A nude female-presenting figure is drawn seated in a chair, their hands on the arms of the chair. Their upper arms and the top of their chest are heavily tattooed.
The upper half of the drawing is shaded, but the legs are just pencil outlines.
Three hour session, graphite pencils on Clairefontaine Naturel 250gsm paper using the sight-size drawing method.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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An androgynous figure is standing facing us, their arms bent at the elbows and spread wide. They are clothed in white rags, with green stains that seem to have seeped upwards from the ground.
They are wearing a mask which is similarly stained, on which rough eyes have been drawn. A fern can be seen patterning the skin of the figure's left shoulder.
The first of the two views of the Marsh Spirit.
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An androgynous figure is standing facing us, their left arm bent at the elbows and extended towards us. They are clothed in white rags, with green stains that seem to have seeped upwards from the ground.
They are wearing a mask which is similarly stained, on which rough eyes have been drawn. A fern can be seen patterning the skin of the figure's left shoulder.
The second of the two views of the Marsh Spirit.
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A female-presenting figure is sitting on the ground in front of an old brick wall amongst the fallen sycamore leaves. Their hair is dark and their eye sockets are black. Over their left shoulder is draped a length of bright red fabric that pools on the floor in front of them. In their right hand, which is lifted and presented to us, are two eyeballs.
Lamia is a character from Greek mythology who — like many other deities and monsters of Greek mythology — seems to have been reimagined several times during the classical period. The earliest version of her story that I can find is this one, from the Scholia to Aristophanes’ Peace:
Lamos, the city of the Laestrygonians, is named after Lamia … Lamia is said to have been the daughter of Belus and Libye. They say that Zeus fell in love with her and took her from Libya to Italy, and it is from her that the city of Lamia in Italy is named. Thereafter, Zeus had sex with her but did not escape the notice of Hera. She [Hera], in envy towards Lamia, ever killed the children that were born of her. And she [Lamia], because she was so upset about her own children dying, secretly stole and killed the children of others, through envy. This is the reason that they say that nurses invoke Lamia against little children when they want to frighten them. It is said that by the will of Hera Lamia was constantly sleepless, so that she spent her days and nights in grief, until Zeus took pity on her and made her eyes removable, so that she could take out her own eyes and put them back again. It is said that she received from Zeus the gift of being able to transform herself into whatever she wanted.
This, as I said above, seems to be an early form of the myth of Lamia. She was later ascribed serpentine qualities — perhaps having become confused with the lamiai, a race of Libyan demons — and then in even later classical periods, again with correlations with the lamiai, Lamia became a seductress and devourer of young men. But it’s this early form, where Lamia is more insane with grief than monstrous, that I find more interesting.
I was fascinated by the idea that she could temporarily pluck her eyeballs from her head to enable her to sleep, and I wonder whether this ability is somehow tied in with her gift of prophecy mentioned in other texts. Her removable eyes also remind me of the Graeae who share one eye and one tooth among the three of them.
The snakeskin in her hair is the only nod to the serpentine connotations of the character in later versions of the myth, much in the way that John William Waterhouse and Herbert James Draper did in their paintings of Lamia as seductress.
I wanted the background to be a worn urban brick, and the ground to be covered with leaf litter. My research told me that sycamore was associated with the goddess Hera, and by lucky coincidence there are many sycamore trees near my studio, so the sycamore leaves scattered over the ground reference Hera’s part in Lamia’s story.
Finally the red cloth references spilled blood which now pools around the ground beneath Lamia - both the blood of Lamia’s own children who were stolen away and killed by Hera, and that of the children who Lamia kills in her grief and madness.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. They are standing facing us, their head turned slightly to their left.
Two 30 minute sessions, sanguine pencil with dark brown and white conté pencils/crayons on Clairefontaine Naturel 250gsm paper.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. They are standing facing us, their head turned slightly to their right.
Four 30 minute sessions, sanguine pencil with dark brown, white, and black conté pencils/crayons on Clairefontaine Naturel 250gsm paper.
Model’s pronouns: she/her.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. They are lying on their back on a sofa with their hands behind their head.
Three 30 minute sessions, sanguine pencil with dark brown, white, and black conté pencils/crayons on Clairefontaine Naturel 250gsm paper.
Model’s pronouns: she/they.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. They are standing facing us.
The figure is holding a rapier-style sword in their right hand, and is looking downwards. They have an ornate tattoo on their upper chest, and parts of tattoos can be seen on their upper arms.
Three 30 minute sessions, sanguine pencil with dark brown, white, and black conté pencils/crayons on Clairefontaine Naturel 250gsm paper.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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A male-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. They are seated on a sofa covered with cushions. The figure is drawn in much greater detail and shading than the sofa and cushions, which are just depicted with a few lines.
The figure has their left arm draped along the top of the sofa, their right arm is partly hidden behind their chest. Their left leg is tucked underneath their right thigh. They have wavy shoulder length hair and a partial beard. They are wearing a few rings on their fingers and a necklace with a pendant. There is a small tattoo on the bottom-left of their torso.
