Amanda Williams - Portfolio

The past two days have been gainfully spent sticking clay on a skull. The workshop, run by Dr Susan Hayes at the University of WA involved building up the muscle, fat and skin to create an anatomical facial reconstruction. Fascinating and fun. And, for me, a great way to reinforce a course of self-guided study of anatomy - covered in previous posts - which has included books, video and life drawing but this element has been by far the most enjoyable.

Expression of interested for future workshops to shayes@amhb.uwa.edu.au

I’ve talked before about my ongoing interest in anatomy study. A quest pursued through books and life drawing. In general, I’m comfortable with self directed study - actually more than comfortable - it’s probably my preferred way to learn. I can go as fast or as slow as need be and work through as many different books as I feel I need to until whatever-it-is clicks. And I like books. A lot.

Anatomy however has been something of a hurdle for me - sitting staring at the intricate pictures in Stephen Peck’s Atlas of Human Anatomysimply made me feel overwhelmed. Even trying to draw them didn’t help much. Don’t get me wrong - it’s a great book - probably the best book on the topic for artists. However it’s a *reference* book not a learning tool.

I also tried Bridgman, Loomis and Vanderpoel. I read them, copied the drawings and followed the suggested exercises. Sometimes several times. Until I thought I got it. My drawing improved a bit but I still didn’t feel I understood the nuts and bolts. I haven’t actually given up on any of these books, in fact, I’ll be returning to them as follow up exercises.

Follow up to what? I decided that what I needed was a course. College level, several semesters, intensive, directed study. Unfortunately I couldn’t find one in Perth… certainly not one I could get to or afford the time for - since I’m studying full time already.

The answer for me has been videos. I get to play them over and over (try doing that to a class!), I get to fit them in to the only dead time in my day - the time I spend on the exercise bike trying to get the better of the Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is trying to make me fat. In fact it has made the exercise thing - which I hate because it’s boring - into something pretty positive. In the past 6 weeks I’ve lost 5kg and made real progress on the anatomy study. (Now that’s kicking butt…)

I looked around the net. Read reviews. Asked friends. The result was a fairly even division of fans between two teachers - Hal Reed and Glenn Vilppu. Both have produced a series of videos - each about 14 or so - covering everything from the head to the feet. Now any set of 14 videos isn’t going to be cheap - so buying both was not an option. Certainly not all at once. (Thinking about it - they’re less than a course or workshop… and in my humble opinion better.)

The decision was made for me by finding I could borrow the Vilppu set from a friend and then buy the Hal Reed set myself - I get to return the favour too. Now after the fact, I’m thinking that I’ll be saving up for the Vilppu set too because they are so different. (And… I’m going to be on that rotten exercise bike for years.)

Glenn draws everything - fluidly and beautifully adding the muscles to action figures and naming them as he goes. He’s in demand for teaching animators - even Disney brings him in - but his background is as a painter too. He’s fun.

Hal on the other hand is more serious. More to learn. More muscles. More serious tips. He draws some, points at charts and points at casts. Over and over again. Forcing the names to sink in. And as I discovered on the second video he also has a gorgeous young body builder as a model! (Woo hoo. Hey - I’m married - not dead…)

I really couldn’t choose one over the other. Glenn has loosened up my drawings - Hal has given them muscle. Glenn first, then Hal. Maybe. Ultimately they both have a lot to offer and for me I really think it’s the repetition that is making it sink in. Anatomy is a complex subject - with a lot to learn and remember. The videos for me have made all the difference. And now the books make sense too.

Amanda

Life Drawing at the Midland Art Group was looking a bit unpromising last night. We usually start at around 7pm but the model was late and it was a smaller turnout too. Probably due to school holidays and the particularly horrible ‘flu that’s going around. Not to worry, it just meant there would be plenty of room - some weeks it’s so busy we work two deep with some artists with sketchbooks and drawing boards sitting in front of those standing with easels. Waiting, waiting.

Anyway, come 7.10pm and still no model. Ben, who runs the group is on the phone and finally makes contact only to find that she too has taken ill. Oh no. He was looking really worried. You see around Perth there’s another life group somewhere, run by someone called Gary. Now I don’t know who Gary is, but rumour has it that in that group a no show model has Gary taking on the role himself. Ben is on the phone, armed with a list of numbers trying very, very hard to find another model. “Motivated” would be a good description…

Persistence paid off when a he managed to contact a girl, via a referral, who just happened to be at the video store, a mere three minutes away… A sigh of relief from a very grateful group of artists, led by an even more grateful co-ordinator.

Meanwhile, everyone else had been sitting around sipping wine and coffee, relaxing and actually enjoying getting to know one another rather than sweating over hot charcoal as we usually do. Life drawing is serious work for most of us. Does one ever get good enough to have fun rather than just tense concentration? It’s exhausting work.

So after a late start, and in a lighter mood than usual, a fairly productive evening followed. Three four minute poses, a couple of ten minutes and then finishing with two of twenty minutes each.

This drawing was probably the better of my efforts for the night, even with fairly difficult foreshortening on the arm and foot. I can see the difference that this week’s anatomy study has made to my efforts. It doesn’t hold my pencil for me but it makes a huge difference to what I see.