Creating Neo Deco – 09-02-23

Website link: https://corneakkers.com/neo-deco-09-02-23/
Printable: https://corneakkers.com/product/printable-neo-deco-09-02-23/

Straight Lines and Curves

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Neco Deco – 09-02-23’ is a representation of the female body in both straight lines and curves. After the last one I wanted to continue with an almost total blackness in the background. I had a bit of solarization in mind though. Last year I made a series under this name. Blue Velvet – 09-07-22 was the one to finished it off with. Lately I have become a bit reluctant adding to previous series and extend them to the max. Somehow I have the feeling to lay all these series to rest, like Roundism, Solarization and Art Deco Nude. One of the reasons is that I find my inner urge to classify my art almost silly. Must be my background as a lawyer but it’s also because of the n*de word. Social media sentinels like to block me because of using it in the title.

Deviantart

Well, Neo Deco is just as good as any title and I like the sound of it. It also reflects the essence of the drawing at hand. Straight lines, roundish curvatures and solarized planes are a direct reminder to all things nice from the 1920s and 1930s. Then, on Deviantart I saw a pose I liked and this drawing is loosely based on that. I changed a lot of things though. I inversed the tonality and exaggerated knee caps and elbows dramatically. Eventually only the pose came out as the same, even though it is radically differently rendered. The suggestion of a frame comes from my previous drawing ‘Venus Lamenting – 13-01-23’. It’s not equally elaborated though and I thought it would be fun to draw some body parts over it.

Free Sketching

This is how things turned out to become when you are free sketching on sight without taking proportional measures. That’s not always my modus operandi because usually I am more precise. However, some time ago I cranked up the frequency of model sketching. I must say, I am feeling confident again to sketch without thinking too much. Somehow, by overanalyzing proportions I feel the process of finding and creating is a bit blocked. Of course these live model drawing sessions are meant for practising your hands only. An artist like me needs not think of creating a sellable product during such a session. On the other hand, I have sold pastels I made through live drawing in the past. Anyway, this one is just another attempt to practise my hand and come up with a great artistic idea. Perhaps one day you will buy it.

Graphite pencil (Faber Castell Pitt Graphite Matt pencil 14B) drawing Talens Bristol paper (21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm)
Artist: Corné Akkers