So I got around to doing some studio sketches today because the rain is preventing me from work. Plus I have concentrated a lot on landscapes more recently - so it was good to get back to some pen & ink - with life studies.

As I have had a fallout with (moonfruit) the people who charge me to run this and my other sites I am closing these sites down when my contract comes up for renewal shortly. I have created a facebook group called Life Sketching and welcome others to join me on it. It is a closed group as there are still some out there who get offended by the site of a body or two.

Two pen & Ink, and watercolour, of Leisha - our Russian bodybuilding model - from tonight's life drawing in Norwich. The drying times are getting longer with winter and so in the limited time at life-drawing for each pose the ink is bleeding more into the w/c than it was a couple of months ago. I have tried to turn this to my advantage in creating an atmosphere and letting the bleed enhance the shadows produced by the lighting.

I liked the pose on this one. For such a muscular, and large man, this showed a certain vulnerability which I felt was expressive and appropriate for the changing role of males in modern society.

So tonight was the musician Tom Conway as model - but without his guitar!

So last night saw the return of Sonia to model for the group. The session went well with no obvious hiccups - which happens occassionally with life-drawing (more often than not, with props and easels giving way to massive ink splatters etc.)

After some initial quick sketches, which I will add at the end, I ended up with these: