Robert Rivers

Professor of drawing at the university of central florida.

Most of what i’ve learned drawing wise comes from this artist. My interest and attempts of taking drawing to a level of “final product” originate with him- where drawing can be more than preparatory. After his course i changed what i viewed as quality art, from contemporary illustration, to artists like Goya, Ensor, Rembrandt, and Degas.

There are of course, many mannerisms i have picked up, not only from taking courses under him, yet enjoying his work. I do try to distance myself from mimicry and think if i am not excessively like him now, fresh from college and in dialogue with the professor on what is good drawing, then as i further develop my own vision and voice it should become a non-issue.

A major point i’ve noticed in which we do differ and i’d like to continue evolving in the direction of- is environment. His interest in the human form and anatomy of living beings is so strong he has often omitted the establishment of where the figures are. They stand or sit like monuments- statues. They are objects within a visual library he has established for himself, not interacting figures in a relatable spatial plane for the viewer to identify with, maybe the artists identifies, but the viewer isn’t quite as invited to. His paper is a piece of paper with objects placed upon it. Objects which are organic or furnishings developed roughly from shapes and basic building blocks. Often the figures are visibly developed form these foundational shapes and linear approaches. I often draw similarly, but i also find a lot of excitement in semi or pure blind contours and harshly contouring a figure without pre-planned structure, but intent focus as i move the pencil to spontaneously develop a “right” shape. Overall, I want my figures to exist, crudely if be, not appear created as objects but to exist in a world maybe somewhat darker than our own, and for there to be an unstated narrative.

When viewing these drawings of his, you can see his background of etching. The drawn alternatives to the foul-bite of a print in the crackling paper surface and stains, while the white highlights work like portions blocked via stop out varnish.

and i think that’s about enough. I just thought i’d share these two samples of his drawings, i took rather poor pictures of, since so little of his work can be found on-line and i think it is a good prelude to works i have been working on.