Tonal Figure Study sketch #23!
It has to be said that simplicity can be satisfyingly descriptive. Sometimes there is damage done to the integrity of a thing by adding too much to it. Being economical in the figure has it's advantages, too.
For gestures, warm-ups, or quick studies particularly, we can learn a lot - and I find I am STILL always learning more - from the use of minimali...
2022-04-02 01:24:15 +0000 UTC View Post
JOIN ME! - For my birthday this year - April 1st - and no, this is not an April fools joke - I will be going LIVE on INSTAGRAM for a sketchbook demo! Every year I try to do some sort of Self Portrait study, sketch, or painting, as a way to check in with myself and my creative growth, as well as to slowly build a reference for my aging over tim...
2022-03-30 21:20:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Our last chapter for the theme of March's reference material continues from this little magic AirBnB getaway spot. I do NOT live here!
As I expressed in Chapter One, it's common for figurative artists to avoid reclined poses in their warm ups or practice work, because it's kind of tedious, frustrating, or just ...
2022-03-28 20:42:36 +0000 UTC View Post
Tonal gesture sketch #22, in the 3x5" sketchbook.
Simple graphite study of the form, building first with line of action and rounding interior form, working inside outwards as priority.
Contour line-weight variation is a way I like to close the form and tidy things up with this sort of study.
Chapter TWO of March's Jewel-Toned reference theme releasing next! 2022-03-26 01:38:33 +0000 UTC View Post
This month I got a little overnight stay-cation, and it featured a bit of magical weather. Hence, this sweet, introspective, jewel-toned tea-time repose!
The thing is, many artists who work with the model love to set up upright, classically seated and poised poses, and (in my now 11 year experience) they seem to avoid any reclining and lounging studies. Yes, these kinds of poses can obscu...
2022-03-22 01:27:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Coming up for March's Tier One themed figurative reference!
2022-03-20 18:34:15 +0000 UTC View Post
QUICK mini gesture study #21!
I scribbled "animal prowl" on this one because it was such a delight to enjoy the meditative calm of limiting myself only to my favorite "s" curves and circular mark-making to lightly and roughly get down the animal-like gesture of a woman on all fours rounding forward, head rolling downward and away.
The immediacy and rhythmic nature within the human f...
2022-03-18 17:31:09 +0000 UTC View Post
QUICK mini gesture study #20!
Happy March! It's back to our regular 3x5 figure sketches, with my preferred graphite carpenter-style flat in 2B, by Generals Pencil Co.
I always keep it light and focus first on line of action or angle of posture, going in intentionally and clear with mark-making to capture the gesture of the sub-structures within the...
2022-03-05 03:13:23 +0000 UTC View Post
This month, with the cold and sick preventing more exciting outdoor photoshoot content {looking at March for more to come}, I'm offering a candle-lit theme, instead.
Chapter Two takes another look at the the gesture and anatomy of the hand, but in more dynamic lighting. The temperature range from this set up brings more attention to direction and the facets or plane shift...
2022-02-28 21:57:39 +0000 UTC View Post
*Housekeeping - Thank you for your patience and understanding while my and my family have been dealing with covid set-backs and recovery this month. Despite vaccination, it has been a hard few weeks, but I am finally returning to the work that has been on hold, and editing the reference material for this month's Tier One theme has finally been completed! Thank you, once again.
Th...
2022-02-28 03:42:09 +0000 UTC View Post
In honor of the month of Love, as I like to call it, the four 3x5 Fridays this month will be a bit different: in red-hue pencils, capturing figurative expressions of four types of love, from the Greek categories.
Today's type of love:
Pragma - enduring love - is a love grown and gained by the time, attention, and vulnerability required to develop t...
2022-02-26 03:11:23 +0000 UTC View Post
*Housekeeping - I'd like to thank Tier Two patrons for their patience in awaiting this first batch of 2022's nude study reference. It has been later than normal in the release due to our family getting Covid. We are still recovering, but I was finally able to begin work again, including getting round to editing.
Tier Two reference is currently uploaded on a quarterly basis for cr...
2022-02-22 20:18:31 +0000 UTC View Post
In honor of the month of Love, as I like to call it, the four 3x5 Fridays this month will be a bit different: in red-hue pencils, capturing figurative expressions of four types of love, from the Greek categories.
Today's type of love:
Eros - romantic/erotic love - is a love expressed and shared with the physical body. Not limited to intercourse, Eros captures gesture, touch, and int...
2022-02-19 01:20:10 +0000 UTC View Post
In honor of the month of Love, as I like to call it, the four 3x5 Fridays this month will be a bit different: in red-hue pencils, capturing figurative expressions of four types of love, from the Greek categories.
Today's type of love:
Ludus - playful love - is a love that celebrates, gratifies, and serves the emotional self, it' whims and flirtatious capacity. The short term and con...
2022-02-12 02:48:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello February! In honor of the month of Love, as I like to call it, the four 3x5 Fridays this month will be a bit different: in red pencil, capturing figurative expressions of four types of love, from the Greek categories.
Today's type of love:
Philautia - self love - is a love that recognizes and shows compassion for the soul self, the true self, and all that comes with it.
