Gazette du Bon Ton, Volume 2, No. 5, plate 46

Gazette du Bon Ton, Volume 2, No. 5, plate 46

Image by Metadata Deluxe
Jeanne Lanvin (French fashion designer, 1867-1946); Pierre Brissaud (French illustrator, 1885-1964); Do you know your lesson?: Tailored ensembles imagined by Jeanne Lanvin; (Sais-tu ta leçon?: Costumes tailleur de fantaisie de Jeanne Lanvin); 1914 (publication), Paris, Ile-de-France, France; ink on paper (photomechanical lithograph) with hand-applied color (pochoir); 25.4 x 19.1 cm (width)

Clothed figure sketch 15 2011/06/12

Image by aaipodpics
Here is a figure sketch based on a fashion photo, in which I tried to draw in two steps, a design phase for the overall structure of the figure and a refinement phase, in which I concentrate more on the details.

It's still a rough sketch, made in 20 minutes, but I think you can see I've done a few dozen sketches (short, 7 minutes long each). The drawing looks more considered, more thought-through. There's still room for improvement, quite a bit, actually, as there always is. Still, I think I captured the idea of the pose.

I will be doing more of these brief sketches, to develop a feel for proportions. Of course, the drawing above isn't very well suited for that, because the figure isn't standing upright, so it's harder to check the proportions.

One could argue why not do unclothed figure sketches? I'm surely want to do those too, but good (non-pornographic) images are less frequent than good fashion photos on the Internet. Also, it's much easier to ask someone to pose for me with her or his clothed on than without, in real life I mean. Typical clothed figure rates are 10 euros per hour (if I go by the rates my local community college uses). My guess is that nude models are much more expensive, but I could be wrong.

I'm still not confident enough to hire models, though, so for now I'm trying to improve my skills by using photos and short candid pose sketches (people in public spaces). Alas, the rates for the figure sketching course at my local community college has gone up this year (now 16 euros per 2 hour lesson, excluding modeling costs), so I'm unable to attend those, as I had planned.

Service of 9 Lessons and Carols

Image by rubberpaw
Although I did not attend the famous Service of 9 Lessons and Carols, I did walk by Kings on my way to morning worship.

England is known for its rich legal tradition going back over a thousand years. But one tradition which doesn't need to be written is the law of the queue. The etiquette of lining up is not just an involiable part of the universal order; it's a source of national pride. Pshaw to the Americans, who don't know the word "queue", and harrumph to the French, who they say bunch and mass instead of organizing in an orderly fashion.

The queue is an important part of British musical heritage as well. In London, the BBC Proms, a 70-concert series designed to make great music accessible to all, are named for the "promenade" of people who line up to get inexpensive tickets for world-class performances.

The queue at the Service of 9 Lessons and Carols, held at King's College, is also legendary. When I inquired with the porters a full 24 hours before the concert, they told me that four people were already in line.

The minimum wait to get into the service is 7 hours, if you push your luck.

I have yet to attend a service at Kings, but I plan to do so this coming term, perhaps on a date which requires less waiting. Going to Eden Chapel instead of Kings was a difficult choice, but I believe it was the right one. Pastor Wong's sermon on heaven was a needful, refreshing encouragement, and I was able to bid farewell to some good friends who will be leaving Cambridge soon. Unlike those who hear Kings on the radio, I can attend chapel services almost any time. Because so many people attend this particular service, I am told that it can often be difficult to get a seat from which one can hear the words of the Dean. This is sadly not a problem during the rest of the year.

Of course, St. John's chapel holds many choral services as well. The BBC also broadcasts our services and loves to debate whether the King's or John's choir is better.

Two services are definitely in my schedule this coming term. In February, the Johns choir celebrates the bicentenary of the abolition of the Slave Trade, in which Johnian William Wilberforce was a driving influence. I also want to go to evensong at Little Gidding, originally the private chapel of a Renaissance family, but which was also influential to the poets George Herbert and T.S. Eliot.