by Wesley Anne Cook
Each Monday evening at seven, some folks meet at the McGown Photography Studio at 5801 C West Springfield, Champaign (Rt 10). The group is not a formal entity, but a loose gathering of like-minded folk who wish to spend a couple of hours pursuing a time honored tradition. Their purpose? To practice the art of life-drawing from the human form.
MELD has a long history, for over eight years the group’s steward, artist Ron Karlstrom, has been shepherding the group. He schedules the models, brings the equipment (lights, pillows, drapes, etc.), collects and distributes the models fee from the participants and most importantly, poses the models for drawing.
There are no prerequisites for attending, participants range widely over ages and skill levels. Some use the model to hone old skills, others come for the delight of seeing what satisfying marks they can make on paper. All attend with a sense of intention, to respectfully explore the human form in the medium of drawing.
I have been attending these sessions for over a year after learning about the group from the Art’s Council 40/North. It was a delight to discover its existence because life-drawing has always provided a wonderful practice for me. It teaches many useful things: form, movement, mass, texture, shading, composition and a host of other etcetera’s. Drawing the human form in all its wondrous variety brings an intuitive learning to the hand and eye of the drawer. All those stuffy, serious lessons one can yawn through in art classes about perspective or shadows are presented in one neat package. The secrets those classes might give you are clearly held in the magnificent form in front of you. Your task, as beginner or advanced student, is just to look, see and draw.
When confronted by the complexities within the human form it can be intimidating. Many folks when prompted will say, “Oh, I can not draw.” The truth is making marks on paper is drawing. A desire to express what is seen and repetition bring about gradual success. Practice brings surety of line, a desire to learn more and to see better. There are lots of books out there on ‘how to draw’, but the act of drawing is the best, most sure way to ‘get it.’
If you would like to explore the art of life-drawing in a low-key, comfortable environment, come join the group for an evening. See how it feels. See what you can draw. They meet on time, every Monday evening.
Each session requires a $7.00 modeling fee. Bring some paper and drawing implements; pencils, pens, chalk, water colors, etc., and your good intentions. There are TV trays and chairs to set up a make shift desk. The rest is up to you! Good Drawing to you.
For more information or directions to the studio contact: Ron Karlstrom at 217-419-6580 or Lawrence McGown at 217-863-2029