Category: Nude

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David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nude Watercolour

The Body Builder

Venue: The Swedish Academy of Realist Art (SARA)

I enjoyed this two hour session last Thursday, I took it easy and did not stress. I have been practising my skin tones in a watercolour-paper- sketchbook, I think it is starting to have an affect, all the practice I do. I’m starting to feel more and more confident with each stroke of the brush, practice, practice. 
I haven’t been publishing much lately, I’m so busy with other things than art. Sweden is very much a place of two seasons, the ice has recently melted, I put the summer tyres on the car and this weekend it was the boat’s turn to be put in the water and the mast put on. Summer is coming! 🙂

The Body Builder by David Meldrum, 20130502
The Body Builder, A3 watercolour, 2013.05.02


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David Meldrum Nude Sketch

Nude

I’m still playing around with these coloured pencils. I sketched from a photograph I found on the internet, I like the pose, it’s hard to find erotic material on the net that is not too pornographic if you know what I mean. Where is the line between eroticism and pornography anyway? I guess that’s up to each and everyone of us to decide for ourselves.

Nude sketch by David Meldrum
Naked on the internet, a study.

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David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nude

Thursday’s male nude portrait

Venue: The Swedish Academy of Realist Art 

I wish I could spend more time watercolouring, I mean, lots of time, even full-time. The month of April and May are the busiest time of the year for me at work, I have a number of fun web projects that I’m working on, but it keeps me from my art, life is hard.

Watercolour by David Meldrum 20130425
Male Nude, Watercolour, 2 hours, A3, 300g paper, 2013.04.25

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David Meldrum My Life Drawing Nude Sketch

Saturday’s Life drawing

Venue:  konstskolan BASIS 2013.04-20

I’m experimenting with coloured pencils on light-brown paper since last week. I like the technique, it is a quick way to create a more three-dimensional form.

Nude by David Meldrum 2013.04.20
Nude 2013.04.20

Nude by David Meldrum 2013.04.20
Nude 2013.04.20

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David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nude Sketch

Thursday’s life drawing

Venue: The Swedish Academy of Realist Art  20130418

I actually turned up at the wrong life drawing session, I wondered why no one had arrived and then I slowly realised that I was at the wrong place on the wrong day! Luckily, I was half an hour early and so made it to the right address just on time. I’m stressed at work, I can blame it on that or maybe it’s my age.

Nude by David Meldrum
Pencils on coloured paper. Nude 2013.04.18
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Art Nouveau David Meldrum figure drawing Mucha My Life Drawing Nude Watercolour

Frustration and enlightenment

Venue: The Academy of Realistic Art, Bergshamra, 20130228

I can sketch a nude quickly, paint them at speed also. My challenge right now is to slow down and start painting instead of sketching. It is hard, very hard to continue having a loose expressive style when one has a whole two hours to capture a pose. I tense up, every line I draw becomes stiff, I revert to how I drew two years ago. When I came home and showed my wife my effort she immediately said it felt restrained, she was right. Frustrated, I decided to add thick lines around the model to exaggerate the stiffness even more, I created a Mucha, some Art Nouveau. After much thought of where I want to go,in which direction, I realise that I relate to artists like watercolourists, Charles Reid and Ted Nuttall. Other painters I currently find inspiring are; Sandra Flood for here compostition skills, Mark Demsteader for his grungy portraits, Sebastian Kruger for his ability to capture a character and Kent Williams for his loose style. I am basically seeking to develop a loose, grungy style, I just have to keep reminding myself of this.

 (Thank you Martin for introducing me to Mr. Williams)

Nude by David Meldrum
I made a Mucha of it!



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David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nude Sketch Watercolour

Life drawing – Konstnärshuset

Venue, Konstnärshuset, Stockholm

I am happy with a lot of my sketches from this session. I focused on trying to keep a single line that is expressive and in no way hesitant. Completing a watercolour sketch in such a short time is challenging,  the hardest part is to mix my colours and create the desired skin tones. I use: Naples Yellow, Cerulean Blue and Cadmium Red mostly.

Sketch by David Meldrum, 20130226
5 minute sketch, 20130226

Sketch by David Meldrum, 20130226
10 minute sketch, 20130226

Sketch by David Meldrum, 20130226
5 minute sketch, 20130226

Sketch by David Meldrum, 20130226
3 minute sketch, 20130226

Sketch by David Meldrum, 20130226
2 minute sketch, 20130226

Categories
David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nude Watercolour

First life drawing 2013

At last, I found time to go to life drawing. I’ve been very busy since Christmas so it was a great pleasure to sketch tonight. The session was a two hour pose, the model was a real pro, stood still as a statue. The venue was, The Swedish Academy of Realistic Art in Stockholm.

I’m happy enough with the painting, I have to get used to spending two hours on a figure, for the last two years I’ve been drawing quick poses. Now I want to slow down and capture more detail, the biggest problem I have is the stiffness of the pose, I need to relax. I can see from my 5 and 10 minute poses from two years ago that they were also stiff. All I need to do is lots of these two hour sessions and I should eventually find a fluid line to my art.

Click on the image if you would like to see it in a larger format.

Watercolour Nude 2013.01.24 by David Meldrum
Watercolour Nude 2013.01.24

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David Meldrum figure drawing Nude Watercolour

Watercolour nude

I am not 100% happy with this effort, I got the model’s back all muddy, too many strokes! The leg should also have softer edges to suggest depth. Another learning experience that caused frustration but at the same time satifaction. Nothing is straight forward and simple for long when one watercolours.



Watercolour nude study from photograph by David Meldrum
Watercolour nude study from photograph