Four 30 minute sittings, sanguine pencil on Hahnemühle Nostalgie 190gsm paper.
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Two figures stand close together in semi-darkness lit by a single light source above them to the right. The figure on the left is at a 45 degree angle to us and holds a sword upright in their right hand, the figure on the right is facing us directly and holds a small heart-shaped mirror in their left hand, directly pointed at us.
Both figures are draped in gauze-like material, wearing headdresses in the forms of sun crown halos, with golden rays forming semi-circles above their heads. Beneath the gauze the top half of their faces/heads are covered with jewel-encrusted masks, and their lower faces seem golden. They have jewels, necklaces, and embroidered ribbons of cloth draped around their necks and covering their chests.
Sancta Monica de Subterraneis and Sancta Lucretia de Catacumbis, patron saints of English folklore and myth.
Models’ pronouns (left to right): she/they; they/them.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. They appear seated on a chair or sofa, although only the figure is depicted, not what they are sitting on.
The figure has short hair and is wearing glasses. Their left arm is leaning on an invisible support (the back of the chair/sofa), and their hands are crossed, fingers splayed. Their left leg is tucked beneath their right leg.
Two 30 minute sittings, sanguine pencil on Hahnemühle Nostalgie 190gsm paper.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
Related blog post: Life-Drawing, February 2024.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil, drawn at a 45 degree angle to us. They appear seated on a chair or sofa, although only the figure is depicted, not what they are sitting on.
The figure has short hair and is wearing glasses. They are sitting with their hands crossed in their lap, and their legs together in front of them.
30 minute pose, sanguine pencil on Hahnemühle Nostalgie 190gsm paper.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
Related blog post: Life-Drawing, February 2024.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with graphite pencil, drawn at a 45 degree angle to us. They are seated on the ground, their left elbow propped up on an unseen surface. In their right hand they hold a large broadsword, supported by their right knee (the sword is the life model’s own reproduction Nazgûl sword from the Lord of the Rings films).
They are seated with their right leg bent at the knee, foot resting flat on the floor, and their left leg also bent, but lying on its side against the floor. They have long black hair, cut into a fringe at the front, and a tattoo of multiple moon shapes above their navel.
5 × 30 minute sittings, graphite pencil.
Model’s pronouns: she/her.
Sword: model’s own.
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A female-presenting nude figure is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. They are seated on the ground, their left elbow propped up on an unseen surface, their right forearm resting on their right knee.
They are seated with their right leg bent at the knee, foot resting flat on the floor, and their left leg also bent, but lying on its side against the floor, with their left foot beneath the their right knee. They have long dark hair, parted in the centre.
4 × 30 minute sittings, sanguine pencil.
Model’s pronouns: she/her.
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An androgynous figure against a dark background crouches on the floor, looking upwards at us. They are wearing a long white shirt, open halfway down the front. In their right hand they are holding a rapier type of sword, and in their left hand a wine bottle. They are wearing a white peruke wig, and have a faint scar down their left cheek.
The Duellist, Valentine.
My blog post with a little more information about this piece can be found here.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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An androgynous figure stands against a dark background, looking just to our left. They are wearing a long white shirt, open halfway down the front, and ripped on their right hand side, with some faint wine stains visible on it.
In their right hand they are holding a rapier type of sword, and in their left hand they are clutching a wine bottle. They are wearing a white peruke wig, and have a faint scar down their left cheek. A large tattoo of roses and an hourglass can be seen at the top of their chest.
The Duellist, Valentine.
My blog post with a little more information about this piece can be found here.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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A female-presenting nude figure with short hair shaved at the sides is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil, with white chalk highlights.
They are seated on the ground, with their left foot tucked under their right leg. They support their weight with their left arm, the hand flat to the ground. Their right hand rests on their left knee.
I think I needed another 20 minutes to really complete this drawing, but I’d promised 30 minute poses and you have to work with what you’ve agreed at the start!
30 minute pose, Conté crayons.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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A female-presenting nude figure with short hair shaved at the sides, longer at the back, is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil, with charcoal shadows and white chalk highlights.
They are standing and facing away from us at a 45 degree angle, their arms by their sides. Their head is turned slightly to their left, putting their face into a side profile.
I tried to loosen up my technique a bit on this second drawing from the day’s session, while still keeping the line work clean enough.
30 minute pose, Conté crayons.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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A female-presenting nude figure with short hair shaved at the sides is drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil. The shading is light, and the figure fades into just outlines from the legs down.
They are standing almost face-on to us, their right hand resting on a surface behind them (which is not depicted), and their left forearm rests upon this same invisible surface.
The first drawing of any life-drawing session is always a little tentative, especially if I don’t do any short warm-up poses (which I rarely do). This one is no different, but I quite like it anyway.
30 minute pose, graphite and sanguine pencils.
Model’s pronouns: they/them.
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A female-presenting nude figure with long hair is drawn with graphite pencil and white chalk on brown tinted paper. They are glancing slightly down and to their right.
They are seated facing us, with one knee raised. Their hands are crossed in front of them.
