24 x 18 inches, graphite on paper Copyright 2010, John A. Brecht, all rights reserved
From the point of the graphite stick to it's side, this drawing utilizes a nice variety of marks. Here, the model was going through a battery of thirty-second poses. She leaned forward with her left arm over her head. Even though you don't see the arm, the gesture suggests it. The other marks, I believe, are from the previous pose that I drew on top of. Sometimes I don't bother changing the page. In rapidly changing drawing situations, I occasionally feel it takes too much time to finish my thought on one pose, rip the paper off the pad and set for the next pose when I am essentially racing with the model. I really like newsprint paper to draw on. It has a tooth that takes graphite and especially conte nicely and is a pleasant off-white. Unfortunately, it is unstable and deteriorates quickly as seen here by the yellowing around the edges.
24x18 inches, graphite on paper Copyright 2010, john A. Brecht, all rights reserved
The gesture drawing is a quick study completed in a very short period of time. This drawing was executed in under 30 seconds. Often, artists use such rapid-fire drawings as a way to warm up at the beginning of a session. The technique is also helpful in situations where one needs to capture the essence of a scene in a short period of time or where there is movement or a constantly changing scene. Gesture drawings lack the detail that is in more finished drawings. Drawing in this manner also cultivates hand-eye co-ordination, which is important when working from life. Those are the nuts-and-bolts explanations. The beauty of these drawings is the energy they posses, the purity and diversity of mark, and the ability to convey a great deal of information very efficiently. It is the life and energy in the mark that I find most beautiful and magical. To me that is what drawing is about.
This drawing was done using monochromatic pastel on grey Bogus Paper. It was done from a painting. The three trees are a compelling group, drawing me back to this location repeatedly. They are emphasized here in a distilled fashion, largely from being drawn from a painting.
A quick ten-minute sketch. The model, Anna, has some very pronounced features, a long body with a long neck and a very angular, long nose. She is regal in stature. This drawing is a fun, quick study. It is good to throw caution to the wind at times. Occasionally it is good for what ails you.
This is a view from four stories above 8 West Eighth Street, in New York City, looking directly down. It is abstract in nature and is inspired by a panoramic photograph taken with my cellular telephone. I find it interesting how the 3 dimensional perspective becomes distorted because the 3 separate angles this image is comprised of (up the street, straight down and down the street) are combined on one flat plane. The media used, soft pencil and oil stick, is fun to work with.
This drawing was done the same day as "Judson Memorial Church," below. It is an abstraction of trees. I was standing near the corner of Washington Square North and MacDougal Street, at the entrance to Washington Square, facing south (at the virtual center of the Beat universe some fifty-plus years earlier, Ferlinghetti and Ginsburg hung out a block away at 8th and MacDougal, Bob Dylan stayed at what was then the Hotel Earle on Waverly Place in 1961, just over my shoulder. Funny thing is I didn't know that when I was there). These trees were lined up along MacDougal Street. It was a nice September day in New York City.
5.5 x 7 inches, graphite and oil-paint stick on paper Copyright 2010, all rights reserved
This drawing is of Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square South in New York City. My vantage was just inside Washington Square at Thompson Street. I was looking over trees and power lines at the tower and the facade of the church across the street.
"Power lines," those words evoke a pleasing concept.
Private Collection
This drawing was done on Reeves BFK paper, a very soft paper. I like the less finished portions of this drawing the best, especially the model's left hand and forearm. The lines present in those areas are direct and suggest the form nicely. Less is more.
This head was drawn using charcoal pencils on grey bogus paper. Bogus paper is an inexpensive paper that is on the pulpy side and has a nice tooth, The grey shade is nice as well. I first used it in high-school art class where there was an abundance of it (thanks Mrs. Bingham). I bought some not long ago to try again.
Visual artist, alumnus of the Maryland Institute College Art and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.
Recent Comments