Art Models – Photos for Figure Drawing

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Interview with Roy Stanton

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“My interest in the human figure as a subject is at the absolute foundation of what I enjoy doing as an artist”

Roy Stanton is a talented American artist based in Florida. Even though he has been interested in art ever since he was a little boy, he also studied Zoology in the University of Florida and worked as an animal trainer at the Busch Gardens Zoo for a few years. Later, Stanton took a different path in his professional career and started painting and sculpting, followed by studies of Digital Art and Computer Animation at the University of Washington.

Stanton is also an actor with a solid background in stage and film. He played Major Joe Williams on SyFy original series “Z Nation”. His interest in horror, science fiction, and fantasy is also present in his sculptures, paintings and graphics. This artist’s most recent solo show at the West of Lenin gallery in Fremont was called “Heroes, Villains and Monsters”.

In this Q&A artist Roy Stanton shares with PoseSpace how he got into art, what he has learned on open studio sessions, who are his favorite living artists and why Vaunt is his preferred model:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

Having a father who was a frustrated graphic artist (his family never encouraged him to follow through on the goal) meant I was exposed to drawing at a very early age through the pieces he would create at home, and I think being a fairly shy child meant I would spend more time on my own drawing than playing outside with other kids. Even so, I think a book my older sister gave me, “The Great Comic Book Heroes”, was the catalyst that really set up artwork as a permanent part of who I am. In fact, my earliest career aspiration was to be a comic book artist. That changed when I discovered and started paying attention to fine art and pop art, realizing the potential of telling stories and communicating ideas through a single image. My interest in sculpture came later and for a time dominated my artistic endeavors, but, eventually, I found that the enjoyment I get from simply putting pencil to paper and drawing is, for me, really unmatched by any other artistic pursuit.

As for making a living from it, ultimately I'd say that I'm a semi-professional artist, in that I've never solely made my living by it, but at times it has contributed a great portion of my income.

You’ve been attending an open studio on weekends, what have you learned throughout this experience?

I think the biggest lesson I've learned is the extremely valuable use of a model in creating imagery. For many years, after completing my formal instruction, I was doing work without using a model of any kind. In some cases I just didn't have access to one, but other times I simply was so taken with an idea I would dive in and ignore the step of working out a pose with a model. I wouldn't say that was detrimental, but going back to an open studio I was reminded of all that I had forgotten from not looking at a model. By the same token, when I discovered the PoseSpace website and started using the photos as reference, it was a similar revelation: it told me what I didn't know, and helped me to polish my skills in composition and basic figure drawing.

Do you have a favorite PoseSpace.com model or book?

As a matter of fact, I do; I love using Vaunt for a lot of my prelim sketchwork. She does some terrific pose work and has a body and face type that I like using in my painting and sculpture. I often get a "femme fatale" vibe from her, and those tend to be the females I like to depict: ones that have an edge and some complexity to them.

What are your goals or aspirations as an artist?

I think at this stage of my artistic life I'm more open to exploration than ever before, and am trying out new media as well as technique. I still have a strong interest in portrait work, but I'd like to get back to a little more symbolism in my paintings and re-acquaint myself with oil in creating those images. I have been greatly inspired by my new home in south Florida as well; we're surrounded by amazing wildlife, birds in particular. I think I'd like to capture many of the birds as the subjects of my new portraits. That doesn't mean I won't be using people in my art as well, I think my interest in the human figure as a subject is at the absolute foundation of what I enjoy doing as an artist, so I can guarantee that I'll be continuing to utilize open studio and PoseSpace as resources for future work.

Do you have a favorite living artist, whether famous or completely unknown?

I have three that stand out in particular: Kehinde Wiley, because his paintings are monumental, yet retain an unmistakable sense of life; and in the less "fine art" realm, Adam Hughes and Alex Ross. Hughes is a master of form and pose, while Ross brings a realism and humanity to his watercolor work that is unmatched.

Where do you get your imagery from?

Predominantly from the twisted avenues of my own mind. It's a pretty wild time in there, I gotta tell you.

Tell us one thing you thought you knew, that it later turned out you were wrong about.

