Back to Life

Whether you’re returning to life drawing after a year of Zoom classes or trying it for the first time, ALAN MCGOWAN shares the joys of a life class and advice for making the most of it

- ALAN MCGOWAN

In common with many other people, I have spent the last year missing the experience of life drawing. For the past 20 years or so my weekly routine has involved going to life classes. It is a practice that generates its own momentum – the more deeply I go into it, the more it seems to offer, and the more possibilities and challenges come to the fore.

After a year of not working directly from life and with a view to returning to life classes as we (potentially) emerge from lockdown restrictions, for the first time in as long as I can remember I am approaching life drawing as though from the outside. If not as a beginner then certainly as someone who is out of practice.

Of course, there were photographs and Zoom sessions to sustain us, but it is not the same. A photo or computer screen is already an image, shaped by the camera’s monocular eye. In fact, experiencing much of life virtually for a year underlines what makes the life room special. The more closely technology simulates the real, the more we must take care to be aware of what real life actually offers us. It might be a good time to reflect on what actually occurs in life drawing, what it is about, and what we might want it to be about.

HOW WILL IT FEEL?

The first thing that always strikes me about a life pose is that it is, in a sense, too much. There are so many aspects to contend with – from colour and composition, to pose and materials – and each has its own potential, limitations and challenges. No matter how long or short the pose, there is also the sense of time running away. It is a lot to take in. Strategies for coping might include doing the most important things first or working from the biggest shapes to the smallest, for instance.