I produced these sketches from life during Sam Taylor's workshop. For this session I was focussing on linework, and different methods of mark-making. My aim was to become looser and more experimental with the marks that I made.
These were 5 min warm-up sketches, from left to right: sketching without looking at the paper, using left hand and using right hand.
I made this sketch using ink and the reverse end of the paintbrush to apply it. This application method forced me to make marks rapidly before the ink dripped, and so I found that I needed to make quick decisions about which line movements were most relevant and important whilst I was working. I enjoyed the way I was able to record the pose with the minimum of essential lines, though I had little control over the thickness of the lines, and felt that they were inappropriately thick or thin in certain places.
This image was created by using first a graphite stick, then a sharpie taped to the end of a bamboo pole. I found that standing over the page gave me a good vantage point where I could see the entire image as I was drawing it, but also I could use the movements and leverage of my body to draw. It was more difficult to be accurate with the bamboo stick, but I found that the shape of the lines were still descriptive of what I could see, even if not necessarily placed correctly, but this gave the image a looseness, which is something that I usually find difficult to achieve (being someone who prefers keeping a tight control of the linework).
The looser lines give it a sense of movement and character that I enjoy, and the image is probably more spontaneous and unique because of it. I also found that I was a useful way to map out a large image relatively quickly, and I can see myself using this technique when starting on a larger work.