I think that would have to be the notion that there was an endpoint in growing as an artist; that the education would, at some point, be over. Completely wrong. To be honest, I find that each image, at its beginning, holds the same excitement as the first, and the same challenges. Will it work? Can I accomplish what I want? Granted, I have the benefit of experience to bolster me up when those concerns pay me a visit, but I have to say that getting that little bit of uncertainty definitely keeps boredom from setting in. Give me a new problem to wrestle with, a new challenge to solve, and I'm a very happy artist.

Roy Stanton’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArtOfRoyStanton/

Deviant Art: https://www.deviantart.com/roystanton

Interview by Andrea Miliani

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Interview with Carol Heyer

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“I really enjoy being a freelance artist, spending my time working on the things I love”

Carol Heyer is an American full-time illustrator and writer who usually combines fantasy, sci-fi and realism in her work. She has created 30 children’s picture books—among them Humphrey's First Christmas and Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude— and has earned several state awards. She has also worked for prestigious companies such as Disney and Scholastic, and even wrote Thunder Run, a film released by Cannon Films.

Her rescued dogs, Peanut and Cashew Nut, are her studio companions and coworkers. This talented freelance artist is constantly working on new projects. A few months ago, Heyer’s painting for a fantasy series, "The Root Doctor", won a Finalist Award in the CFA, The Circle Foundation For the Arts contest.

In this Q&A artist Carol Heyer shares with PoseSpace how she got into illustration, who are her favorite artists, how PoseSpace helps her develop her art and what life experiences influenced her work:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into illustration?

My mother was a great artist and she taught me how to draw when I was a young child. She instilled a love of art that never left me. My father was artistic too.  He made gold rings cast from wax forms. Eventually he started making contemporary sterling silver jewelry. I learned jewelry making from him and made jewelry for a few years.

I took art in high school and then when I went to college, they asked me what my major was, I said art and I’ve never stopped painting and drawing.  I work mainly with acrylic paint on portrait canvas and prefer working larger, at least 30” X 40”.

Which artist or painter has influenced you?

There are so many, but I think my all-time favorite is still Maxfield Parrish. I love his colors, the contrast between cool and warm. I also like N.C. Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth.

Alla Prima, or direct painting is a style I really appreciate, and among the artists I admire are Richard Schmid and Tibor Nagy.

Have PoseSpace photos and books helped you in your artistic career?

Definitely! For years now, I’ve bought all of the books offered and many, many of the individual poses and sessions for various freelance assignments I’ve worked on.

How?

Well I’m a full time illustrator with little time to hire models. So I take full advantage of PoseSpace and all of the amazing photos. I’ve painted angels, and wizards, book covers, educational art et al. I always say I’ve painted everything from bookmarks to book covers!  I prefer to work realistically and having great reference is essential for me to get the results I’m after. I often take several PoseSpace images and meld them together to fit my composition.

What is the importance of gesture drawing for you?

Figure drawing is really important in all my work. Gesture drawing brings a spark of movement and energy to all of my illustrations, from humor to realism.

Do you have any shows or activities on the horizon that you’d like to tell our readers about?

I was invited to show my art at in the TRAC 2019 Invitational Show, (The Representational Art Conference). I currently have three paintings on display.  The name of the show is Imagine and the art leans toward fantasy, which is my specialty. Among the artists showing are Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell and Roger Dean, etc. all artists at the top of their field.  

I’m also working on a new children’s Halloween picture book and I’m having so much fun creating the characters and writing the text.

I like to have at least three easels going at the same time.  I.E., one with fantasy art, another with children’s illustration and of course one with my current assignment.  If I find I get bogged down on one painting, I switch to another and work on it for a while. Then I can go back to my original work with a fresh eye.

What life experiences have influenced your work?

I worked for several companies in their art departments, including a movie production company. There I worked on story boards and production art, as well as writing. One of my scripts Thunder Run was produced and released in theatres. Another was produced and released to video. I worked there for some years before going out on my own to become a freelancer, illustrating and writing children’s picture books et al.

I really enjoy being a freelance artist, spending my time working on the things I love.

Carol Heyer’s website: http://www.carolheyer.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.heyer.7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolheyer

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.cl/carolheyer/boards/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolheyer/

Interview by Andrea Miliani

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Interview with Tiziano Gilardoni

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“I’m convinced that art is a continuous flow”

Tiziano Gilardoni was born in Italy in 1974 and is currently living in a small town near Milan. He is a self-taught artist who creates beautiful sculptures using modeling clay and plaster. Even though his favorite expressive medium is sculpture, he is also a talented photographer and painter.

