Gallery - Life Drawings (Nude) - Sheila McGraw

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An older east indian woman sits draped in bright colors and gold jewelry.

It was my first time at a local group in suburban Houston and I was a bit surprised when this East Indian woman arrived and sat for us draped (which is the term for any clothing worn by the model). I had been out of fashion illustration for quite some time, and it was a pleasure to revisit rendering different fabrics, their weight and undulations, and their contrast and texture against skin. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.

Life Study 3.

A zaftig woman of middle-European lineage, she possessed a voluptuous, sturdy body that some would call good peasant stock, despite which offset a quiet, almost dreamy demeanor. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.

A middle eastern woman with long dark hair and glasses sits on a draped stool, one heel on a peg and her hands clasped in a prayer position resting on her thighs.

A young East Indian woman with a tattoo. “New at this,” she told me as she got ready to pose. She didn’t need to confess, as once she was settled, her self-consciousness was apparent by the position of her hands, covering herself. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.

A nude middle aged woman with short cropped hair sits in a small green armchair, her left leg propped up leaning against one arm of the chair.

I loved this woman’s unflinching and direct gaze and her wry expression. Why she chose to watch me throughout the pose is unknown. She had an aura of street life—worn and gaunt. I thought the fraying vintage chair suited her. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.

A young, ponytailed, slim woman sits nude leaning her weight on her left hand planted behind her.

A young, ponytailed, slim woman. As unplanned happy accidents go there was a fortunate alignment of a piece of colored art board hanging at an angle on the wall behind her. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.

A nude woman stands with her back to the artist, her weight shifted to the left, her right knee bent as if taking a step. Her hair is in a ponytail and she is leaning against a bar that seems to have a red silk scarf hung over it.

This is the drawing that wins the least-likely-to-offend prize. With her back turned there are no nipples, no pubic hair, no genitals, nor secondary sexual characteristics. There is also a non-portrait aspect, no face to relate to, or not. However, this is not a bland piece. Her youth and casual nudity speak volumes. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.

A nude caucasian woman sits on the ground with her back to the artist, her left leg bent with the knee to the sky and her right leg tucked under her.

Anonymity, and an almost marble paleness and coolness make this woman’s distance and indeterminate age and looks mysterious. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.

Nude woman lying on her side, in an almost fetal position, resting her head on her bent arm. Gazing back at the artist.

In almost a fetal position, vulnerable, chopsticks in her hair. For close to three hours she watched me. Was I a safe place to look, or was her gaze a challenge? In the end she gave me one of my favorite drawings. Prismacolor pencil on colored rag paper. 2.5-hour, live pose.