Choose your Weapon for Life Drawing...

[Michael Georges]

So I am posting this here because it is more a topic about materials than life drawing in specific.

In my open studio sessions, I am using, and am really impressed by Cretacolor's Sanguine 5.66mm drawing leads. They are just ideal, IMO, for this type of drawing.

They make them in oil and chalk style and there are significant working differences between them. The oil sticks are bold when laid in, and do not lend themselves to much blending. The chalk version goes in just as bold, but can be blended down. This means that your darkest darks will have to be laid in at the last because if you touch them, they will lighten and blend down.

Or, you can combine the two - oil and chalk to good effect. Just as in pastels, chalks do not go well over the oils, but oils go just fine over the chalks. So I start in with my chalks, and reserve my darkest darks for the oils.

Also, I prefer to work on paper that is not highly textural or gritty as I really like to move things about and I am not a "covering" sort of artist. :P

The pictures below show my drawing box, and an example of how both types of Cretacolor sticks tend to work. The oil is on the left, chalk on the right.

So, what materials do you love to use when you draw from life?

[Dan Landrie]

Where did you pick up that awesome pencil box?

[Michael Georges]

Hello Dan:

Hey the box was on sale at my local Jerry's Artorama for $19.95! I did a little modification to glue down plastic boxes for the Cretacolor sticks, and some canvas clips screwed in to fold down to keep the boxes from opening when the whole thing is moved. I also sanded and stained the outside as I am perpetually never able to leave well enough alone!

[Dan Landrie]

Thanks for the info, you probably know this, but they make some nice holders for those creta sticks, although I find the holders a little "bulkie" and prefer to use just the sticks by themselves.

[Michael Georges]

Yea, I just use the sticks without the holder as well. I enjoy the organic feel of it all.

[Donna Johnson]

Hi,

I love the Cretas. I love everything though. Have you tried the chalk ones with water? Fun!

I love charcoal and conte best. My life drawing teacher LOVES Polychromos colored pencils, which was my least favorite. Now I use them a great deal, but only in life classes, not for anything else. I understand why he likes them but I still prefer the messier stuff. I like to smudge.

Donna