meldrum art
Meldrum Kroki starts again after the Christmas holiday break here in Stockholm. Here is a link to the event calendar on Dieselverkstadens’s website which is always up-to-date >> Meldrum Kroki
Meldrum kroki is every Thursday 18.30 – 20.30 except for school holidays and public days off.
Dieselverkstaden, Marcusplatsen 17, Sickla
This is for those of you who enjoy life drawing, here is my current sketchbook. I normally just take photos of my work but this time I thought I’d present my drawings on video with a little voice over.
Have a nice weekend!
David
Like I said before, I don’t really get a chance to fully relax at my own life drawing classes so I go to other venues to practice instead. I say practice and that’s the way I see it, these aren’t finished paintings but sketches where I allow myself to experiment and have fun. I have noticed that the more I practice the better I can draw when I’m painting outdoors. It makes sense, nothing is for free after all.
These sketches are typically 5 minute poses, I usually spend 5 more minutes improving them the day after – some I leave alone. I use W&N Sepia watercolour and a mechanical 2 B pencil.
Since I came back to Stockholm after the summer break I have been making sure I go to life drawing classes at least once a week. As I have mentioned before it is so important to sketch regularly, everyday if possible. Life drawing is a wonderful way to practice drawing from real life, I also like to push myself and paint. These sketches are either 2 or 5 minute, not much time to think so everything has to be instinctive, you can only achieve this through hours of practice.
I use a plastic airlines plate with a watercolour cup stuck in the middle of it with Super Glue, I have Sepia tube colour in the cup. Choosing which watercolour to use is made easy this way, I have only the one choice.
It is so important to sketch on a regular basis, everyday if possible. I was so busy before the summer, it was quite stressed to be honest so my daily sketching habit got broken. In fact, a whole I missed a whole term of life drawing which is ironic because I run my own classes (Meldrum Kroki), it’s impossible though to sketch well when you are running a life drawing class.
So, this autumn I have promised myself not to stress as much and to sketch, sketch and sketch, …. and to watercolour too of course!
These drawings are from Tuesday evening when I attended a life drawing class at Konstnärshuset here in Stockholm.
Two negative things that have happened to me this year. I have been ill a lot and I haven’t attended life drawing classes. I have my own life drawing class every week (Meldrum Kroki) but I don’t have time to sketch then, ironic I know. So last Saturday, even though I was running a fever I went to a life drawing class that wasn’t mine. It was great to be drawing again but looking at my sketches, I must have been in a bit of a dark place, must have been the fact I wasn’t well. I was happy I pushed myself to do it though.
I wasn’t feeling very well on Saturday but I was determined to get out of the apartment and meet my life drawing buddies. I just didn’t have the energy to perform well so I said to myself, “Relax and enjoy yourself”. So I did and I actually liked the result. It’s better to try a little than not to try at all.
I was life drawing yesterday using watercolours, I try my best to capture the pose in 5 minutes or whatever the decided time is. I of course run out of time which is okay as everyone does.
I have gotten into the habit of playing with these sketches the morning after, I start the day with a strong cup of coffee and I try to improve the quick watercolours I did the night before. It’s fun and just like kids I learn a lot by just playing around.
My first life drawing class for this year was last night with a new attendance record. Changing from Friday to Thursday evenings is a definite plus.
I managed to do a few sketches that I later improved when I had some more time.
If you live in Stockholm and are interested in life drawing, visit the Meldrum Kroki page. English or Swedish is up to you.
