Amber (my first post)
 

Hello to all,

I joined this Forum earlier in the week, and this is my first post, after spending many hours lurking.

By way of introduction: I received a BFA many years ago, but graduated college unable to draw worth a darn. No reflection on my school, I was a graphic design major, and fine art skills were not a priority in my curriculum. After graduation, I spent many hours practicing basic skills, but I have a rotten habit of making a little progress, then setting the sketch books aside for years on end, thinking I can return any time I want. When I pick up my pencil again, I see that I have lost the previous progress I've made, and have to start over nearly from scratch.

So here I am, five years away from the possibility of early retirement, and I'm committed to spending those years building skills to make retirement feasible. For now, I'm using no color at all. I am spending my time working on form only. When I feel that I've mastered form, I'll introduce color.

But more to the point: This is a drawing of Amber, drawn in a session with a very informal group of artists who meet in a living room and share the cost of the model. This 45 minute drawing was affected by the following limitations:

1. This is a very informal group, and the model carries on a conversation with everyone while posing.

2. She has a sunken chin, which is difficult to draw in a straight-on pose.

3. My own limited skills.

This is not a finished drawing, of course, which is why I'm posting in "open studio".

Comments welcome. Don't be kind! I would really appreciate advice on building my skills.