Week 16 of Nicolaides Challenge

Here's week 16. Same pattern as before.

Some variation in hue is introduced for the modelled image exercise. The structure for "painted" images is done by using the very same contour drawing technique used throughout the whole course.

You can see the gradual progression of complexity and how more advanced steps are based on the methods introduced in the earlier drawing sessions.

Week 15 of Nicolaides Challenge

Did my first bone/anatomy study in this unit. Building up more confidence through all the freehand drawing practice.

Week 14 of Nicolaides Challenge

More freehand drawing and modeling. Used a bunch of Tai Chi people for this week's gesture studies.

Week 13 of Nicolaides Challenge

Week 13. Just past the halfway point.

It's funny how I can now see gradual improvement from week to week. When I was doing the work it felt as if my ability to draw was actually getting worse. I'm glad I decided to keep everything organized for future reference.

Week 12 of Nicolaides Challenge

More modelled drawings, more gestures. Week 12.

Week 11 of Nicolaides Challenge

Did a bunch of drapery gestures during Nicolaides week 11.

 Took me a while to figure out how and why gestures are so important (I always thought it was the silhouette). And I don't mean just the underlying gesture; but every stroke of the pencil or brush should convey and re-enforce the gesture.

Gesture is the thought and understanding behind every piece.

It's safe to say that any given drawing or painting is nothing more than a hierarchical diagram of gestures: from the big generic to the small specific.

Week 10 of Nicolaides Challenge

This week we start using color. Mine is all digital, but I did my best to simulate watercolor.

Every week Nicolaides helps the students get comfortable with new forms of mark-making. All the work is still done freehand -  an extension of the same natural contour drawing by "feel" from the beginning of the course.

Week 9 of Nicolaides Challenge

Week 9. Gesture, contour and modelled drawings are now standard parts of training. Easy on the expectations, hard on focus and trying to be impartial to the outcome.

Week 8 of Nicolaides Challenge

Here's Week 8. Drawing anxiety recedes as fatigue starts to kick in.

Week 7 of Nicolaides Challenge

As you can see, everything is still done freehand: no construction, no outlines.

It's gunslinger training for the artist: see the target, focus on the target, then shoot from the hip. These sessions would leave me completely exhausted, but the skills and confidence acquired from these exercises is unmatched.

Not to mention the courageous attitude towards art one gets from this training.

Nicolaides week 7: