'Atrophy and Arrival'

Fineliner pen on Somerset paper 29 x 49cm

WIP update

Little abstract detail of my new piece which is slowly taking form;

It is a significantly smaller piece than my previous endeavours (49.5 x 30cm), but no less intricate. 

'Our Coat of Arms'

Fineliner pen on Somerset paper 60 x 79cm

600 hours & 17 fineliner pens

I am almost in a position to unveil my latest piece. Very excited about presenting this one as it turned out to be my most meticulous creative undertaking to date. 

Teaser showing an abstract detail:

Horse head plaster cast study

I have just got back from my annual break in Valladolid, located in the heart of Castilla, Spain. Whilst there, I stumbled upon a separate part of the Museo Nacional de Escultura (National Sculpture Museum) that I was previously unaware of. Known as ‘Casa Del Sol’, this additional building is located less than a couple of hundred meters from the main museum. It houses a permanent collection of outstanding plaster cast copies of well-known classical sculptures, all on display in one epic grand hall: 

What a fantastic coincidence that I discovered this place when I did, as I had recently been itching to execute some meticulous drawings in an academic manor akin to what would be produced within an atelier curriculum (traditional ‘master and apprentice’ system of art instruction). In fact, I had been keeping an eye out for classical plaster copies to draw from for some time, but to no avail. Now I found myself completely overwhelmed by choice!

Having sought permission from the museum, I set about producing a precise study of a compelling horse head, cast in 1944 by Sánchez Aspe. I believe the original was sculpted in the 5th century BC in Lanuvio, Italy. There is a good chance that the original is currently in storage within the vaults of the Bristish Museum, but I have not been able to verify this.

Although I was immediately excited by the vivid presence of this sculpture, I was determined to remain focused and level-headed. My sole aim was to work in a purely objective and truthful way that was devoid of emotion. Essentially, I wanted to mitigate any subconscious embellishments creeping into the work. It helped to mentally reaffirm to myself at regular intervals that this was to be a 'cold' exercise in visual accuracy. Nothing more.

The finished drawing took about 16 hours in total, spread over the course of a week:

To be able to draw this beautiful cast directly under such a dramatic and constant light source was a rare and privileged experience. The museum staff were very accommodating and were kind enough to provide me with a small foldable stall throughout the time I was there:

Casa Del Sol will now be a guaranteed fixture on all my future excursions to Valladolid and I am looking forward to producing more cast studies over the coming years.

Sketchbook study

Recent life drawing sketches

As the weekly life drawing sessions that I attend have now finished up for the summer, I thought I would post a couple of better sketches from the past term;

'The Cyclical Return'

Fineliner pen on Somerset paper 60 x 79cm

Tips for successful life drawing (part two)

Getting away with it – I typically find that great life drawing has elements that have not even been drawn and/or have been purposefully omitted. When drawing a model from life I personally strive to capture only enough to allow the mind of the viewer to fill in the blanks and complete the illusion. It is not always an easy balance to strike and I certainly have a tendency to over-define my subject if I am not thinking clearly! I find that this method works particularly well in and around areas of highlight where the details are commonly blown out by the intensity of light. As long as the relationships to the surrounding areas of tone are correct, then areas with little or no visible information tend to take care of themselves in the overall composition. I have previously talked of finding efficiencies and this is the perfect example of it. This approach is akin to a great story – not everything is explained and some things are left open to interpretation. Therefore, when drawing I strongly advocate leaving the viewer space to use their imagination. ‘Less is more’ as my old college tutor would say.

Above: 'Figure 16' 60min study by Rhys Eggleton. See more life drawings here

 

Above: 'Figure 17' 15min warm-up sketch by Rhys Eggleton. See more life drawings here

Seeing Red – for quickly observing how subtle areas of tone relate and interconnect, I occasionally look at the model or subject through a red filter. Doing so basically strips away the distraction of colour, so that the tonal values can be accurately assessed. Also, this is a really good way to ‘pull back’ and see the broader shapes within the subject if I feel that my drawing is stalling or if I am losing my way with small details. This is similar to the well known technique of squinting to simplify the perception of masses, but has the distinct advantage of better clarity. I previously purchased a filter designed for a standard 35mm SLR camera from a popular online auction service. It only cost me a few pounds and its compact size makes it ideal for the task:

Be bold – and by this I do not mean reckless (although recklessness can sometimes produce intense results so I don't want to outright discourage it!). In my experience I have found that preciousness inevitably leads to a stale lifeless drawing, which although technically proficient can be uninspiring to behold. This can be really discouraging if you have invested considerable time in its production. Take chances with the flow of lines and try above all else to translate the visual rhythm of the models contours into the flow of the drawing hand. It is a good thing to get as loose as the mood takes you, so long as you are mindful of the relationships of all the elements that make up the character of the sitters body. This point really boils down to capturing the 'essence' of the model - something almost intangible that comes alive in our human perception and in my opinion eclipses absolute accuracy.

Preliminary studies for next piece

With the new year comes new fortuitous situation for me; I no longer work a full-time day job and have afforded myself a dedicated block of studio time each week to focus on creating artwork. I am eager to start realising some of the ideas that until now have only existed in note form, scrawled on scraps of paper tucked inside my sketchbook. Essentially I will be continuing in a similar thematic and stylistic vein to "A Cause for Celebration". I have a lot of material planned, which should hopefully come together as a unified body of work further down the line. 

Alongside a series of thumbnail composition sketches, I have also been working on a couple of detailed studies over the past few weeks, trying to work out some technical kinks before I execute the first of my planned pieces. The first prep drawing is of a solitary magpie, which will play a central role in the narrative of the final work:

The second element will be a small collection of toy marbles:

I learned a lot from producing these sketchbook studies and I now feel confident that I can render the final piece to the standard that I envision. I just have rebuilt my still life shadow box, settled on the lighting and I am now massaging a few details of the composition. I plan to progress the piece over the coming weeks and will be sure to post an update or two along the way.

'A Cause For Celebration'

Fineliner pen on Somerset paper 60 x 79cm

Ta Prohm, Angkor, Cambodia

To sit amongst the temple ruins of Angkor and draw has been a burning desire of mine for many years now. When I finally got the chance to visit last month I was smitten. The atmosphere and mood that this ancient place evoked was everything I hoped it would be. Within moments of arriving at the site I gravitated straight to this beautiful example of a giant strangler fig tree bursting through a temple opening and fusing together with the stonework to become an integral part of its structure. I estimate that the resulting drawing took about 5 hours to complete:

   

For the first part of the day I seldom glimpsed the doorway itself because of the sheer volume of people being herded into this small area by eager tour guides. So, I decided to focus my attention on the intricate root system which extends upwards and frantically sketched in elements of the doorway at every fleeting opportunity. Here is a ‘work in progress’ shot that I managed to snap during a brief moment when there were no other tourists posing in front of the iconic doorway:

 

In my experience of drawing on location, this was definitely the most mentally draining and it was not due to the complexity of the subject matter, no no! Instead it was the sea of camera lenses that were relentlessly pointed in my direction every time a large bus tour group came through. I am used to the curiosity of bystanders and typically relish the opportunity to speak to people that take an interest in what I am doing. This was different though - it was completely wild and never ending!

Despite feeling overwhelmed by the unsolicited attention at times, it actually turned out to be one of the most rewarding sketching experiences I have ever had and I hope to return someday to make some more studies.