I wsh I could do that.

[Roboframer]

Apologies to anyone that's seen this already on FB or The Grumble, but every time I look at it, I can't believe I did it. No idea who he is - just some bloke I found in a library book on portrait photography. I've christened him 'Harry' anyway - and he's not quite finished - needs more wrinkles.

blerk.JPG

I started this course - "So, you think you can't draw"? last Sept and on day one we all (8 of us; 6 left standing) were faced with 4 'stations' where we had to give our best shot at a plant (a fig), our own fizzogs in a mirror, our free hand and a high-backed slatted oak chair.

We had to write comments at the bottom of each piece about what we thought while we were attempting to draw them and the finished thing. On the plant I wrote "It's like doing a puzzle" - Teacher liked that and I later found out why, everything is just that - a puzzle of shapes and tones .... that just all need to be in the right place. It's not a face, it's not a plant ... etc .. it also doesn't matter which way up you draw it - many parts of this were drawn upside-down, just so's I could forget "IT'S A SET OF TEETH - I CAN'T DO TEETH" - no, it's not, it's some shapes - forget the teeth anyway, add the dark bits between them - a couple of triangles ... what's left? TEETH!!

When I tried to draw my mirror reflection I started with the shape of my face, with a pencil; when I drew Harry I started by covering an area of paper with graphite, applied with a cotton wool ball and then taking out the reflection in the right eye with an electronic eraser!!

If you've ever thought "I wish I could do that" - well maybe you can, you'll never know if you don't try. A year ago, if anyone had shown me anything like this and suggested I could produce anything close in under a year (the course is only one 4 hour morning a week and I've done bugger-all homework) I'd've thought they were nuts!

[Jonny2morsos]

Excellent piece of work, I am really impressed!

So how you gonna frame it then?

[Roboframer]

It's just an exercise. the first year culminates in a portrait (the second year is colour - pencil & pastel, no painting and culminates in whatever you want .... I'm thinking of a zebra, munching a carrot).

I probably wouldn't frame it at all, just leave it in my folder, but at the end of the second year there will be an exhibition, showcasing our work from our first naive attempts through our progress to this and whatever we create at the end of the second year - it was that exhibition that inspired me to put my name down for the course. The tutor had a book you could put your name in, but I went on the last day of the exhibition - it was her second book and I waited three years to get on the course and only got on this course because someone dropped out.

So I'll frame it for the exhibition, thinking of a charcoal mount with a lighter deep wrapped bevel and a gunmetal-ish frame. I'll also frame and/or mount anything my fellow students want for that exhibition for free.

[JohnMcafee]

Wow!
An achievement for which you can be justifiably proud, John.

[AllFramed]

That is really good. How many times do we say that? How often do we do anything about it? Well done.

[Graysalchemy]

[strokebloke]

I am generally, not easily impressed, ~ but in this instance, I am. Very much so. Splendid John.

[Not your average framer]

Hi John,

That's amazing! I'm well impressed! What a great result!

[Roboframer]

I don't think, if I'd attended any normal sort of college or local art group type class, that this or anything close would have come out of me. Teecher is a wonderful lady - I've posted this vid (sorry it's not a youtube one and can't embed it) on a previous topic, but it will make this post a lot shorter!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 5121649710#

The lady 3:23 in is a neighbour of mine; I didn't know she'd done the course until I found this vid and when I told her I was doing it she said she really envied me and that she'd practically begged to do more, but two years is it! Otherwise it could turn in to some sort of club! She invited me in and she's set up a studio in a spare room with her first year portrait (against the glass in an Ikea frame) taking pride of place - Paul Newman. This was just before the start of my course and I went "WOW"! She told me "You WILL, not might - WILL, produce something that good - everyone does.

So many others begged for more that Margaret (teecher) has set up a couple of monthly workshops where people bring along projects they're working on and Margaret helps them to make the best of them. I missed a couple of sessions due to illness and the term has finished now, but I'm finishing off on these workshop days, which is great because I get to see 'old sweats' in action.

I've only photographed one other person's portrait - a guy named Barry, who, at the start wasn't hopeful at all - had a real hard time de-fragmenting his brain in to seeing things so differently.

leo 001.JPG

[misterdiy]

Truly amazing John. You have those eyes bang on the money. It looks like Clint to me, but nevertheless its an exceptionally good piece of work.

Wouldn't it be nice if my amateur artists bought stuff in as good as this.

Well done.

[Roboframer]

1st day back 2 skool 2day, this yr is colur innit.

We were given 12 faber castell albrecht durer pencils to start us off, well, 14 actually but the set includes a black & a white which we'll never use, not for drawing anyway.
All we did today was 2 shading exercises, next week we have to bring an apple with us - I suggested a golden delicious and got my wrist slapped, so, in revenge I'm going to bring in two apples; eat one and at break time, replace what I'm drawing with an apple core and say I got hungry.

We've been told to think about what we want to do for our final project, we had no choice first year - a portrait, but this year it can be anything at all, I'm thinking not a face, a bottle, a plant, a landscape ... or anythibng else, but some close-up detail, like an eye.

eye macro.jpg

Something 'different' anyway.

Teech told us today that we're the last long course she's going to do. Apart from needing more time for her own family and pursuits, she knows she'll never work her way through her waiting list which stands at 65. But she will be doing short 1-3 day courses and continuing with some of her workshops.

IOW, if someone had not dropped out last year, I never would have got to experience this or get to know this marvellous lady as anything but a customer.

[JohnMcafee]

What kind of eye is that, John?

[Roboframer]

A human one I think, got it from here; wouldn't be exactly what I'd go for, just that sort of thing.

[Mary]

those are wonderful drawings and it sounds like your teacher is a rare gem