FLAMENCO

       This was a very challenging life session at the Basic Inquiry. Usually poses work their way up from 1 to 15 minutes. Our model, Marilou, a professional Flamenco dancer from Acapulco, got into a rhythm first, recalling some routines before settling with a pose for 5 minutes before shaking it all off to strike another pose for 5 minutes again. This continued for 3 hours. I did quite a number of quick-fire sketches before finding my way to this one, using different tools, charcoal pencils, charcoal sticks, blue pencils, news print and eventually watercolor. I managed to pin down a fast pencil sketch and a spontaneous light wash within the 5 minutes. After it all ended, I slowed down and added shadows and background splashes.