After studying Gilardoni’s work, anyone can understand the value that this artist gives to lines, light, textures and emotions. He can capture images of the Uriezzo Gorges and make viewers admire nature’s composition or draw a nude female model and encourage people to praise her or sculpt a mermaid and arouse powerful feelings in the audience.

In this Q&A artist Tiziano Gilardoni shares with PoseSpace how he discovered sculpting, how Rodin influenced his work, who is his Art Model muse and how he explores different styles:

When did you first know you wanted to become an artist?

If I look back to my childhood I remember I took in my hand a brush earlier than a pencil. There is no precise time in my life when I decided that. When I grew up I attended technical studies but I never stop drawing and painting during my free time. Then there have been times in which I worked nonstop on many projects in parallel and times when I created very few works.

I’m not sure I’m an artist... of course, I produce something that could be addressed as pieces of arts in the common sense, but I think that this definition should have deeper implication in the social impact of the works, time will tell.

You draw, paint, sculpt and even do photography… how did you develop all of these artistic skills?

I used to be a self-taught painter and an amateur photographer until I decided to attend a part-time 2 year course at the Italian Institute of Photography in Milan (IIF). This gave me the motivation and the critical view to seek harder for the topics and the fields of expressions I really felt belonging to me. Then in the following three years I attended some courses in the local art academy to improve my technique in life drawing. And in the meanwhile I discovered sculpting, that has been literally a revelation: I’ve never considered that could fit my way of expression until the first time I modeled a piece of clay, and from then on I realized it was the most natural and comfortable way for me. It has been the real driver to study human anatomy.

I’m convinced that art is a continuous flow: after a while that I deal with the same subject or the same technique I feel that I’m becoming self-referential, therefore I try to focus on a different topic, to experience something new or I even jump from sculpting into photography or drawing. And each project has its proper language that best fit to it: one shall be expressed by drawing, another could only be represented by a statue, and a third can only be a black and white photo. In the end, I started developing some skills to find my way, now I try to learn new skills that could fit the ideas I have in mind.

Which artists have influenced you?

I saw the marble of The Kiss at an exhibition in Milan, I started turning around it and I would never stop... in that time I understood that Rodin would have been my reference for sculpting. Sculptors can be divided in two groups: those who create a statue with a main view, and those who think that all the point of views are equally important. Rodin belongs to the second, and me too. When I work on a figure I want it to communicate something from each point of view: as long as the observer turns around it he/she should find new details, a foreshortening that provide an impression never felt before, or an unfamiliar point of view that compel him/her to stop and look again, literally a physical journey around it.

And then I like the color and the technique of Redon, the “flat” fields of color of Gauguin, the portraits of Helmut Newton, the atmospheres of Jeff Wall and the high contrasts of Salgado.

Do you have a favorite PoseSpace model or product?

The one I used most is the pose set of Vaunt. I liked this shooting very much because the poses fit pretty well with the ideas I had in mind, both for sculpting and drawing. But I also have some paper book as reference, I usually go through them when I have some new project in mind and I want to figure out the right posture and details.

Do you have a favorite source of materials?

I like to go to exhibitions and look at the work of other artists, and I also look at art sites on the web. All these provide me suggestions and techniques for future experiments. But the ideas for my projects usually come from everyday life and go through a long process of sedimentation and rethinking, only when I have clear in mind what I want I finally start working.

How has your style changed over the years?

I like figurative art and even if sometimes I explore new combinations, I think I will remain linked to figurative topics. And I’m moving towards simplification, both in subjects and shapes. Looking back to the last years I know that I usually oscillate between “color” and “monochrome” times: I really like powerful colors, when I decide to work with then I privilege saturation and vividness, they really become the key point of the composition; then after a while I come back to the monochrome, especially when I use photography, it is a kind of catharsis to clean the mind from the resonance of colors and prepare myself for the next step.

