3 DRAWINGS - same but different

Hello everybody,

today, I want to share a three- part series that shows my different approaches to one pose.

These are three separate drawings, pencil on paper. As always no photoshop, no retouch.

I created them for my final exam in the art academy where I presented around 20 works to my teachers and art instructors. 

The idea was to frame the originals and hang them like I would for a solo exhibition in a gallery. And then, of course, explain my reasons, laying out my concept and talking about my intentions.

Since most of my works were fully rendered (photo-)realistic drawings I chose to include these pieces as a little "step-by-step". 

The first one is a rough sketch.

It may sound funny but these sketches are sometimes harder for me to draw than my detailed works. I always tend to get lost in details, drawing a bit more here, adding another layer there. I literally have to stop myself from drawing when I'm sketching. Funny side note: my second graphic art teacher (who was the one to introduce me to Robert Longo btw.) said to me that "once you reach this level of realism in your works, there's no going back..." I never really thought about it but in the following years I really understood what he meant that day. 

So this first one is more about catching the mood, blocking in the shadows, finding good angles. It's more conceptual and very graphical. 

The second drawing is the transition between rough and realistic.

 I am now looking more at details.

Removing things, adding lines, working slower than in the first sketch.

I would probably draw some parts differently today but this second drawing still makes good sense to me; especially when you see all three pieces hanging next to each other.

The third drawing is the "final" stage.

Focusing on the whole picture, paying attention to every detail, no more "playing around" with different ideas.

Every line must be on point, every part of the drawing must be finished 100%.

And after that, it's almost the same part again like when I am working on a quick sketch.

Finding the right moment to stop and say: it's done.

Cheers,

D