... 2022-02-05 03:22:37 +0000 UTC View Post
QUICK mini gesture study, #15!
Legs.
Powerful, graceful, expressive.
Tip #1 - make a light, quick, no-fuss mark to indicate to yourself where the bottom of the foot/feet will be, so you can encourage yourself to utilize your space efficiently and effectively. Don't leave them out just because they are challenging, if you find them to be. Always indicate them, whenever po...
2022-01-29 01:38:21 +0000 UTC View Post
Continuing the clean, romantic, and simplistic theme of the nude palette portrait session in our final chapter for this month! The snow and the low negative temperatures persist as well, making it an ideal time to keep cozy and productive indoors, in the studio.
Thank you for your support! It keeps me going.
2022-01-25 01:42:57 +0000 UTC View Post
QUICK mini gesture study, #14!
Sometimes simplicity and grace are the only goal in these studies, and keeping things simple is where the beauty and joy comes from.
I love how the figure has such capacity for abstract rhythms.
Coming up next, Chapter TWO of January's nude palette portrait theme!
Welcome - So begins our first FULL year of Mairin-Taj Caya's Figurative reference for creatives! I'm so thrilled to be here, on this journey with you all, with more patrons recently joined! Thank you for participating.
For our first month of the year, as the snows finally blow outside and the temperatures drop far below freezing, I'm offering a portraits series i...
2022-01-18 01:44:33 +0000 UTC View Post
In my Sketchbook Saturday ongoing email series (free to join!) I transitioned into the new year over my break with some fun fan art of the Witcher main characters. I'm going to share some points I've learned about portraiture, demonstrated in these three pages from my book, and cover some ti...
2022-01-17 03:00:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Coming Monday for January's 2022 Theme!
2022-01-16 19:50:58 +0000 UTC View Post
The next mini gesture study, #13!
I find it harder to do quick figurative gestures of really fit, trained physiques than softer or curvier figures. I also enjoy rounder shapes than more angular ones, which is one reason why I prefer sketching femme individuals - although it is not a prerequisite to be femme identifying for rounder shapes, by no means.
So that's something I've ...
2022-01-15 02:10:50 +0000 UTC View Post
QUICK couple minute mini gesture study, #12!
Every shape and size.
I did say last week would be the final 3x5 Friday for the 2021 year, and me not quite being on top of just how fast the year has flown, I did not realize it was actually NYE! Hence, no post. (My family and I celebrate the seasonal festivities on NYE, including our traditional cake, the gift giving at midnight, etc, e...
2022-01-08 03:46:11 +0000 UTC View Post
2 minute mini gesture study, #11!
Bald woman, rock on!
I know it is the Christmas holiday tomorrow, so I will just wish those who celebrate it a merry day, however you need it to be.
And to the rest of us, happy final week of the year before the big send off of 2021! Huzzah!
Our final 3x5 for this year goes up next week.
2021-12-25 03:29:26 +0000 UTC View Post
The Nutcracker is a contemporary classic enjoyed by many at the Winter holidays. An adventurous, coming-of-age story amidst a whimsical winter wonderland that begins at the feet of a giant Christmas tree, Clara and her doll-prince form a bond and tell the story to a magical world of sweet-treat courtiers.
I dusted off my (most recent) last pair of point shoes from the ballet days for this...
2021-12-21 20:16:50 +0000 UTC View Post
This month has TWO different themes of reference for the festive/holiday/Yuletide season! This public sneak peek reveals our final theme for the month, uploading tomorrow: the Nutcracker.
Both themes 1 & 2 are available for all tier patrons.
I will be taking a holiday/end of year break the last week of this month, so there will be no reference after this until mid-Ja...
2021-12-21 03:27:38 +0000 UTC View Post
2 minute mini gesture study, #10!
All proportions, all shapes and sizes! They all matter. And when we learn and practice the fundamentals, the "classic" forms of the figure, we can better understand the function of the rules, and therefore where and how to effectively bend or break them to accommodate the inherent diversity in the human figure.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
2021-12-18 03:07:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Included in our December Theme One are these hands and portrait references, to be applied to the figure, studies separately, however you see fit.
"Yuletide", inspired by concepts of Greensleeves, King Henry's love song, the more ancient Celtic tradition of the Holly branch and the Green Knight, and various medieval and Art Nouveau ideas of the angelic lady, or a lady symbolizing Christmas...
2021-12-14 02:36:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy Yuletide - Happy Winter Holiday Season, whatever you celebrate or enjoy!
As mentioned in the last "sneak peek" preview for December, this month we have TWO themes, this week and next.
Today is "Yuletide", inspired by concepts of Greensleeves, King Henry's love song, the more ancient Celtic tradition of the Holly branch and the Green Knight, and various medieval and Art ...
2021-12-14 02:14:00 +0000 UTC View Post
This month I'll be sharing TWO different themes of reference, this week and next, for the festive/holiday/Yuletide season!
This is a little preview of THEME ONE for December, which will be uploaded Monday (tomorrow).
THEME TWO is coming the week after!
Both themes 1 & 2 are available for all tier patrons.
I will be taking a holiday/end of year break the last week of ...
2021-12-12 19:31:05 +0000 UTC View Post