Untitled [female nude reclining with a cushion under her side] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink drawing of a reclining nude. It’s all done with bold, thick black lines on off-white paper. You can really see the speed and confidence of his hand, as he’s laying down these confident marks. I imagine Diebenkorn with his materials, quickly trying to capture what’s in front of him. The body feels both present and abstracted, made up of a flurry of hatched marks, thick contours, and dark, filled-in areas. You can see the marks where the ink pooled and splattered, creating different densities, building shadows and giving volume to the figure. It's interesting how some parts are carefully outlined, while others are just suggested with a few scribbled lines. I think of other artists who were also working from life like this, such as Matisse and Picasso, each with their own individual language and style. There is a sense of experimentation as the artist tries to find the right mark to convey the essence of the figure. It makes me want to grab some ink and brushes and start making some marks myself.