The Art of Lavina Marie: 2013

I may be quite the copier in terms of drawing, but I've never completely grasped the concept of human anatomy so much that I wouldn't need to copy at all (due to lack of any sort of formal education in such) - which is why I jumped at the opportunity to attend a formal figure drawing workshop here in Manila.

Poster for Figure Drawn

The workshop, simply entitled 'Figure Drawn' was held last week at the reputable Arts in the City, and was conducted by Jackie Lozano, a young and genial art teacher and freelance graphic designer.

Jackie showcasing the basic structure of the human figure

Our task was simple and straightforward: learn the key concepts behind figure drawing - lines, shapes, and proportion - and attempt to apply them firsthand onto paper, with the help, of course, of a pencil and a live model. For this particular workshop, however, we were asked to work with charcoal, a medium I've always found too, well, dirty for my liking, but with a few helpful tips from Jackie, I was able to work with it without complaint (on both mine and the charcoal's part).

As there were only about eight participants, the entire session was quiet and relaxed, all tension alleviated in the presence of persons from different walks of life, each with varying degrees of experience in art. I myself was seated in between a bubbly accountant named Grace and a quirky geologist aptly named Juno, both of whom wished to take their creative hobbies to the next level.

Jackie assisting Grace

Facial proportions

Gesture drawing (photo reference)

The workshop kicked off with a few exercises in drawing lines and basic shapes, and the application of these in deconstructed human anatomy. I almost never use shapes in drawing, and when I do, it's usually only a circle for the head. :)) Hence, gesture drawing, that requires the rapid execution of lines or marks to map out basic shapes of the human figure, was relatively difficult for me to do. I had loads of fun trying to do it properly though, especially when it came to the live model sketching.

The model and Jackie's sample portrait

Juno sketching

The model herself, I found, was quite perfect for the session, as she was boasted curves that made gestural movements with the charcoal stick relatively challenging. We sketched her in four different poses, each held for about ten to fifteen minutes each. And here are my poor attempts:

(Click to enlarge, and see all my mistakes up close, haha!)

To aid us in proportions, Jackie suggested using the thumb-and-pencil technique that I only used to see in cartoons but never employed myself. It helped sometimes during the workshop, but I find that using my eye to see the proportions works better for me. Still though, I learned a good deal - how to respect the charcoal medium, for one thing, but more importantly, how to use shapes to execute perfect anatomical drawing. I think I'll try gesture drawing for my faeries from now on.

L-R: Grace, Jackie, me

Juno's work

Upon conclusion of the workshop, we were given certificates - the first I've ever received in the field of art(!) - and since I had an empty frame to spare, I propped it on display on my desk:

Sitting pretty with my faeries *u*

Throughout the workshop, I couldn't help but take notes regarding the manner with which Jackie conducted the session. My own workshop is next week already, and I'm a nervous wreck D: I really hope I can effectively teach the participants how to paint with watercolors. I've been practicing the different modules just so I don't freak out on the day itself. Yikes. Do wish me luck!

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Probably on account of my childhood fondness for Polly Pocket, I've developed an affinity for all things miniature: miniature furniture, miniature dolls; but what really drives me over the edge and into the sea of kiddish delight... is miniature food.

My small but growing collection

I only came to know and love miniature food - that is, food that looks real but is made out of clay or other similar material, and is TINY - in the 2000s, upon stumbling across a member of deviantART who propagated the stuff as a form of art. Known for her handle PetitPlat, Stephanie Kilgast has taken the miniature art world by storm with her amazing polymer clay creations:

Photos from PetitPlat

As much as I'd love to get my hands on those incredibly CUTE foods, they're unfortunately out of my reach, quite literally; most of the best miniature foods are only sold abroad, usually in the US and some parts of Europe, and are slightly above my spending capability, haha.

However, the most readily available and affordable miniature foods that I've come across so far are in Bangkok, Thailand. Though not as heavily detailed as others, the foods there are still nothing short of amazing. During my last visit, I managed to buy the first items of my miniature food collection:

Jars of donuts, bread, and macaroons *u*

Smaller than a piso coin!

This was all I was able to buy at the time. When I found out a couple of months ago that Joey was heading out to Bangkok for business, I asked him to buy me me one or two more. He came back with several, and just the other day, he handed them to me:

So awesome ♥ Now I just need a tiny shelf to display all these items, haha! Miniature shelves and display cases are also available in Bangkok, but are relatively expensive - between P500 to P1000. Perhaps when I've acquired a steady income I'll have the chance to expand my collection. For now, I'm content with these pastry and sushi lovelies of mine. I actually want to try making some foods myself, using polymer clay, but I think that endeavor can wait; I have my art and watercolor workshop pending :D

I hope your day's going well!

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I bought myself a customizable tumbler from Starbucks, and I spent a happy evening painting the floral design for it. ♥ (Yes, like those jars that sit on my desk :)) )


L-R: 'Hunger' by Carle Griffiths, 'Nostalgia Pink' by Mandy Lynne, 'Blush' by Valerie Chua (Photos from Etsy.com)


A Heart's Dance Watercolor and ink on cotton rag 14.8 x 21.0 cm

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