The Boxers

Sparring, 2010, charcoal on paper
These drawings of boxers, sparring and stretching were all made in Glen Sujo’s class at the Royal Drawing School. On this occasion, two boxers came in to model for us to draw. First they began warming up and then they started sparring with one another. Working with charcoal on paper, for these drawings I was interested in capturing the density and shape of their bodies. Unlike a usual life drawing class, the boxers were continuously moving. This was a great opportunity to capture bodies in movement and to try and freeze movement. To use line to indicate the moving shapes of muscles exerting, contracting and relaxing. Some of the drawings are more abstract than others and it is interesting to look at how this movement can be simplified into a reduced number of lines. When creating these I was following the movement of the boxers, the speed at which they move meant that to get anything down was a triumph!

Fold over, 2010, charcoal on paper

Sparring IV, 2010, charcoal on paper

Sparing VI, 2010, charcoal on paper

Back stretch II, 2010, charcoal on paper

Sparring II, 2010, charcoal on paper

Over-arm stretch, 2010, charcoal on paper

Sparring V, 2010, charcoal on paper

Sparring III, 2010, charcoal on paper

Shadow boxing, 2010, charcoal on paper

Handstand, 2010, charcoal on paper

Neck stretch, 2010, charcoal on paper

Hamstring stretch, 2010, charcoal on paper

Back stretch, 2010, charcoal on paper

Knee stretch, 2010, charcoal on paper

Leg stretch, 2010, charcoal on paper

Glute stretch , 2010, charcoal on paper

Back of head, 2010, charcoal on paper

Engagement, 2010, charcoal on paper

Arm stretch, 2010, charcoal on paper

Clinching, 2010, charcoal on paper

Untitled I , 2010, charcoal on paper

Boxers Stretching, 2010, charcoal on paper

Skipping, 2010, charcoal on paper

Untitled VII, 2010, charcoal on paper