Thursday, May 1, 2014

Throw Back Thursday - Jenny Charcoal, 2004

I remember working on this drawing like it was yesterday. I remember the adrenaline that kept me up for hours, trying to finish it in time for my 8am class the next morning. It wasn't yesterday though, it was 10 years ago! (Oh, how time flies!) It was 2004, my freshman year of college, my first semester. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I lived in an all girls dorm, with my best friend as my roommate. 

This drawing was inspired by pure forgetfulness. I don't remember what I was doing, or what distracted me from remembering that I had an assignment due the next morning, but there we were, about to go to bed when I remembered! Where was I going to find a subject for my drawing at this hour? And like a good roommate and true friend would, Jenny allowed me to draw her as she was getting ready to sleep. What you cannot see very well here (this photo was cropped a little tight) is that she is reading--otherwise she just looks like she fell asleep sitting up. 

I love this drawing, mainly because it reminds me of the dorm days with Jenny, and of that first year of college. So many memories for a year filled with so much transition! 

For this type of charcoal drawing, I often start with a medium gray (I rub some charcoal over the whole surface and smooth it out with a cloth or my finger) then I use an eraser to pull out the highlights and more charcoal for the shadows. I like the push and pull of it.

My favorite detail of this drawing is a toss up between the bear and her camisole. I like the shadows on and around the bear, and the spaghetti straps of her camisole always catch my attention, with the way they stick up above her shoulders. The shadows cast by them are fun too. 

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