dropped into life drawing sessions across the country, but the primary place I work on my nude figure drawing chops is the venerated Palette & Chisel.  Some of these artists I’ve worked alongside for years such as my friend Misha, who hails from Minsk, Bielorussia where he studied art as a young man. A wonderful subject in his own right he is very dogged in his approach taking glimpse at the figure before working with a long practiced surety. Others rapidly look back and forth between page and subject. One in particular, Bodo, very actively tilts his head left to right while quickly looking up and down and working alternately on different sections of anatomy making him one of the more challenging to capture a likeness of. Mary Qian, seen in baseball cap and in the final drawing, frequently looks thru a pair of binoculars to help her with detail.
 
 Medium used: Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens, various Fountain Pens, Platinum Carbon Ink, deAtrementis Ink, Pentel Brush Pen, Tomoe River Paper, Hahnemühle sketchbooks, repurposed ledgerbooks, Stillman & Birn sketchbooks,
Norman Rockwell would be pleased. Lovely illustrations capturing special moments in time?????????!!!
You are an inspiration. Great sketches and wish I could do something close one day..
Thanks for sharing Don. When I was doing lots of life drawing for school and grew bored I’d also turn my attention to the artists. I realized looking at this just now that I kept very few poses from those years but I kept all the drawings of fellow hacks.
Keep at it man. A new video every now and then would be greatly appreciated.
You are such an inspiration! Saw you demo at OPUS in Vancouver, B.C. A while ago…now studying drawing people…& so enjoy your work! You are a Master!!
Thank you Paul, I’d like Old Norman’s approval.
Hey Pat, comments much appreciated. I had a most delightful time in Vancouver. Keep at it.
Hey Lou, I love watching people work, and I know most of the artists I draw so I have carte Blanche to just stare. Some know I’m there working on them and they do a good job of fighting self-consciousness and continue focusing on their subject.
Thank you Yuki, just keep at it.
What a fantastic post! Love your drawings, always.
Amazing! Great drawings, and thank you for sharing.