Working with a Plaster Venus Part One

One day I walked into painting class and the teacher had put two nearly life-sized plaster models in the center of the room, under spotlights.  Venus and Mercury.

I've done a little life drawing in the past.  But all white plaster models of people are so much easier!  The shadows stand out more clearly and allow you to practice seeing and scribbling form.

The two scribbles below were done quickly, with different water soluble media.  I focused on contours, knowing I would fill in with water on a brush in a second pass.

First, a NeoColor II crayon:

Then I went back in with a damp brush and played with shading and values of the background.

Next, keeping to the same angle, I tightened the scale of the sketch and used a tailor's chalk.  

This time, I went in with a damp brush and diluted the markings to play with shadow shapes and values inside the figure.

This experience got me to thinking about buying a small, white plaster model for work at home.  They do make them, but they are kind of expensive.   So I'm going to think about it some more.