Newsletter June and July 2020
Hey life drawing friends,
Well, I was so pleased with the wonderful weather we had at our last life drawing out “in the wild” and I have been overwhelmed with the amount of interest there is in continuing this outdoor event, (or at least until the weather gets too hot).
So, due to there being shade in this area for the next 2 months, we are going to do ‘Drawing in the Wild Sessions’ once a fortnight.
There has also been an increasing number of people who would like to draw or paint on this lovely property untutored, so I have arranged a special one-off untutored all-day session next month too. Have a look at the dates and details below.
 
 
Session 1 Drawing in the Wild (Tutored)
27 June 2020 9am to 1pm. $45
(There is the possibility to stay on to 3.30 untutored $70) When booking please make clear what date you are booking and the time period)
As usual we will start with instruction, demo and practice before working with the model. I will be focusing on quick easy ways to measure and get proportion and how to block in by enveloping and thinking about positive and negative space.
Working outdoors will present new challenges for all of us but it will be fun. You will need to be well equipped and appropriately dressed to protect yourself from the elements. 
If it rains, we will just have to go back to the old classroom (depending on indoor restrictions) or I will cancel or postpone the event. It is essential that you give me your mobile contact if you choose to participate, so that I can contact you if we have rain.
Each easel(6) has a huge umbrella, but it may not protect us from wild rain. There are four seated spaces and we have now found 2 large umbrellas to cover them too.
First come first serve.
What should you bring?  For this day, bring your graphite pencils or charcoal pencils. Some of you may want to experiment with pastels as the model will be surrounded by palm leaves and flowers. What is important is that you bring clips to help you keep your paper from flying around in case of a breeze.
Sadly, due to Covid 19 restrictions, I will be unable to cater for food or drinks. For this reason, I recommend packing your food and snacks, a nice big thermos of your favourite hot beveridge (hot toddy?) and a bottle of water. Put sun cream and Aeroguard on your list too.
 
Pre-class study for tutored session. I have posted here a couple of images (above) for thinking about how to start a figure drawing with enveloping and I will attach them to the email for you to copy and work from, in your own time. I found these exercises on an interesting website called “The Drawing Source”. I have attached the link with an introductory exercise you can do.https://www.thedrawingsource.com/step-by-step-figure-drawing.html
 
Session 2: Drawing in the Wild (Untutored)
July 11, 2020
9am till 3.30pm (45 min lunch break) $55 (includes cost of 6hrs with the model, easels, umbrellas and some seated places.)
 
I have had several emails from you enquiring to join in the session untutored. For this reason, I have arranged this one-off untutored session. This also coincides with the border opening to NSW, so some of you who couldn’t participate can now come up hooray!!!
 
 If you are wanting to paint or draw with us, please write to me or phone me and I will gladly supply you with more information regarding materials, facilities, how to get there etc. I have space in the shade for only 10 participants (taking social distancing restrictions into consideration) and I have already 3 reserved, so please let me know as soon as possible.
 
We do have a Bed and Breakfast on the property for anyone wishing to stay on the property for the weekend for those of you travelling far. Go to http//www.garasulodge.com.au for more information or email [email protected]
 
What’s On
Portrait Artist of the Week:  Already quite a few of you are joining us on Sunday nights on Sky TV’s Facebook page for a live streaming draw or paint along session at 7pm. Its great fun. You get to watch and/or listen to an interview that is going on between a past winner of Sky Portrait Artist of the Year and well-known British celebrity. My favourite so far was with Noel Fielding a comedian and artist and you can see my interpretation on my Instagram. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=249803216233359&ref=watch_permalink
Hope I see you there and if not ….. keep drawing 😊
Kindest Regards,                                                                                                                           
Manuela

​
​Henri Rosseau     
Newsletter June 2020

Hey life drawing friends,
What a year hey? Well, I think we deserve a bit of a treat, don’t you?. Now that the restrictions for events outdoors are relaxing, I think it’s time to get out and draw outside. As of 1st June, up to 20 people can gather at a public event and my parents very kindly have agreed to let us use their huge garden to have Bobby pose for us in the wild in Mudgeeraba. What’s more, for the next 2 months there is shade in this area, so it’s now or never. I can fit 10 people in easily keeping to social distancing guidelines. So lets do it!

Drawing in the Wild
13th June 2020 9am to 1pm.
As usual we will start with instruction, demo and practice dealing with composition before working with the model. Working outdoors will present new challenges for all of us but it will be fun. You will need to be well equipped and appropriately dressed to protect yourself from the elements. (Refer to photo) If it rains, we will just have to go back to the old classroom (depending on indoor restrictions) or I will cancel or postpone the event. It is essential that you give me your mobile contact if you choose to participate, so that I can contact you if we have rain. Each easel has a huge Bunnings umbrella, but it may not protect us from wild rain.

Materials
For this day, bring your graphite pencils or charcoal pencils. Some of you may want to experiment with pastels as Bobby will be surrounded by palm leaves and flowers. What is important is that you bring clips to help you keep your paper from flying around in case of a breeze. Sadly, due to Covid 19 restrictions, I will be unable to cater for food or drinks. For this reason, I recommend packing your food and snacks, a nice big thermos of your favourite hot Beveridge(hot toddy?) and a bottle of water.
Put sun cream and aeroguard on your list too.

Timetable options for the Long Pose
We will have:
1. $45 for the half day (tutored) starting 9am and finishing at 1pm.
2. As being outdoors for more that 4 hours may be difficult for the model (and us), we won’t be able to do the extended untutored session this time.

Pre-class study
As composition will be an important part of dealing with the figure and her surroundings I have found a Youtube video that will remind you of some strategies that could help you deal with this workshop. The first video is quite basic and cute and gives you a taster of some strategies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwUZ3PivD6I.

 If you are looking for a higher level of study of composition have a look at Andrew Tischler’s video on the Golden Mean. It’s quite technical, so it’s not for the faint of heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wntIMD9wbR0

What’s On
As you know nearly everything has been cancelled and artists have had to resort to working online to help them get through these difficult times. Atelier Art classes Brisbane are doing online life drawing classes on Wednesday and Thursday evenings [email protected]. Sylvia Beck is also doing untutored life drawing sessions from her home online. [email protected]
 
Podcasts: John Dalton Gently does it….
If you are doing art work at home and you like chitter chat in the background while drawing, I really recommend John Dalton’s interviews of well-known Irish, British, American and some Aussie painters. It’s always interesting hearing about the painting routines, inspiration, the hardships, their techniques that some of these full-time practising artists have. https://www.johndalton.me  Savvy Painter is another artist’s podcast and for an Australian one I recommend Talking with Painters.

Life Drawing Sessions
Don’t forget that there will be some great quick pose life drawing opportunities on the first, second and third Thursday at Rebecca Cunningham’s Life Drawing sessions at Dust Temple and HOTA https://www.lifedrawingsessions.com.au/ . Check out her website to see when she will commence. I think she will be starting again pretty soon.

I hope to be at as many of those venues as possible to keep practising. Hope I see you there and if not ….. keep drawing 😊 
Kindest Regards,   
​Manuela