St. Ives School of Painting – In the Style of –
The Saturday Live Session – Featuring Seurat ‘The Bathers’
This was something quite new for me. We did not attempt a pointellist painting in two hours, but concentrated on using tone and shade in pencil on watercolour paper. the surface of the paper actually helped with the tonal effeect. I would never have thought of using it for a pencil drawing.
So, forbidden to use the tip of the pencil to make a preliminary drawing, we were trying to build up the figure organically with contrasting tones. The model, and tutor, as usual, were brilliant.
Old habits die hard, and though I faithfully followed the instruction, I couldn’t help adding a little line here and there to add definition at the end. The first two poses were fifteen minutes, the second two thirty minutes. I used a 7B pencil.
I realise that the model’s head in the first drawing is too large, the body too thin, but results not too bad for a way of working that was new to me and the time restrictions,
(excuses, excuses)
The sessions are recorded and sent out, so I shall have another go with this technique and no time restrictions.
I tried out this tone building without drawing first at the next portrait session, and it worked quite well for a portrait of John. Again just using a soft pencil, 5B I think on watercolour paper.
