By Una McCrory
Professional animator and life drawing lecturer, Niall Laverty, flew into Donegal accompanied by Kamila Wolek, a live model, for a recent three day workshop organised by Kim Sharkey. A dramatic arrival? “Yes, we flew into Carrickfinn and it was great to see the beautiful northwest scenery from the air,” says the Dublin based artist and author who delivered his ‘9 lines’ virtual studio Gesture Drawing masterclass at the Aislann, Rann Na Feirste.
“I was delighted when he agreed to come to Donegal , I’d been travelling to Dublin, every Monday, for five weeks in Spring to attend Animation Skillnet with Niall,” says Kim, an artist and potter, who lives in the area and who set up ‘Carrickfinn Artist Courses’, three summers ago.
“Our first course was with Adrienne Geoghan, children’s books author and illustrator. It was in conjunction with the ETB, as was this one. I hope to have other guest tutors in Donegal, people like Niall Laverty who are specialists in their own subject and who can help rurally based artists develop in their skills,” she explains.
“There was a great international cross-section and diversity,” says Niall, “people came from far and wide, there was a man in his 70s, another with no background in art, a teenager, and a woman who travelled from Clones to take part.
“Kim had a long trek to Dublin to do her evening classes and I’m full of admiration for her talent and her organisational ability to bring the classes here. I usually teach in cities and different countries so it was great to see the variety and quality in Donegal, in what he describes as “an intense artistic workshop.”
The workshop derives its name, ‘9 lines’, from the logo used for the classic television series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. Niall tells the story that Hitchcock himself created that famous self-caricature drawing using only nine lines.
The aim is to depict or convey a sense of story from a stance or movement. “Consider the model as a character,” explains Niall, “and that you’re telling a story through the gesture of that pose, the shapes, lines and angles. Gesture drawing is about capturing an essence.”
“It was certainly challenging. An incredible three days that definitely stretched me,” says Geraldine Murray, who lives in Downings and has a B.A.Hons in Fine Art and an alumna of Italy’s Florence Academy specialising in figurative sculpture. “I could see my work change and improve each day. Because each pose was from 15 seconds to a maximum five minutes, the work became immediate, responsive, and much more vibrant than when you work on a pose for hours. In seconds, you had to capture and express the flow. Niall was an amazing teacher. We had a great group, great food and atmosphere.”
Kim agreed: “Niall encouraged us to step away from fine details and to concentrate on line and shape and to give it life.” .
She added: “The participants were encouraged to, “Convey the feeling in a pose stretching beyond a flat replica of an image. We drew with blades to create cut outs, a wonderful exercise forcing us to look at shape in the figure. Niall also brought a professional life model whose background was in acrobatics. Kamila’s poses were wonderful and full of life and movement perfect for capturing in art.”
Robert Szrotka, from Burtonport, says he always liked drawing, but was never happy with what he drew: “And when I met Kim and talked about her project, I told myself why not to try. Niall proved to be not only a good teacher, patient and understanding, but also a great companion after class. Although I had no prior preparation, Niall patiently endured my inability to draw. I wanted to learn how to draw a human figure quickly and schematically. Second reason is the desire to meet people with similar interests like me. It was a group of enthusiastic people. The classroom where the classes took place was filled with positive and creative energy. It was amazing.”
Niall encourages the students to imagine that they are the character, to get into the same position as the model, to immerse. Think of yourself as an actor, he urges, he asks his students, to feel the weight and balance in the the composition. “My workshops are aimed mostly at professionals and students in animation, illustration, fashion and creative agencies and they’re based on my 15 years’ experience in the animation industry and my love of life drawing,” he says. And that experience includes working with Gobelins L’Ecole de L’Image, Filmakademie, Fox Animation Studios, Royal College of Art, the Oscar-nominated animation studio, Brown Bag Films and ?Lecturer at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. “I want to inspire and show others the importance of gesture drawing in character design, storyboarding and animation”
Kim had “trekked” to Dublin for her evening classes with Niall, Carrickfinn Artist Courses, with input from the ETB, enabled a diverse group with “a hunger” to participate and enjoy a special time learning and sharing a new craft in the county. The food, I’m told, was “delicious” too. A Moveable Feast indeed. Will Niall return for another series of 9 Lines? “I would love to return to Donegal as I had such a great time, I loved the collective engagement.”
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