The Drawing Circus Photo-set: The Sleep of Reason (Night) (Patreon)

It is rare that we get to post about the Drawing Circus. With our last tour curtailed in 2020, we have shared most of our photos of past events. In this set we reprise some of our 2018 images from the first run of the Sleep of Reason at the Bosco Theatre in May 2018, taken by Mary Martin. It is the Night set - the flipside of the earlier Day set that you can see here. If you'd like to draw from more Drawing Circus photos, take a look at the sets via the Draw Navigator or follow us on Instagram here - one day we'll make our return.

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In the narrative of this Drawing Circus, Ringmistress Francesca Cluney has taken a walk into the forest to begin work on a tapestry, she pricks her finger on her needle and falls into a deep sleep...

...the lights dim and the room turns cold. It is Night in the forest and Time wears black. As the artist is plagued by the failings of their half complete work, the creatures in Francesca's embroidery come alive to taunt her. Black wings flutter overhead and the sleep of her reason produces monsters in the dark. Caught in a waking dream, the still tableau begins to move, catching her up in wild, short poses. As dawn light breaks over the tree tops she is flung to the ground and... wakes up alone amongst her tangled threads in a shower of leaves and the golden glow of a rising sun.

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Guidelines for using the photographs

Please do:

• Use the pictures to draw, paint, print and sculpt from, being as realistic or creative as you like
• Share the artwork you’ve made with us and the world - in books, in exhibitions, on social media, or on your fridge
• Tag us in work you make (@drawbrighton / #drawbrighton) – you don’t have to, but we love to see what you’ve made!
• Edit the screenshots as reference for your own drawings - you can change the contrasts, colours and backgrounds to provide more tailored reference for yourself.

Please don't:

• Share these pictures with anybody else – they are between you and us
• Share the pictures themselves online – thanks for respecting our models’ privacy
• Edit the pictures themselves for artwork – we want to see original work you’ve made

Thanks!