Neo Deco – 09-04-24

Solarised Look

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Neo Deco – 09-04-24’ is the first one after a couple of pastel drawings. Seized by my currect oil painting in progress I kept the posting pace going by some live model sketches. Meanwhile I had this piece under way and I didn’t have a clue what to do with it. So each time at Brugman’s where I teach I worked at it, bit by bit. Originally I had something surrealistic in mind. Soon I changed the set-up and decided to opt for yet another solarised look. Actually, my last one ‘Sands Time – 23-03-24’ looks a bit like this one. The thing is that I didn’t want to loose the brilliant shadowy patterns on the model’s body. Some motifs and especially the lighting are great enough to only celebtrate these by a bit artistic enforcement.

Willy Zielke

The drawing is inspired by a 1930s photo made by Willy Zielke. Lately I have been browsing again online looking for pictures from the art deco era. A couple of pictures one night stood out because of the clean cut lighting he used. Certainly my cup of tea so to speak. My addition to the scene is the aforemention solarization and thick linear contour delineations. My aim was to create contrasts between soft tonal transitions and abrupt ones. I also let the body vaporize into the negative space. You can see that in the left arm, above her right breast and in her leg. This way all contrasts are present. There is light versus dark, soft versus harsh transitions and angular versus roundish. Personally, I like the hair locks the best. They look funny and strange in solarized forms.

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