Out of the handbag II

Ladies waiting and guys studying A6 sketchbook.

I realised that I haven't posted anything from my A6 sketchbook for a while, so above are sketches done during recent exams and from the ladies waiting room at the hospital.

Personal stuff:
Thank you to everyone who has sent me best wishes with my continuous headaches. I have a new doctor, a neuro-surgeon who wanted to find the cause rather than treat symptoms like last doc. So, I had another eye test, fine, then a very scary CAT scan, all clear. However, a spinal x-ray has show a problem with my neck. I am currently typing this wearing a neck-brace and have to have physio, in the form of traction ugh. I have been wearing the brace just a day and I have not had a single sign of a headache :D

Feet, faces & facebook

I'm doing well on the resolutions so far; definitely focused and creative. The facebook business page has been set up ta dah. There is a large black box to the right of this blog where you can link to it or click this facebook.com/SuePownallArtist.

Sketching examinees. Pencil A6 ©Sue Pownall 2011

I've been chatting with Shelley of A Year at the Beach over dedicating a minimum of 15 minutes a day to art. Shelley, quite rightly, said that 15 minutes isn't much. It was something I read (big apology as I forget who wrote it - if it was you please leave a comment and I'll link you) I think the idea behind 15 minutes a day is that it is the minimum you dedicate to your art, whether to blogging your art, doing a sketch, working on a painting...etc. If you are "into" your painting or drawing then you can/will naturally continue, if not you have at least done something. Of course, to get anything finished at some point you will have to draw or paint for longer than 15 minutes. Generally getting started is the difficult part, so I suppose it tricks you into doing more work than procrastinating on the sofa thinking you haven't time to do anything.

Quick sketch of Theeb. Pencil A6 ©Sue Pownall 2011

Anyway, the reason for this waffle is that each of these faces and my feet took 15 mins to do. The guys were students doing a practice exam and I filled in time sketching them. I love the way they all had their gutrah (scarf) arranged differently.

Polka dot PJs & socks. Pen & ink A5 ©Sue Pownall 2011

Exam sketches - Doha

Mohammed.

My students had a practice exam today. With only 4 of them in the class there was not any way for them to cheat, so to fill in the hour I drew two of them. 

Ahmad.

Pencil, for a change, in W&N A6, which ALL previous sketches have now fallen out of it. I guess that makes it a pad of paper rather than a sketchbook ;p

Classroom sketches

The ladies writing.

Heads & hands.

Exam sketches

Doing their weekly exam on Monday, I first drew El Tigani with his very upright posture, when I noticed Ahmed was struggling with the test. Moving frequently, Ahmed's most unusual position was wrapping his right arm across his face and onto his left shoulder (he's left handed) and I tried to capture this every time he moved into that position. (portrait sketch top right) He has beautiful hands, which were full of tension, but they moved so frequently I was unable to capture them. I think the bottom portrait has captured his sadness at the difficulty of the paper.

With the second class, I sketched the view out of the window, but was unable to finish it within the time, so I intend to either finish it at break tomorrow or the day after and post it then.

More exam portraits

When Nywoud came to class last Sunday with her hair in cornrows, I couldn't wait for today, so I could draw them as she took the exam. I'm pleased with the result especially as I think it's the best likeness I have managed. 

 Continuing the theme of hair, I next drew Mohammed with his scraggly beard. He was sitting so slumped in the chair that it was almost on his exam paper.

Exam portrait

This morning I started drawing Amar leaning on his hand as he read the exam paper. He moved moments later and I confess the hand looks strange, but as he didn't replace it, I didn't have the opportunity to continue. I am pleased with the expression.

AbdulAziz

 I really wasn't feeling in the mood to draw today. I forced myself as I only have the time during the weekly tests to practice drawing portraits. The result is this small pencil sketch of AbdulAziz who was concentrating hard on the mid-term test in front of him.

Weekly tests

Today I gave my classes a short test, too short as it turned out, as my subjects in the second sketch all finished before I'd barely got the base colours down. As much as the second sketch is unfinished I feel the top one is over-worked.

This was the first time I'd used watercolour in my new moleskin, actually as the pic above is only the second sketch that's not really surprising. What was surprising was that the paper is very water-resistant, which shows most on the second sketch where it has repelled colour. I found that I had to use a virtually dry brush interesting. I may work up the 2nd sketch over the weekend and will post it if I do.

First sketches from Sudan

Why is a new sketchbook so daunting? I had to contend with this fear and the fact that I was about to use my first-ever moleskin. Gulp Why do we have this fear? Do we think the first page will set the standard for the whole book, or believe that everyone will judge us by that page? 

Today I was invigilating an exam and so spent some of the time invigilating drawing Fatma & Nadia. My first marks where very wobbly, and the likenesses are not too good but I am quite pleased with how the thobes came out.

Last night, stood on my hotel balcony, I observed this man working 10 storeys up. He is stood straddling a single plank and a window, with a gap in between them. Using my old, larger sketchbook, I thought I would draw him. Quite soon after I started sketching he withdrew off the scaffolding. This is the second time I've observed very dangerous practices on the site next door, so tonight I have opened the door, but I haven't looked out.

Another morning invigilating

I don't like the drawing pen I have in my handbag as it makes too dark lines, even though it's supposedly a fine nib. It is very unforgiving as initial guide lines end up too prominent. Oh well, at least sketching some of the students helped pass the two, very long, hours I was invigilating their exam.