Head Drawings from Last Term

We started head painting at LAAFA last term. I don't have those to post, and honestly most aren't worthy. However, my head drawing is getting better. Here's my best from last term (Kirk Shinmoto and Sang Bang helped me with some of these):

Some Quick Stuff from Last Term

Secret of Drawing Discovered?! Possibly...

Some things must be shared with the world.

It so happened that about a month ago or so I accidentally used my sketchbook as backing to do some drawing. This sketchbook has a plush, padded cover:



And something happened then that I never expected. I realized I had just discovered drawing, and whatever strange activity I had been performing before was nonsense. My strokes went down with ease, smooth and silky, each a caress rather than a scratch, something soft and lovely. The whole drawing experience became sensual. My quick tones went down smoother than I had ever seen, as if airbrushed on some papers. I was happy.

It seems that adding a soft undersurface creates some give to a broad-sided wax pencil stroke, which causes more of the paper's grain to be filled-in. This creates smoother tones, and creates a nice look even with cheaper, somewhat grainy papers like Biggie. The downside is it takes more pressure to achieve full value with the pencil.

I searched long and hard to find some material to use as the undersurface, and have settled on foam shelf-lining, rolls of which can be had at any department store. I have rigged my board as follows:



My paper is clamped in one direction and the shelf-lining in the other. As I turn to a new page, I lift it and place the lining beneath. Very simple.


You owe me, all of you...