Seated Nude - November 2010 - Charchoal on Paper

Seated Nude - November 2010 - Charcoal on Paper

It's been a while since I've posted a painting, recently it's been a lot of charcoal drawings and I am really enjoying it.


This photo was taken midway through the session (during a break). The finished drawing is still in the studio and I forgot to take a photo of it, but I like what it looks like halfway through, I'm almost sorry I spent more time on it.

Seated Nude - Charcoal on Paper

Seated Nude - Charcoal on Paper

We've had nowhere to draw for the last four weeks and last night we got together at one of the artist's house. Her upstairs area has not been used for a while so we moved in there with our lights easels and a model.

It took ages to set set up, but in the end it was a very successful evening.

Stephen Scott - Seated Nude - Charcoal on paper

Seated Nude
Charcoal on Paper

Our model was a beautiful blond girl. This was the first time she sat for any group and she sat fantastically. It was a absolute pleasure to work with her.

Stephen Scott - Seated Nude - Charcoal on paper

Seated Nude
Charcoal on paper

About a year ago I hated charcoal; it was an annoying medium - the charcoal refused to do anything I wanted it to... now I'm starting to understand.

The model was from Zimbabwe, but she's spent the majority of her life here in South Africa.

Seated nude for May 2010

Seated nude, May 2010
Painting in progress

A couple of week ago this young model posed for us for a once-off sitting - I did this charcoal sketch of her

We've asked her to com back for the last four weeks of the time we have in our current studio. I took the opportunity to start an oil painting - this is the result of the first session.

I took the whole session to draw and correct the drawing, my goal for the session was to have a drawing that is as accurate as I can make it. I am very happy with the result of this session.

Seated nude; charcoal on paper by Stephen Scott

Seated nude
charcoal on paper by Stephen Scott

Another week in the fantastic house with it's studio on the third floor!

It was the first week of winter for us - the studio was cold and impossible to heat up, our model huddled as close as possible to the heater during breaks, but during the pose she sat beautifully - the sign of a good model.

It's fascinating how the best models are also the smartest - our new girl has an honors degree in fine art and is currently working at the University of Cape Town.

Seated nude - charcoal on paper

Seated nude - Charcoal on paper

This is the first of three new models we're drawing this month. She did fantastically - this was the first time that she's ever posed and without a doubt we'll invite her back for more sessions in the future!

Last week we advertised for new models and got 30 odd responses, 3 of which we booked sessions with. Drawing is the natural choice for once off sessions and charcoal is becoming one of my favorite drawing mediums.

Next week is a new session and a new model.

Seated nude with a red cushion

Oil on Board 20cm x 25 cm

Our regular studio's undergoing renovations at the moment (we got three days notification!) so after a short sabbatical we're back to painting in a new venue.

We've been graciously offered, and accepted a studio on the third floor of a spectacular house.

This is the first painting from that venue.

This model has posed for us before, I described her in Reclining nude – Red hair and creamy skin as a lovely red haired girl with equally lovely white skin.

The new studio suits her - it's a lovely combination of the colour of her skin and hair and the wooden finish of the studio.

I'll be putting this work up for auction next week.

Guest artist - Artist Pauline Adair

"Sleeping Nude" By Queensland Artist Pauline Adair

I absolutely adore this painting!

I've been subscribed to Pauline Adair's blog (http://paulineadair.blogspot.com/) for about a year now. I found her site while searching for paintings on Africa, but it's not her African studies that captured my heart, it was her figures:

There are plenty beautiful paintings on her site, take some time and enjoy her figures.

First guest artist - Daniel Peci

When I originally started this blog it was with the intention of posting 500 nude paintings (or sketches) within a two year period... but I gave that up as unsustainable, I found it was not a goal I was focused on. I still adore doing nude figure studies, but I also adore other subjects.

I'd love to introduce you the reader to other artists in the figure painting field, I'll get to the 500 nudes by means of my scant posting and those of other figure study painters.

There are so many fine figure study artists that I had a tough time choosing who I wanted to introduce first, eventually I selected Daniel Peci.

Daniel Peci lives up to the goal I set for myself in the beginning - he frequently (almost daily) posts a new sketch or painting like this one:

6.5" x 8.5" pastel on paper

See his original post here: Daniel Peci

I love the sensuality of this sketch, it has a very classic feel about it, it's beautifully executed, and I love the model!

Oil wash sketch

Oil was sketch
Oil on canvas covered board
22 cm x 31 cm

Ever week a bunch of us get together to paint a lovely lady in the nude (well she's nude not us!)
Figure study is very intimidating, there so much stress involved - the painting has to look like the model and it needs to make her look good - it's the least I can do in return for the privilege I have of her posing for me!

This little painting was done during a once off session and was done as a sketch using paint and a paint brush instead of traditional drawing medium.
The effect is very much like that of one of those old sepia photos.

I find that this is a very hard way to sketch/paint because it is almost impossible to make a correction - if there is an incorrect line trying to erase it will only smudge the paint and it will never be restored to its original white!

Here's another beautiful example of this method - Oil wash sketch

How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Reclining nude – Red hair and creamy skin

Red hair - reclining nude
Oil on Board
21 cm x 25cm

This painting was done in the same style as the Nude on a Persian carpet – there are a few similarities – both girls have red hair, both were reclining (laying down) and both have a lovely peaches and cream skin tone.

This model has long curly hair, while our Persian carpet girl has a short, almost boyish cut.

The pose started with the intention of being as a short one session pose, but by tea time it was decided - we wanted a second session. The painting was therefore done over two sessions (about 4 hours).

Our studio is in an old school that has been converted into a community centre, so in the background we have the old school blackboard. It’s the first time I’ve painted it – usually we have a coloured backdrop hanging over the chalk board.

Mind you, I'm sure this posting would have got a lot more hits if the title was "sexy nude school teacher" - I'm sure it's someone's fetish :)


At some point during the evening one of my fellow artists looked at my painting and commented “Look, she’s floating on a cloud!” I’ve since added more detail to the sheet… I hope it looks less like a cloud….

How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Seated nude - Composition sketch (pen on paper)

Seated nude - pen study on paper

This was a quick study in lights and darks, the idea behind the sketch is not to be a final work of art, but rather to be a template to work from.
Unfortunately I never did a painting of this pose from this angle, it was done in the last 5 minutes of a session and the model was unable to make the next session.

Pen sketch - composition drawing

Before starting a painting I will always do a sketch, often in pencil or charcoal. The idea behind the sketch is to test the tonality and the composition of the picture... it gives me a chance to solve the problems and complexities of the task at hand.

Once the sketch is done I'll often draw all over it as a choose which part of it I'll use as a painting and for measuring the drawing while transferring it to the canvas.

This sketch survived me - I spent more time on this drawing than I should have, but I loved doing it!

Sleeping Nude - pen sketch

Sleeping Nude
Pen sketch on paper

This is one of my favorite models, she's lovely, has a beautiful figure and sits like an angel. This was a quick pen sketch during one of the painting sessions.
The pose is lovely, I wish I had chosen this position to do a painting from!

Nude in the sunlight - a painting in progress

This is another small painting that's on the easel in the studio. I spend a few minutes each painting session working on it. It should be finished within the next week.