TIM BAKER

Some life drawing sessions can be slim pickings, and even more frustrating if they are one of the rare male models because I feel I have to make the most of it – as there is something like a 80:20 ratio female/male in life models at the session. Tonight it was Hugh, who I have drawn once before…and I simply couldn’t get it together. There are a few ones I sort of like – a good watercolour and dreadful one (not shown!), and a Posca piece I overworked and kind of like now, it has a good profile, even though it looks nothing like what the pose was in front of me.

I even just tried slowing down and being more meditative, not hurrying to draw. That didn’t help either, often the shift in pace from expressive/messy/explosive to more measured and thoughtful (and vice versa) helps kick me into gear. Ho hum.

Also did a nice conte drawing, a very old-master-esque pastel drawing and went all angular and angry (angrular?) with a graphite drawing. But unlike say, the Sarita session or even the last Ash session, it felt like I was struggling to represent or react to what was in front of me. I was rather flustered, and even repeatedly switching mediums which usually gives me a ‘way in’ didn’t work.

I might be being too critical, but this is a common thing with artists and indeed the artistic process. As you push your skills forward, you grow and develop, and then can see a new path ahead, so what you’ve just done is old hat and part of the past. It literally is the old world vs the new world ahead of you. And also rarely do you want to repeat past triumphs – which might seem crazy to others – and keep challenging yourself and pushing harder and harder. Moving is good. Stopping is bad.

You can’t think it’s good, because otherwise you won’t strive to better it, or spot mistakes or things that could be better. A contented artist is a dead artist. Yes you can look back and see a path behind you, and reassuringly you can see themes and how you’ve developed and improved…but the immediate crystal ball is very foggy indeed.

It can be frustrating though when you hate everything you’ve recently done, or have plateaued on a creative path or technique – sometimes just leaving it and coming back to look at it later helps – hence this blog. It forces me to do that and analyse what works and what doesn’t.

Yes, you, dear readers, are part of my artistic process!