Masters Thumbnail Studies

So here's the start of another sketchbook on Great Masters tonal studies. I've done a few of these thumbnails before but they weren't in a sketchbook. All of these are very small; fitting into an A6 book. They're not designed to be exact copies, rather more a method of studying how they laid out tonal values accross a picture. The small size really prevents you from doing any detail work, which is ideal.

These are in order from left to right; a Titian, a Bourguereau and (I think) a Rubens. The Titian was drawn first and is quite tight, in the other 2 I tried to loosen things up a bit. These thumbnails are great for experimenting with what materials work best together- the second drawing uses Conte for the darkest darks and the third uses compressed charcoal.

I enjoy doing these, they're quick to do and remind me what I should be looking out for on larger drawings. So if I get up in the morning and don't know where to start I will do a few of these. Considering a baby is due this week (should have been last week) I need things like this to keep me going when everything goes crazy.

Tone Studies

Following my pretty unsuccessful self portrait and a class last week where the light changed regularly all afternoon I decided that it might be a good idea to study how light affects the head a bit more. Any Art tutor will probably faint/ hurl into a bucket but I decided to start a sketchbook of tonal studies from TV shows/ movies etc- cue Mad Men season 3. This isn't a replacement for life drawing, it's just one sketchbook out of the many that I'm trying to keep. Personally I feel it's a valid thing to do in order to understand light and shade. Of the 3 I like the second one (top right) the best, the third one didn't start off well and has just about turned out OK.

I now have 3 simultaneous sketchbooks: Anatomy study, light and shade/ tonal and a small sketchbook that is more for very basic tonal study and composition- I realised last week that composition is a bit of a weakness. I'll probably add another sketchbook for cafe studies and for keeping in my bag all of the time. Then I intend to start some weekly life drawing when the new term starts up in September.

Added to that I'm mulling over buying a full size easel for home- drawing at one in class is still uncomfortable and doesn't feel natural. I still need to understand how to use charcoal without getting into a mess, so there'll be a bit of exploration of that I think. Maybe some small skin tone oil studies as well. That is my sock btw, bit windy for taking photos.