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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

365 Days of Drawing Challenge - 341 to go...





I wish I could dress like this every day. Instead I will just have to draw it.

I love all that old glamor. I am certain I should have lived in the 50's as a young women just so I could wear those clothes. Yes, I know women had it hard then in other ways but all those cinched-in waists and crisp cotton frocks, curled-to- perfection hair and pearls, just to cook dinner in makes me overlook that.

As a kid I used to copy just for fun the fashion illustrations in the London Sunday Times. I have since tried to find out who were the artists drawing for that esteemed publication in the early 1970's but to no avail. If anyone knows... I think there was a kind of escapism in it for me.

I also won a competition as a kid with a fashion-style drawing using gold foil from a Cadbury's chocolate bar for the dress. I was so proud of that prize.

Someone said they would like to see a drawing of mine in stages so I decide to do that on this one. This drawing was all about the gesture as much as the clothes. Without it, it wouldn't work.

I started with a charcoal pencil going lightly for the movement, then picked up my brush dipped in black oil to mass in the value shapes on the paper. Once I was comfortable with where I was going, still not putting in too much detail just shapes, I started in with the washes.

This drawing was pretty fast. I sure had fun.

SOLD

4 comments:

Kim Rempel said...

Ah! This is absolutely gorgeous!!

Anonymous said...

Johanna, this piece is absolutely exquisite...I am so drawn to the way you captured the material, the femininity, the perfection of her features, the movement, the timeless-ness of it....just superb!! And as I have been sayin' LOVIN the RED!!

Roseanne McIlvane said...

absolutely beautiful in all aspects! I like that you shared the process of the drawing with us!

Johanna Spinks said...

Thank you so much Kim, Julie and Roseanne. YOUR comments mean the world. To be honest, this is not an easy challenge around the rest of the studio day.

You inspire me to continue...thank you again.