it’s life drawing | but not as you know it

An entirely innocent quip on Twitter led to a rather inspiring stream of banter, with Pete Ashton, Antonio Roberts and Alex Hughes providing some fab food for thought. Earlier, Google Reader fed me this. I’m an advocate of anti-art, seeing as I seemingly have the gift of doing everything backwards and getting shirty with anything remotely formal. How much fun can you have with burlesque, beer and a pencil? I’m soon going to find out, as I’ve booked for the Dr. Sketchy’s Birmingham event at the Island Bar in November.

Initially, I turned into an over-excited puppy, thinking “Yay! Let’s set up a Burlesque life session in Brum!”. About, ooh, ten seconds into the research, I discovered that there’s already one. Oh bugger, said Pooh. Great plan foiled. However, new opportunity discovered. Win-win, I say.

Life drawing sessions are a staple for artists, but I’m often a little daunted that I’ll be in a room with hardcore pros who will make my efforts wither to a pulp. The added bonus of beer should, hopefully, detract from this. I like the potential for a greater amount of informality in the occasion with Dr. Sketchy’s. Not to the point of getting trashed and not being able to draw, but to be drawing from life in an environment outside the normal assumed constrains of a studio with models who offer a different take on the subject. Burlesque is glam. Glam is good.

I was not alone. Antonio thought this was great and was positively brimming with enthusiasm for working the Wacom muscle as an approach, and Alex was already ahead of the game, having found out about it some time ago. I’m just taking pencils when I go. I’m a pencil heathen.

Interested? It’s £7 in, and you can book via http://www.myspace.com/drsketchysbirmingham