Author: Adlai Burman

Born in Washington D.C., Adlai Burman now lives and creates in the Czech Republic.
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February 2022 With Love Life Drawing Starting Tomorrow!

Woohoo 🎉

Lots of us have been waiting for this; I sure know I have. The now month of Figuary — a month devoted to exploring figure drawing in an online community setting has been one of the most resourceful and rewarding annual markers since it’s inception and development over the past 3 (I think) years. The challenges figure drawing are brilliantly complemented with insightful tips and insights from Kenzo and his impishly brilliant mom and mentor, Mayko — plus and occasional cameo from a lovely dog named Maggie.

In addition, there are often guest mini lectures from some truly inspiring contemporary figure drawing greats like Richard Powell and Lane Brown … and almost everything is free for the standard broke a.f. artist like me.

I understand that this year’s iteration had to contend with a number of unforeseen logistical complications, which speak to why it’s starting in the middle of this already shortened month of February. It’s a shame that the word “figure” doesn’t aliterate with a 31 day month.

Postings from this site http://lovelifedrawing.com have indicated that this year’s difficulties have been used to present a particular slate of presentations for the upcoming weeks. I don’t know what they’ll be, but I do trust Kenzo et al’s creativity and devotion to come up with some great stuff.

In short, I encourage everyone of all levels of figure drawing to check it out at any level from being a fly on the wall to being a more active member of the community.

Free sign up is here https://community.lovelifedrawing.com

I copied the plan from lovelifedrawing’s page here:


Welcome and Schedule

Welcome to the Fresh Eyes Challenge. This challenge is all about transforming the way that you see the figure. Day 1 is on Tuesday 15th February. Over the next ten days, you’ll be accessing a variety of tutorials, live sessions, custom reference images, and a community platform where you can connect to other people who are also taking part in the challenge.

The exercises are designed to be suitable to all abilities, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced artist: if you’re interested in improving your life drawing skills, you’re in the right place!

How does it work?

I’ll be sharing a new post on every morning of the challenge which will contain the exercises and reference images. You can log on each day to follow along with the practice for that day.

What will we work on each day?

Other (than) the 10 days, there will be 2 main YouTube tutorials, 3-4 extra mini-tutorials, 4 live sessions, and 5 references images to draw each day. As always, I will keep everything as concise and clear as possible. Here’s a summary of how the challenge will be structured:

Day 1 (Tues 15th Feb)

  • YouTube Tutorial: the Fresh Eyes 2D model, approx 15 mins
  • Extra explanation mini-tutorial: how to use the 2D model in practice
  • Exercise 1: recreating poses with the 2D model for 5 front poses

 Day 2 (Wed 16th Feb) 

  • Exercise 2: recreating and drawing 5 front view poses with the 2D model
  • 9pm (GMT) : LIVE session, 45  mins – how to see the major forms and ideas in the front poses and addressing common mistakes.

Day 3 (Thurs 17th Feb)

  • Extra explanation mini-tutorial: Introducing the side view. 
  • Exercise 3: Recreating and drawing 5 side view poses using the 2D model.

Day 4 (Fri 18th Feb)

  • Exercise 4: Further side view practice with 5 poses
  • 3pm (GMT) : LIVE session, 45 mins – understanding the forms in side view and addressing common mistakes.

Day 5 (Sat 19th Feb)

  • Exercise 5: drawing 6 poses in front and side views without the 2D model.

Day 6 (Sun 20th Feb)

  • YouTube Tutorial: Moving to 3D forms, approx 15 mins
  • Exercise 6 – drawing 5 simple poses with foreshortened limbs using simple forms and surface lines

Day 7 (Mon 21st Feb)

  • Exercise 7 – drawing rotated torsos using simple 3D forms for ribcage and pelvis
  • 9pm (GMT) : LIVE session, 45 mins – using observations to lay down 3D forms

Day 8 (Tues 22nd Feb)

  • Exercise 8 – drawing twisting torsos using simple 3D forms
  • Extra explanation mini-tutorial: how the pelvis, ribcage, shoulders and twist create different twists.

Day 9 (Wed 23rd Feb)

  • Exercise 9 – drawing complex ribcage and pelvis relationships with angle difference, tilt difference and rotation difference / twist. At this point, we start to understand the relationships between forms in 3 dimensions at once.

Day 10 (Thurs 24th Feb)

  • Drawing Exercise 9, accompanied with new reference poses
  • 9pm (GMT) : LIVE session, 45 mins – the finale live session, where we tackle all sorts of poses using our Fresh Eyes to understand the forms we see.

When will live sessions be and how do I join?

The live sessions (which you don’t have to attend live as there will be a recording) are a chance to gain extra clarity about the simplified forms we are studying, address common problems that are coming up in the community area and answer your questions. These sessions are optional and not required for you to complete the challenge, but they will be useful! Make sure you register if you’d like to join the live sessions!

Weds 16th Feb (Day 2)  –  9pm (GMT)

Fri 18th (Day 4) – 3pm (GMT)

Mon 21st Feb (Day 7)-  9pm (GMT)

Thurs 24th Feb (Day 10) 9pm (GMT)

You’ll need to register to join the live sessions here: https://my.demio.com/ref/02V2yH0wIGu1SS6r

The times above are UK (GMT). If you live in a different timezone, you can check the start time here

What if I miss a live session?

If you can’t make any of the live sessions, don’t worry! There will be a recording posted on the page for that day of the challenge.

How do I join the community?

You can join the community here: https://community2.lovelifedrawing.com/

One of the most fun things about this challenge will be to do it together, so whether you want to share your drawings, encourage others or just see whats going on, it would be great to have you join the community!

Thanks everyone, and hope you enjoy the challenge

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Happy New Year from a Cat on a Table

2022 looks like it might be off to a good start. Aside from being sick and quarantined, I actually got to enjoy several hours of feeling pretty good last night. It’s been months since the pain had subsided enough for me to uncurl from fetal position in bed and stand long enough to do a small watercolor sketch. And there she was ❤️

Elektra is an alarmingly intelligent cat who gets bored easily —kind of like a feline border collie. Usually we can sate her fantastical mind by opening up the balcony or hallway for her to spring out into and upon all of the world’s chase-able mysteries out there. Instead of sheep, she prefers to herd butterflies and hornets and flocks of birds up in the sky.

For now, she’s had to settle for chasing inanimate things throughout the apartment and pissing Pytlique off. With our flat under temporary lock down, both of our cats, too have had to deal with not being allowed outside for a while. The first thing I saw when I walked into the kitchen to see what Elektra was yawling about was her lying on the kitchen table with a palpable glower of defiance and disappointment on her face. Of course she wasn’t going to hold that pose for long and I was lucky enough to snap a quick photo before she marched back to the closed doors to the outside world and resumed yawling there.

I got the point but went ahead and painted this instead. It was hard work because the moving paintbrush immediately became her de facto indoor prey of choice. I’m going back to bed to scribble some more in my dry sketchbook.

Elektra on a Table
watercolor 22×18 cm

Happy New Year, little Elektra. Tomorrow you get to see the outside again 🤩