A Visit to Spring Street Studio

August 30 2008

Some friends recommended a visit to the Spring Street Studio in Manhattan. I recently managed to attend a Saturday evening session. The Spring Street Studio is a bit of heaven for people who enjoy drawing the figure. Drawing sessions with live models are offered several times a day seven days a week. It is a well run operation with good lighting and a relaxed atmosphere. The artists' drawing tables are arranged in two concentric semi circles around a wide, draped, multi-level model stand (pictured here). The outer semi-circle is raised above the inner semi-circle by an arc of sturdy platforms. Every station has a good view of the model. The lighting for the artist's work area is the usual hodgepodge of par lamps, but the coverage is good. During the session I attended the model was lit by a soft scoop. The overall effect was very "drawable". The scoop described the form of the model while errant pars laid down pools of light and shadow in the background.