I enjoyed watching that. I also like to watch people's facial expression and body language. I like to see how the body changes in the space of a second. For this reason, I am drawn to, and inspired by, the drawings of Edgar Degas which study the ballet. When I first saw his finished work and his pastels, I felt that it was amazing that you could feel the movement, yet there is no use of repeat line. His work from memory and quick sketches inspired me to explore these areas more, both in terms of the courtroom memory work and the action drawing with dancers and sports people. Just as " the female model provided Degas with that original repertoire of form in movement that is one of his greatest achievements" (Gaunt, 1980, 40), so I wanted to build a repertoire of drawings exploring the musculature and movement of the human form.
When I went on to research Degas' unfinished and drawing work, I was impressed with his use of line and clarity. "Degas respected line to the best of his own belief and free choice" (Pecirka, 1963, 12). I like to see the working out, and erasure – one can learn a great deal from the pentimenti of established artists. In a drawing such as 'Dancer (Préparation en dedans)(Figure 1), Degas captures the sense of movement in a few simple lines, and this has been a focus of my own work throughout the year. Another drawing, Study of Legs (Figure 2) "buzzes with nervous energy, encouraged by Degas' addition of echoing lines around ankles, feet and calves" (Kendell &Devonyar;, 2011, 44). Whilst inspired by the work of Degas, I am keen to develop my own style and "voice" in portraying the body in movement.
It is important to me that in the moment of drawing, I am capturing the feeling of the figure's movement. I do not look at the paper. I keep my eye on the model as he/she moves. I also imagine that my eye is pulling my pencil across the paper.