Class studies
Somehow I've been squeezing a figure painting class into my hectic schedule. The teacher is Vadim Zang and he linked under my links, the painting of the girl below is by him. He a great teacher and I strongly recommend his class at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art. Most of the studies have some touches by him all the studies are pretty small.
the above is by Vadim-
It was nice being in class again, the only down side is I wish there were more serious young students in class, sadly there is a high percentage of old ladies who are not ready for classes this advanced, a flaw I blame on the academy for not setting up the school seriously. It was refreshing to sit in a quick sketch class when Vadim was sick and work with studious young men. The ladies chatter, fight, laugh constantly are demanding and praise themselves at high volume. What they need to do is learn drawing and manners.
Some unsupervised quick sketches. The guy is 5 minute poses and the girl was 10. Both amazing models. the guy was done more with exaggeration and strong lines, the girl I tried to loose the lines and get the proportions calmer.
posted by william wray at 5:35 PM
23 Comments:
Great to read about the art class ladies, I've met exactly the same ones in France... a vicious breed ;)
very nice approach on the latest quick studies, the hard vs the quiet. Thank you, this post just made me want to work again on figures and models.
Great stuff Bill, great to see you doing figures again, I especially like the last ones of both the paintings and the drawings.
Planning on taking another class?
I really know what is going to an art classroom with those kind of old ladies...
great figures.
Love that top one, Bill! But all of them are damn good! That's a great teacher you got there! Lucky fella, you!
Good solid drawing! To bad about all the old bats.
These are all great!
Nice work iggi looks like deconstructed city views in a metamorphic change into big liquid plasma robot monsters.
I'm a long-time admirer of your work, first-time commenter. I do just want to point out that it can be anyone--not just old ladies--who can mess up a class. I'm a mature woman, but in school, I was the one telling the young bucks to "please just shut up and paint" in life class. Bottom line, it is the instructor's responsibility to maintain a proper environment in the class. Those women were undoubtedly nervous because they knew they were out of their league, but it was up to him to keep them from disrupting everyone else's experience. It's a shame he didn't do that. I love your work, Bill.
Kathryn,
I’m a mature man, and I understand manners. Somehow I know if I talk loud in a small room, I disturb others in a class.
I was in a unsupervised class of young men at the same school who were studious and quite. Several of the older women in class are serious students, but there is a large amount of amateur dilatants who infest private classes and workshops who treat the class like a quilting bee. It’s just a real phoneme as anyone who has taken a lot of workshops will confirm.
Retired women have the time and money to take classes. Many never got to be the artist they wanted to be, they raised kids and put there dreams on hold. The teachers hands are often tied as these are commonly the one’s who are the bread and butter, they repeat classes, they buy paintings. They start to feel a certain propriety with the teachers and the other students. Need I say more? Perhaps your experience was with a college level class where some students were looking for an easy grade? I don’t hear the class next store to us with mostly young/ men women/ middle aged/ students talk either.
Bill, I totally agree, I know the kind of person you're talking about. When I was a student, there were evening life drawing sessions that were open to the public, and I couldn't stand to attend those because they were frequented by just that kind of person. And yes indeed, *any* civilized person should know better. I do think that instructors can rein in that kind of thing tactfully, without offending, because I'm sure you're right about those (probably wealthy) ladies being an artist's bread and butter. Their sense of privilege and entitlement ($$) probably exacerbates the problem. Having been an instructor myself, I just think the situation could be at least improved by a tactful intervention by the instructor. I'd be majorly pissed off if I paid for a workshop and then had to put up with that.
Seems like such a great class! Wish i was in the area coz I'd take that class in a heartbeat! Your work is stunning!
great figure paintings! Love the way your style translates, wonderful work!
I am captivated by your pictures. You are a great artist. I like very much how you painting. You can see my pictures in my new blog. My english is not very good, I,m sorry
www.danielgarciapinturas.blogspot.com
Hi Bill,
Merry Christmas to you! I'm enjoying your figure studies... and am surprised by how much they remind me of my work...
I read about your upcoming show with Tim Horn... should be incredible and I'll have to make this one! I was sorry to have missed your last show.
Take care.
eric
Bill,
I visited your blog a few months ago when I was new to this cyber art-culture. I was so very impressed with your landscapes. Still am.
It's great to hear you visited LAAFA. I'm there quite often. It looks like you painted/sketched Forrest and Sarah, two of my favorite models.
I'm not one of those disrupting old ladies, by the way. Happy Holidays.
My life drawing has never been this good, I am so rusty, makes me want to get back into it. - mh
http://blackmatte.blogspot.com
I see a lot of NC Wyeth in these pieces Bill--Fantastic and wonderful to see your talents at handling the figure as well as the man-made!
Kei, if I won the lotto , I'd just go to school. ;-) Are ypou back east? try the art students league.
Thanks Laurent sorry I got you out of order.
thanks Mike, yeah I;m going to take Vadim's drawing class. His drawings kill.
Hey Lusitnct-- Yeah My I pod didn't work. I think I'll ask my teacher if I can make a speech before class starts next time.
Kick-a** work...found you through Laura of Lauralines.
It's odd, but not completely surprising, that your instructor hasn't found a path to managing those chatty disruptive women better. Some of those gals can be intimidating.
I've been able to get folks to take their chat outside while others are working, but my husband tells me I have Scary Powers of Shush.
(BTW, I am a middle-aged lady...howevah, I would nevah spend time off-topic the way these gals seem to. What a waste of their time and y'all's.)
Bill, I didn't see these ones befo'. Great life studies the two bottom ones.. I never seen any of your figurative work.. these are really impressive for 5 and 10 minutes. Can I ask what you are using for them? Are they charcoal? is it comressed or vine. Can I ask what type of paper also? I've used pencil for years, but I'd like to experiment with charcoal a bit more.
cheers, Mike
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