Alanna - A Figurative Study by Marian Fortunati

	Alanna © Marian Fortunati 16"x12" Oil on canvas board

Every Monday Julie Snyder hosts an uninstructed figure painting opportunity at McGroarty Art Center in Tujunga, CA.  I can't remember where I heard about it... perhaps from my friend, Lani Emanuel, but a few years back I tried to paint there every so often.

Although figure painting isn't my main love, a number of things conspired to send me back to the Art Center again last week:

• Julie announced on FB that she was starting the sessions up again.
• A total stranger from back east contacted me and wanted to buy one of the studies (A Boxer Study) I had painted a couple of years back.    (ALWAYS a pleasant thing to happen!)
• A good painter friend and I were talking, and as I was complaining about my need to improve my drawing skills, she suggested that rather than complain about it, that I should work on it.
• David Gallup's Master Class assignment was to write down our artist career goals, influences (contemporary and historical) and what about them influenced us AND the steps we are taking to reach the goals.

Well, since I realized that I enjoy looking at figurative work - Julie's is amazing -, and since I need to improve my ability to draw, these uninstructed sessions with a live model would be ideal for helping me along my path.    Although the sessions are not instructional... they really are because so many of the artists who attend are excellent and it's instructive just to see how they approach the drawing/ painting of these figures.

The set up

As it turned out, the model was Alanna, who is also a fellow student in David's Master class.   That was kind of fun, as I could talk with her about the session the next day in class.

Alanna Study (of the Study) 10"x8" O/C

I decided that I was really very pleased (and relieved) with my ability to get a likeness, but when compared to a master like Julie Snyder and some of the other students, I had a lot of work to do.   The color I used was okay but not "fun".   Edges are still my nemesis.

During the next week and between several plein air trips, I tried to paint Alanna again using the study as a study.   It's a bit more colorful, but I discovered how easy it is to lose the likeness.   It's amazing how tiny bits of color or value in the wrong place change the way someone looks!

Oh well, practice and more practice and more practice...  That's what I will do.

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