Happy Easter - 2019

The Descent from the Cross c. 1435. Oil on oak panel, 220cm × 262 cm. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Flemish artist Rogier van der Weyden.

Green Pants

Green Pants and an Interior with a Red Carpet. 2019. Pastel, White Chalk, Graphite & Vine Charcoal. 19.25" x 10.25". Casey Klahn. 

New Color Expression

caseyklahn.com

The Beautiful Troublemaker

Top:

Nude on the Couch (from the movie The Beautiful Troublemaker). 2019. Vine Charcoal on Old Master's Paper. 10" x 18.5". Casey Klahn. Actress Emmanuelle Béart.

Bottom:

Nude on the Couch Seen from the Back (from the movie The Beautiful Troublemaker). 2019. Vine Charcoal on Old Master's Paper. 10" x 18.5". Casey Klahn. Actress Emmanuelle Béart.

It's not the best practice: using a photo for your reference. Worse, yet, someone else's photo. Worser, yet, from a movie. But, I told myself when I started this 200 Figures Project, that instructional figure model videos were allowable. After all, I'd be needing practical, fresh sources on a constant basis, and it is about practice.

La Belle Noiseuse (1991, which is The Beautiful Troublemaker, is as much an instructional video as any other. It features long shots of the model posing, and also long sequences of the artist just drawing, or re-arranging the studio furniture. I think that's courageous of the filmmaker; it dares to bore the viewer. I wasn't bored at all! I grabbed my iPad and started sketching along with the sessions.

I am a little more than halfway through this project, but it doesn't help that I go through and cull out works occasionally (I got rid of 2 this morning!). Most of my source work is sketches from life models, and I am constantly re-mining those for new works. I am allowing master copies, and by my count those make up 9-10% of what I've posted. Instructional sources, such as Croquis Cafe and this movie, are fewer, yet. 

Thanks for following along. 

Mojo

Female Nude Standing with Arms Up and Behind Head. 2019. Pastel, Vine Charcoal, Dry Ground & Spray Acrylic Varnish on Old Master's Paper. 18.5" x 12". Casey Klahn.

As I approach a hundred figure drawings on my 200 figures project, I have been culling the worst of them. I actually have done well over the hundred, but rejected before finished, or else after looking at them on Pinterest, I scratched my head, and deleting them. This is a fresh look at one of the rejects, and what I did was go to Edgar Degas for certain body parts as reference material.
Some artists don't like Degas, but for me he is the top of the heap. As it turns out, I did not copy the body part, but got his attitude; his mojo. Maybe I should've titled this one "Mojo."

You can see my 200 figures progress on Pinterest.

Italian Doorway

The Door on the Anvil. 2019. Pastel. 11" x 9". Casey Klahn.

Stroncone, Umbria. Italy.

Blue Artist's Wife

1913. 2019. Pastel, Dry Ground, Oil & Vine Charcoal on La Carte. 15" x 12". Casey Klahn.

Figure Pastel and Video: Mona Vana

Mona Vana. 2019. Pastel. 15" x 12". Casey Klahn. 

Jean Puy

Naked in an armchair. 1910. Oil and pastel on paper. 23.58 inch - 31.89 inch. Jean Puy.

Jean Puy was a Fauvist and a contemporary of Henri Matisse. On Facebook, I have written a response to 4 of his pastel figure works, dated 1904-1944.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays and  Blessed New Year!

China Blue Vase

China Blue Vase with Roses. 2018. Pastel. 15.75" x 12". Casey Klahn.

Henri Matisse Masterpiece Collection

200!

19 of 200 figure drawings completed now on week two. Can he make it? 

Since beginning this series, I have adjusted the goal from 100 to 200. The idea is to ingrain the figure into my mind and hand as it once was so many years ago. The difference is, now I am informed by real models and master examples. 

See the progress at Pinterest.

shown on top:

Study for Good Hair and a Russian Bear Hat. 2018. Vine Charcoal on Brown Paper. 24" x 18". Casey Klahn.

shown on bottom: 

Vermillion & Green. After Degas. 2018. Pastel, Dry Ground & Vine Charcoal on Townsend Sanded Paper. 22" x 18". Casey Klahn.

100 Figure Drawings

New project: 100 Fine Art Nude Drawings. The concept is to do drawings rather than paintings, mostly nudes but sometimes clothed, mostly framable sizes and on excellent paper. If you know me, you know the paper is as important as the rendering in a lot of cases. Also, these will be mostly from life models, sometimes from computer fine art model sessions, and sometimes copies from masters such as Rodin, Degas, Schiele, and Klimt.

These will be rendered in graphite, or vine charcoal, or they will sometimes be counter-proofs. Sometimes I will use pastel or paint mediums.

I'll be updating the project on Pinterest and on The Colorist blog, and will only be referencing it occasionally on Face-book.

The two below are from life models.

Quartering and Facing, Arms Overhead. Female Nude. 2018. Vine Charcoal on Rust-Colored Mi-Teintes Paper. 10" x 8". Casey Klahn. $200/ Unframed.

Female Nude, Facing Sideways and Seated. 2018. Vine Charcoal and Pastel on White Heavyweight Vellum Paper. 10" x 8". Casey Klahn. $200/ Unframed.

Model S in Three Images

The Yellow Odalisque. 2018. 

Pastel 

15.25" x 11.5" 

Casey Klahn

S with the Stick. 2018. 

Compressed Charcoal on Ampersand Board

12" x 9" 

Casey Klahn

Reclining Nude from the Back. 2018. 

Pastel & Vine Charcoal

19" x 12.25"

Casey Klahn

812 Matisse Works

Learn From Masters video channel

Model as History

Mallory As Birgit Prestoe. 2018. Pastel. 12" x 6.5". Casey Klahn.

It's no secret how I admire Edvard Munch, of The Scream fame. His body of work is extensive, and he had a knack for the portrait in the Expressionist style. 

One of his great models was Birgit Prestoe, and in my latest portrait of model Mallory McIntosh, I am paying homage to that historic collaboration. 

I will make a side note that the antique Roche pastels used in the lay-in of this painting date from the time when Edvard Munch was in his prime. Spooky, I know. If only the tools could talk.

Edvard Munch. (1863-1944) Norwegian. 

Model in the Studio

Model in the Studio, Orange Burst. 2018. Pastel & Vine Charcoal. 8.25" x 9.25". Casey Klahn.

Mallory is posing in front of her own framed likeness, titled Orange Burst. 

Seated Nude

Seated Pose. Foot. 2018. Counter Proof Highlighted with Pastel and Charcoal on Revere 300# Paper. 22" x 18." Casey Klahn.

Drawing Degas

Here is the trailer for my video featuring a large scale easel drawing. That longer video is available to my Patreon subscribers. It is a full start-to-finish of a 3 foot by 2 foot vine charcoal drawing where I respond to one of Degas' bather figurines.

As a result of seeing the Edgar Degas, A Passion for Perfection exhibit in Denver, I am on fire to adopt some of his techniques and moves. One thing I took away from his pastels was that I have been working too hard! What I mean is his shorthand for skin tones with pastels was earthshaking for me. 

Details of Edgar Degas pastels showing technique.

Your hand knows how to draw. Get out of the way and watch the magic.