Jocelyn Curry

As is sometimes the case, when the Drawing Group sits down to have our coffee together, the current host will set up a still life, or simply an object, for us all to draw. On April 1, our host placed a bronze Japanese figure of a man on her table, and that figure immediately grabbed our attention. The small sculpture was of "Kinjiro":

Ninomiya Kinjiro (1787–1856), also known as Ninomiya Sontoku, was a Japanese agricultural reformer, philosopher, and economist from the Odawara area who played a pivotal role in revitalizing rural communities during the Edo period. Born into a poor farming family, he rose to prominence through his industriousness, innovative ideas, and commitment to the principles of hard work, frugality, and mutual assistance.

(from odawara-guide.com)/ninomiya-kinjiro/)

After a drawing session lasting about 40 minutes, we compared our sketches which were done from three different viewpoints around the table. It's always interesting to compare what we have seen from our own chairs!

View A: Drawn with a harder pencil, the light lines are harder to see but they do allow for easier erasing; this is especially helpful when drawing the human figure.

View B: A softer pencil lays down more graphite, creating a bolder sketch. From this drawer's position, the face was in full shadow so the dark bronze patina concealed the facial features.

View C: This sketch, done with a fiber tip pen followed by quick water washes from a brush, allows us to see Kinjiro's bundle of twigs and wood for making a fire in a stove to keep students warm in the classroom.