The male figure stands in a classical pose, much as a god might have been depicted by a Renaissance artist. Think Hercules. The muscles are defined, taut. A landmark map of his life - his work, his trials, his age - have left their marks on the man's flesh. His stance puts weight on the left leg, the right ready to stride out following the outstretched walking stick. It's dynamic. The sketch conveys the bulk of his body, its contours, and reveals something about his character.
In this case, the model is a bodybuilder who had posed for 30 minutes in front of the Tuesday Life Drawing class at the Arts Centre, and he has been rendered in conté crayon by Coast artist Maurice Spira.
This figure drawing is solely an exercise for the artist, says Spira, just as a musician practises scales incessantly, yet it's never boring. Many members of this informal life drawing class have been meeting at the Arts Centre in Sechelt for years, honing their art by sketching live models. They warm up with timed, brief sketches, then work on interesting characters like Hercules, first observing, then using their understanding of anatomy and musculature to convey the bulk of his body. They draw for 30 minutes - a rough sketch - before the figure moves to a new pose."It must be an expressive drawing," says Spira. "It's not seen through the eyes of a camera; it must be our own interpretation."
The light is important. The skylight of the Arts Centre offers optimal conditions -natural light shed on mass creates the appearance of volume in the drawing. These elements of drawing, structure, form, musculature, movement and expression, are the foundations of art and must be mastered before any good artist can move on. For this reason, the figure drawing group has once again asked Vancouver artist Thomas Anfield to return to the Coast on April 10 and 11 to teach these elements in a two-day workshop that will be open to all interested participants. The group welcomes beginners, even if you set down your pencil years ago.
Anfield is noted for his deep, dark studies, his sense of anatomy and classical treatment of form. The first day will cover anatomy while the second day will be a figure drawing workshop. Those students of life drawing who have taken his last session describe it as an in-depth process that allows artists to work with two live models and truly interpret the human form.
"The first step is to order the large shapes in a figure," says Spira. "Thomas will teach that."
The regular Tuesday Life Drawing group is open to new members to drop in; long time member Nena Braathen can give details. The Anfield workshops take place at the Arts Centre on April 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. For registration and further information call Nena at 604-885-2860. Fee is $50 per session.