Tiziano Gilardoni’s  website: http://tizianogilardoni.weebly.com

Behance page: https://www.behance.net/tgilardoni7801

Interview by Andrea Miliani

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Interview with Joseph Pearson

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“I believe in the power of art to provoke and expand society’s re-imagination”

Joseph Pearson is an American artist based in Asheville. He paints people and figures using pastel pencil, charcoal and oil. His art embraces the social realism concept: he enjoys drawing scenes from the street and mirroring a reality. In this artist’s paintings, you can find a woman in a coffee shop scrolling through her smartphone or a young boy getting a haircut in the barbershop.

Pearson recently held an exhibition in a private high-school called "Thoughts on the Times: Reflections on Today's Current of Racial Injustice and Violence in America" and he was pleased when he realized that the young students understood his work. He believes that art can heal and open minds.

In this Q&A artist Joseph Pearson shares with PoseSpace how art helped him to express himself, what artists influenced his work, details about the art-making process and his greatest achievements:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

My background in art started when I was about 4-5 years old. I copied the illustrations in an old Sears and Roebuck catalog. I loved the idea of being able to make a figure from lines and shade. As a child and into adulthood I was an extremely shy person. Drawing allowed me to express myself in ways I couldn’t say in words and still does. The nude human figure has been a staple of artist training for hundreds of years. It is the most challenging and to me the most interesting subject. I especially love the female form for its grace, curves and sensuality and natural beauty. In addition, the figure allows me to connect with other humans in the expressing of my ideas because of our common humanity.

What are your goals or aspirations and which artists have influenced your work?

I believe in the power of art to provoke and expand society’s re-imagination. Throughout history, the arts have played a pivotal role in the expression of viewpoints and in influencing a change of perceptions and ideas about a given subject. That’s my goal as an artist. My major influences are the social realist artists, especially those of the old WPA (Works Project Administration) under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

I had the honor of training with and being the friend of the late Hughie Lee-Smith, one of those artists. I love the works of the Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence.

I love Thomas Hart Benton, Raphael Soyer and many others of this school. Edward Hopper is one of my all time favorites!

How did you discover PoseSpace?

I discovered www.posespace.com searching for figure drawing resources.

Can you tell us about the process of making your work?

My art making process starts with an idea I want to express, this may be something I read, hear in the news or just an idea that comes to mind. Then I gather source material to develop the idea. If the final product is to be a drawing I may keep it gestural or I may develop it further depending on the idea I want to convey. It all starts with gesture, gesture is everything! That’s what I practice most from posespace.com.

I paint people as portraits and figures. I work in oil, charcoal and pastel pencil. I am a muralist and printmaker.

What has been your greatest artistic success?

My greatest artistic success(s)... there have been many. Most recent is having had an exhibition at a private high school where I addressed social injustice and the kids got it! That’s the power of art! Prior to that I had the honor of painting a mural and doing four charcoal portrait drawings for a very popular downtown restaurant here in the city. 1971 as an art student at the Art Students of New York I was awarded a full scholarship to attend this venerable institution! In 1998 I was awarded the prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation of NY grant. In 1999 I Commissioned by the White House Historical Association to represent the state of MS in celebrating the 300^th anniversary of the White House (2001 calendar). There are many other activities I count as major success that can be found on my website.

Joseph Pearson’s website: josephart.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Artist/Joseph-Pearson-Artist-1785168475036811/

Interview by Andrea Miliani

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Interview with Shannon Morrison

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“After many years of using the airbrush, it has become a profoundly magical process for me. I am amazed by how an image seems to magically appear, yet my hand never touches the painting’s surface”

Shannon Morrison is a self-taught artist who creates wonderful pieces of figurative art using his airbrush and acrylic paint. He was born in Michigan in 1973 and currently lives in Arizona, where he is focusing on increasing the production of paintings and improving his technique. With an Iwata HP-B airbrush and Createx colors, Shannon creates beautiful and realistic paintings with a subtle touch of fantasy.

When he is not painting or drawing, this artist also plays the shakuhachi—the Japanese bamboo-flute— and enjoys working out. He describes himself as a “fitness junkie”, and his passion for physical activities led him to appreciate more the human body and inspired him to study human anatomy. In his most recent work, Shannon focuses on the nude female body.

