Two-and-a-half hours. I probably could have done this in less time, but I didn't measure accurately in the beginning and spent a good two sets fixing the lay-in for a better likeness (I still think I didn't nail it). Word to the wise - even if you have acutely developed eyes from years of drawing, always take the time to measure. Then when you've done that, measure again. Oh, and while you're at it, why don't you measure one last time, just for good measure.
When I drop by uninstructed workshops, I sometimes strike up a conversation with the models, and occasionally the question of what school I go to comes up. I typically give them an honest answer: I currently don't attend school on a full-time basis, primarily because I can't afford the high cost of tuition, nor am I willing to take out massive loans to fund a second education. But that response feels like a smokescreen to me, because I'm slowly realizing, with the help of sound advice from people I trust and admire, that I probably don't need school, at least in the form of a prefabricated, one-size-fits-all curriculum. I'm self-critical enough to understand what my strengths and weaknesses are, and self-motivated enough to write my own course list to address those deficiencies. In this sense, I'm undertaking a very personal sort of education - kind of like the Montessori method but applied to adults.
Of course, I could be dead wrong about this, and maybe I really do need to throw myself into a full-time commitment, but the potpourri approach I've been taking so far has been really rewarding. I mean, why settle for one good school when you can have a taste of them all?
