Figure Drawing with Frank Cho

BIG WOW! coverage continues!!!

Right after the Joe Jusko demo was the Figure Drawing with Frank Cho session. I did this last year and it was a blast. Essentially it is live figure drawing by Cho but the audience is invited to join in. Like last year, our model was the voluptuous Ivy, the Baketress (is that a word?) from SoCal.

We did two poses at about 30 minutes each and then Frank critiqued several of the audience member's drawings and added corrections.

For those not familiar with Frank's panels, leave the kids at home. As much as he draws cheesecake, he's not shy about talking about body parts either.

Frank's drawing was projected onto a larger screen. The lighting on the model was low and challenging but we made do.

Frank makes it look easy. The secret to drawing well? Just Draw! Draw! Draw!

Ivy's elaborate Dejah Thoris (John Carter of Mars) costume. My own personal preference, I much rather draw curvaceous models like Ivy than skinny ones. Curves are MUCH more fun to draw.

Later, Frank would critique audience member's drawings and correct them.

More corrections.

A break between poses.

So, how did I do? Below are my four drawings. Four and not two because I think I just draw too fast, something trained into me. I had this problem in my figure drawing marathon a few weeks back. I need to slow down and look more carefully.

I do prefer the close ups.

Last year, I had my work critiqued and, while the drawings were not bad, a lot of the form got lost in all my rendering with my pencils. But since December, I've been using a mechanical pencil instead of the traditional array of HB, 2B, 4B, 8B, etc. While the mechanical pencil doesn't give me the value range for a great pencil study, I noticed it is great for my pre-inking drawings. But these drawings still seem very loose.

Best Rapture Ever!!

(Detail of Frank Cho's figure drawing sketch)

So how did you spend the Rapture that was suppose to happen yesterday? I spent the day meeting up with my friend Trevor as we ventured over to the BIG WOW! COMICFEST in San Jose.

After taking a year off and re-branding it's self with a new name, the con formerly known as Super Con returned in much the same way it had in previous years. The con doesn't get much foot traffic, the masquerade only had 12 contestants (shortest masquerade/30 minutes), and the media guests tend to be uninspiring. However, what the con does excel in is top of the line artists as one of the con's owners, Steve Morger, uses his connections to roll in some great names. Part of the enticement for these artists is a visit after the con at a local winery and I have to think their travel and room might be getting paid for since it doesn't seem like much money is being made for them with the lack of people. But it is a great chance to talk to the artists who would normally be swamped in San Diego in July for Comic-Con.

One thing the convention did do right this year was some of the panels. Taking advantage of the stellar artists line up, Adam Hughes was tapped to give a demo on his use of Copic markers. Master artist of the female form Frank Cho was also given a panel for a figure drawing session. And THAT, my friends, is how I spent my Saturday afternoon post Rapture!!  :)

(My angle of the model)

About 1.5 - 2 hours were set aside for the panel where Frank would draw and talk about his process for drawing the human figure. But the audience was also invited to draw with Frank and the last 30 minutes was given to Frank critiquing several of the drawings.

(Frank Cho sketches our model, Ivania Turner)

A nice long one hour sitting pose was chosen. I wasn't use to such a long pose so I dived on in and did a quick sketch before moving up to the longer sketch.

Our model was a baker from Lancaster, California, Ivy, who dressed up as Ms. Marvel. Her body type was very curvaceous, the classic Frank Cho woman! She was a good model and sat for the one hour with very little movement.

(Artist Frank Cho & model Ivy as Ms. Marvel)

Adding to the challenge was the angle, sitting slightly up as her chair was placed on top of a table. Having been pushed to draw quicker, I probably should have slowed down and got my contour drawing down better but spend most of that hour rendering and shading. I was lucky enough to get a crit by Frank and, for the most part, he liked the drawing, but we both agreed that the contour lines got lost in the shading.

(My drawing of Ivy)

In all, I enjoyed this type of panel and I hope they do more in the future and perhaps utilize the strengths of this con by having many of the great artists teach and do some demos.  Perhaps this con could grow into more of a seminar with artists such as Mark Schultz and Dan Brereton giving drawing and painting demos for other artists eager to learn?

(Frank Cho hard at work)

With my creative juices still flowing, I busted out the sketchbook after dinner and did some drawing of the Gordon Biersch crowd while a band was playing in the courtyard.

(Sketching at the Gordon Biersch restaurant)

A good day of music, food, shopping, comics, and art. What better way to spend a rapture???

(Frank Cho's drawing of Ivy)