30 minute pose, graphite pencil and Conté crayon.
Related blog post: Artwork from the previous month
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A female-presenting nude figure with long hair is drawn with graphite pencil and white chalk on brown tinted paper.
They are lying on their right side, their right arm cushioning their head, and their left arm draped across their stomach, the hand lying flat on the ground taking some of their weight.
30 minute pose, graphite pencil and Conté crayon.
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A figure’s head and shoulders are shown against an indistinct background. The figure’s head and top half of their face is covered with a mask/headdress made of faded pink, purple, white, and lavender roses. Some of the petals are covered with traces of cobwebs.
The figure’s lips are painted red, and their skin is alabaster. They have further strings of flowers around their neck, hanging down over their chest, similarly covered in cobwebs.
The idea of a pale figure covered with dying roses and cobwebs has been a phantasmagorical apparition manifesting in my mind for several years now, but visually portraying it was a problem I couldn’t solve until now.
The mask was made from a Volto-style blank white mask from which I cut away the mouth, chin, and lower face.
I then removed the slender ribbons used to tie the mask to the head — my experience with such masks is that these ribbons are next to useless, even without any weight of decoration added to the mask — and replaced them with a much stronger set of thick elastic tapes adjusted with D-rings and Tri Glide slider buckles.
The mask was then covered with a selection of artificial flowers — mainly faded roses — attached using a glue gun.
The model’s flesh was painted with white body/face paint, with a touch of red for their lips, strings of artificial flowers were draped around their neck, and then the flowers were liberally sprayed with cobweb spray (the proper theatre/film set-dressing stuff, not the hallowe’en window decoration).
The photograph was taken in front of a printed backdrop cloth using a Canon EOS 7D digital SLR and lit with a single off-camera flash fitted with a medium-sized softbox and mounted at about 2 metres off the ground, and positioned at about 45° to the model’s left, angled downwards towards the model.
The only post-processing work was to reduce the saturation of the photograph.
See related blogpost: A Haunting of Roses.
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A nude figure is seated cross-legged facing away from us, drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil and highlighted with white chalk on tinted paper from a higher viewpoint.
They have long hair which covers the top part of their back. Their legs are only partially visible from this angle, their arms are out of sight, in front of their body.
30 minute pose, Conté crayon.
Related blog post: May 2023 life-drawing
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A nude figure is seated facing almost entirely away from us, drawn with rust-coloured sanguine pencil and highlighted with white chalk on tinted paper from a viewpoint slightly to their right.
They have short hair and appear to be reading a book, which is only partially visible due to our vantage point. Their right leg is bent at the knee, and their right arm is propped on the knee, holding up the book. Their left arm and leg are almost entirely obscured by their back.
There is something particularly interesting about drawing someone’s back, especially when the muscles of the back are stretched tight and the spine is visibly pushing at the skin.
30 minute pose, Conté crayon.
Related blog post: May 2023 life-drawing
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A semi-nude female-presenting figure is seated on the ground side-on to us. They are drawn in red, black, and white pastels on a tinted brown background.
Their legs are bent at the knee, feet flat on the floor, and their arms are wrapped around their legs. Their head is bowed and resting on their knees and arm in an almost foetal position.
30 minute pose, Conté crayon.
Related blog post: April 2023 life-drawing
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A semi-nude female-presenting figure is seated on the ground side-on to us, facing right. They are drawn in red, black, and white pastels on a tinted brown background.
Their legs are bent at the knee, feet flat on the floor, and their arms are wrapped around their legs. Their head is upright and looks straight ahead.
30 minute pose, Conté crayon.
Related blog post: April 2023 life-drawing
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A nude female-presenting figure is seated on the ground side-on to us, facing left and apparently leaning back on an invisible object. They are drawn in rust-coloured sanguine pencil and white chalk, lightly shaded, on a tinted brown background.
Their right leg is bent at the knee, and their left leg is lying flat on the floor.
20 minute pose, pastels.
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A nude female-presenting figure is lying on the floor reading a book which lies on the floor. They are drawn in a mixture of graphite pencil, dark brown and white Conté crayons, and charcoal.
Their body is slightly turned resting on their left hip, while their shoulders are parallel to the ground. They are propped up on their elbows, with their left hand holding the book and their right hand about to turn the page.
30 minute pose, charcoal, pencil, and Conté crayon.
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A nude female-presenting figure is lying on the floor, apparently sleeping on top of some blankets. They are drawn in a mixture of graphite pencil, red/brown and white Conté crayons, and charcoal.
Their body is slightly turned resting on their left hip, while their shoulders are parallel to the ground. They are facing down into a pillow.
30 minute pose, charcoal, pencil, and Conté crayon.
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A nude female-presenting figure is lying on their back on the floor, apparently sleeping on top of some blankets. They are drawn in a mixture of graphite pencil, white Conté crayon, and charcoal.
Their left leg is bent at the knee, with their foot flat to the ground, hidden behind their right leg which is lying flat. Their arms are lying on the ground above their head.
30 minute pose, charcoal, pencil, and Conté crayon.
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