In this Q&A artist Shannon Morrison shares with PoseSpace how he got into art, why he uses airbrush as a tool, what life experiences influenced his work, valuable advice for artists who have an interest in airbrush and more:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

I have always been involved in art. Ever since I was a young child, I can remember spending hours drawing and coloring. One of my most profound memories was becoming incredibly jealous one holiday because my older brother got a Super Hero drawing set and I did not. I don’t even remember what I did get that holiday. All I remember is that I wanted a drawing kit, so that I could also draw things.

As I got older, I took drawing classes in school, confident that I could go somewhere with my artistic talent. Challenging life experiences kept me from pursuing further art education past high school, but I continued independent art study on my off time and weekends. I worked with anything I could – books, DVD’s, and just pure practice.

In my thirties, I launched a small graphic art business specializing in airbrush and custom painting. This lasted about a decade before I grew weary of the pressures of deadlines and unreasonable requests. I began to realize that I was not cut out for that specific industry and closed the business.

In recent years, I have shifted focus to pursue my own visions and ideas, and that’s where I intend to spend my remaining artistic years.

Why did you choose the airbrush as your main tool?

I chose the airbrush because of its apparent unmatched ability to convey realism, as demonstrated in the inspirational works of Chuck Close, Don Eddy and H.R. Giger. Now, after many years of using the airbrush, it has become a profoundly magical process for me. I am amazed by how an image seems to magically appear, yet my hand never touches the painting’s surface - I have a thought and it’s then rendered.

What life experiences have influenced your work?

There are two major life experiences that have shaped and influenced my art, from the tools used to the subject matter. First, my family seemed to have a never-ending struggle just to get by and I grew up with very little, which forced me to use my imagination as a way to escape this reality. I would create my own intricate worlds which, still to this day, I see come out in my paintings.

Additionally, I was extremely physically active and worked hard to develop my physical capacities, which contributed to my obsession about how the body looked and moved in space. This appreciation and fascination for the human form became the main focus of my art and paintings. My ideas focused on capturing the form in action, like a split second in time, similar to that of a still frame. This stop-in-action would create questions for the viewer as they searched for the story, often creating tension that could not be resolved.  

Do you listen to music while you work? What is your perfect environment to paint?

I am an amateur musician and therefore music is always on when I paint. I use music to shape moods – if the art has a light theme, I find music that creates that mood in me before I start to paint. It’s very hard for me to paint a sad theme in a painting while listening to music that picks me up and makes me happy (and vice versa).

Regarding PoseSpace, do you prefer individual poses, books, or sessions?

Early on, I had been using images from magazines and the internet, but I felt that the finished paintings and images were not fully mine because of potential copyright issues. One solution, using live models, was both time and cost-prohibited for me.  Later, I stumbled upon PoseSpace, which eliminated my need to find or afford live models.  Pose Space allowed me to produce finished art in full confidence that it was my own and without the worries of legal ramifications.

Additionally, I use Sessions, but I had started off with a couple of hard bound books from Amazon. Sessions allows me to see and adjust different perspective and angles with the same model.

What advice do you have for artists who have an interest in airbrush?

The most beneficial advice I can give aspiring airbrush artists is to see the airbrush as a tool to produce a result.  Similar to other art processes, it will have to be learned and practiced until it becomes second nature. In teaching airbrush classes in the past, I found that a lot of the students assumed that the airbrush was easy and some type of silver bullet that would paint great art for them, but that’s not the case. It takes time to master the airbrush, and even after that you still need to have developed drawing skills, understand value and shape, and have mastery of composition and color theory to produce good art. It is my belief that the airbrush does nothing more than apply paint—a very cool way to do it— but it’s still just another tool.

How has your style changed over the years?

Art is a process that is ever unfolding and growing in me – what I am working on now may change completely in ten years. There have been times on my artist’s journey where I never really thought of myself as good enough, but I kept at it. The days became weeks, weeks became months and finally months into years, and somewhere along the way I started looking at my own art and thinking “I am getting pretty good at this.”  It became clear that I had gotten somewhere and had something worthy to say. Now in my forties, I have many years of learning and painting behind me (and so many more to go), yet I feel like I am just starting to see real fruits of my labor. My future goal is to just keep creating and moving forward.

Shannon Morrison’s website: http://shannonmorrisonstudios.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrshannonmorrison

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.shannonmorrison/

Interview by Andrea Miliani

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artwork by Kjetil Hansen