Life Drawing at the RHA

I am looking forward to teaching life drawing at the RHA for a month of Wednesdays starting next week.
We will be working big in charcoal, so I expect it will get messy! 

Drawing Tony at the UAC

I had a good evening drawing Tony at Brian's life drawing session at the Uac Dublin last night. Here's a 15 minute portrait study and a full figure that took 20 minutes.
I drew them in charcoal and chalk on Ingres Paper.

PJ Drawn by Phelim

I love this sketch that Phelim Connolly did of me painting at the RHA life drawing session yesterday.
He really got me, and I hadn't a notion I was being drawn.

Some Early Life Drawings

Here are a few life drawings that I have just come across after many years. They are from the life class at the Art College in Brighton. I was a student there in the early eighties.

I very much enjoyed the facility of a life room being available to me one day each week at college and I was experimenting with several different styles and media including coloured pencils.

The RHA Drawing Marathon

I'm looking forward to facilitating at the RHA Drawing Marathon tomorrow.

Molly will be one of the models.
Here is a drawing I did of her last week at Brian's life session at the United Arts Club.

Two Female Life Studies

I've been digging through some life drawings looking for something suitable for Brian Gallagher's upcoming United Arts Club group exhibition.
Here are a couple that I had on my shortlist.

Life Drawing at the United Arts Club

It was nice to be back at Brian's Life Drawing session at the United Arts Club last night.

We had a wonderful new and statuesque model named Laura.

Here are a couple of my charcoal sketches

A Pencil Sketch From Life

I tend to try to make my life drawings and paintings looser these days, but I came across this pencil drawing I did a while ago and was very happy with the greater level of detail I had achieved.
This one is similar in character to the pencil sketches I do for my illustration work in that it depends on line and careful shading to show form rather than the more painterly blocking in of light areas that I do with my paintings and charcoal drawings.

Two Views of Des

Staying on the black and white theme, I thought that one of Conor Walton's recently posted drawings of the RHA life room looked very familiar.
On closer inspection I realized that the model is Des and that the guy in the white t-shirt is me drawing him.

This is the drawing I did of Des that day.

I always love to see the same subject as depicted by different artists.

Conor has a show of his extraordinary still life paintings entitled "Elements" running now at the Beaux Arts gallery in Bath.
If you aren't in the UK you can see a number of Conor's wonderful life drawings here.

Illustrating Peake

Here's one of those articles I was talking about.
I was delighted to be chosen to illustrate "Boy in Darkness" by Mervyn Peake when this lost fragment from Gormenghast was rediscovered a number of years ago. When the book was published Books for Keeps magazine asked me to write about the process.

And here's another of my sketches from the book.

RHA School Workshops

Apparently there are a couple of places left on this workshop in November, but if you are interested, you have to apply for a place by the 7th of October.

Life Room Studies.....With Added Drama

I am looking forward to doing a few teaching workshops in November.    

This one is at the RHA in Dublin, and I am hoping it will be enjoyable for those of us who are sometimes frustrated by the boring poses and stale lighting arrangements that we often encounter at life drawing sessions. I will be playing about with shadow and costume and I will be choosing models who enjoy hamming it up a bit in their poses. Click on this link if you want to join us. Here's the blurb:"As an illustrator P.J. Lynch makes pictures with a strong narrative core. This interest will be reflected in his three day life room workshop.Working with male and female models posed nude, partially draped and clothed, the emphasis will be on more dramatic poses and varied lighting arrangements. Beginning with shorter studies the poses will increase in length through the course of the workshop. Various drawing media will be used and painting will be in oils or acrylic. This workshop will appeal to those with experience in life drawing and an interest in illustrative, narrative picture-making."Please note that although the workshop is on the 14th to the 16th of November, you have to apply for a place by Friday the 7th of October.

The Drawing Studio

I had a great evening's drawing at Sam Horler's life session at the Drawing Studio, Clarendon Street, Dublin.

He begins with two minute studies, and quickly progresses to longer poses.

I did this drawing during the final hour long pose.

Sarah , the model, was excellent, but the best thing about Sam's life room is the really great lighting arrangement he has set up.

He also supplies materials and tea and coffee during the break. How cool is that?

I think the drawing sessions are on on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check Sam's website for details.

A Quick Study of Sarah

It was a nice change to do some quick fire drawing at Brian Gallagher's life session at the United Arts Club last week.
Our model was Sarah, and this is one of my fifteen minute studies from that session.

Chalk and Crayon Drawing of Tara

I'm looking forward to getting back to life painting this week after a few weeks off.
I think I might try some more chalk and wax crayon drawings like this one of Tara that I did at the United Arts Club.

Life Drawing of Laurie

Here's a sketch I did of Laurie a while ago as a change from all the life painting I have been doing.
I used a charcoal ground and worked into it with graphite pencils and added chalk highlights.
It has a nice sketchy quality about it.

An Informal History of the Male Nude

This is a triple study I did of Giuseppe, one of my favourite models.

For those of us who have a passion for life drawing, "The Essay" on Radio 4 this week promises to be very interesting.
The first episode featuring Edith Hall , examines the ideals of the Greeks and the Romans.

"Adventures in the Life Room"

This Wednesday, 12th of October, I will be giving a talk at the RHA titled "Adventures in the Life Room", in which I will be discussing my passion for painting from the live model.
Alas I don't have too many adventures as racy as this book cover to relate, but hopefully it will still be be stimulating artistically.

The RHA Autumn series lectures are open to the public and will be held in the Friends Room of the RHA starting at 6pm on Wednesday evenings.
The lectures are free.
The RHA welcomes a suggested donation of €5 per lecture, which can be made to our donations box in the foyer.
Prior booking is not required for the lectures, early arrival is suggested to ensure your place.
If you require further information or have any questions about the lecture series, please contact the Academy Co-ordinator, Ciara Timlin, phone 01 6612558 or email ciara@rhagallery.ie

A Drawing of PJ by Conor Walton

I was given the very kind gift of this drawing by one of my Thursday drawing buddies, Conor Walton.
And I was able to find the painting of Angelique that I was working on so intently when Conor drew me.
It's always an interesting comparison to look at how two artists tackle the same subject.
I must say I love the elegance and restraint in Conor's drawing.

A Lot of Heads at the RHA Summer Fête

I had a great time drawing all afternoon at the RHA Summer Fete.
Una, Emily and I were joined on the day by another of the Thursday life artists, Dorothy Smith.
Most of our models were children, who sat very still for the fifteen or twenty minutes we needed, and we all managed to get some nice work done. Emily even did a lovely portrait of one of my own kids.
Although my young sitters were great, I was still very happy to get to draw a few adults too.
Angel (above), the Arts Convenor from the UAC, was just lovely to draw, and I was delighted to meet Eoghan Kerrigan (below), a young artist who I'm sure will have a great career in illustration or character design ahead of him.


Many thanks to Bernadette for her great photos of the day.