Magical Monster People: Rhino Dude & Giraffe Guy

I've been drawing these characters at the Santa Monica figure drawing session once a week for about 3 months. While I don't think there has been much change in the quality of the work, I have definitely gotten faster at arriving to the final piece. Drawing is a skill that is developed over the long haul, I've been drawing for years and I still don't like I am as good as I should be. So its nice to see some type of development in a short time, even if that development is relatively minuscule.

Magical Monster People: Bat Woman & Bunny Girl

I'm always a little nervous showing the model the drawings I do during figure drawing, animal parts or no. Its not quite as nerve wracking as showing a portrait to what ever friend or family member that was kind enough to sit for me but its almost as bad. I wonder if they'll think, "Thats not what I look like." In some ways, its easier to show them the magical monster people drawings. It takes the pressure off of creating a likeness. Its obvious I am just using the model as a springboard to something different. In any case, the model enjoyed the bunny version of herself for this week.

Magical Monster People: Beetle Bro and Flying Squirrel Dude

What's the hardest part about being you? Mustache.

I often get asked if I add in the animal parts later on, after I get home from the figure drawing group. I don't, I draw and paint each one of these with the model in front of me in about 10 to 20 minutes. I like the immediacy of working quickly and on a timer. It makes me more free to work with my mistakes. Could the paintings be better if I spent more time on them? Probably. Maybe I'll do that sometime. For now I like to finish these paintings in the time allotted.

Magical Monster People: Mermaid & Faun

These are my two of my most commonly drawn characters. Almost any time the model is lying down I imagine a mermaid. I like the fauns because of how classical of a mythological creature they are and how well represented in a certain period of art they are. Since then, however, they have fallen out of fashion. Fear not, dear reader, I am bringing them back, one 20 minute watercolor painting at a time.

Magical Monster People

antler girl and elephant girl:

Mom's visit to LA

My mom kindly sat for me while I painted a quick watercolor painting.

Figure Drawing

The model was BEARing it all this week at figure drawing. You see what I did there?

This week I brought along Animal Anatomy for Artists, by Eliot Goldfinger. For all the last pieces I just made up the animal parts so this time it was helpful to have animal reference. That being said, 20 minute poses don't exactly allow for much study and of course all of the lions in the book were facing left.