Exercise 1 - The Structure of the Human Body
Now in complete contrast to some of the previous exercises I tackled this one with relish. Doing anatomy studies is something I do for fun; I’ve spent many a happy how drawing hands or noses. Here is a selection of the studies I’ve produced over the last few months. Shall we start at the bottom? (No not that bottom, the bit nearest to the floor) FEET!!
These feet are a mixture, some are mine, some are from photographic reference. Some are in pencil; some are in felt tip. Complicated things are feet, so many small different connecting parts. Up next, LEGS!
These are all from photo reference, particularly enjoy experimenting with pastel pencils on the two-colour images. I used a very limited number of colours, relishing the challenge of depicting tone with colour (for one of the first time.) Time for some HANDS & ARMS.
One of the few occasions in the last 12 months where I haven’t had to think about what I’m going to draw and where the reference is going to come from. I’ve got two there, right there on the ends of my arms. Just waiting like the little primidone’s, they are, to be drawn. I jest of course but I do draw my hands a lot, If I can’t think of what else to draw, I do my hands.
These two arms are copied from the Charles Bargue drawing book, I didn’t follow the Bargue technique but rather used them as a jumping off point. Allowing myself to experiment a bit trusting my eye and finding the proportions that felt right to me.
I know I said I draw a lot of hands but the one thing I draw the most is the head. Here is a selection of some of the heads I’ve drawn since beginning this section of the course. Some are done really fasts while watching the tv, other are a bit more considered.
Exercise 2 – Three figure drawings
I don’t know if you noticed, but the human body is a damn complicated thing. Construction is king when I comes to accurately depicting it. Knowing how it’s all put together and how each part relates to its neighbours is vital. Some layman’s knowledge of anatomy comes in handy as well. While looking into anatomy drawing, I came across 2 books that have greatly assisted my approach. Each tackles the subject from a different angle, but with a basic understanding of both I have been able to create my own system that has seen some improving results.
The first book is Figure Drawing for all it’s worth by Andrew Loomis. Loomis was a jobbing illustrator and as such had to invent figures regularly. Because of this his methodology emphasises how to construct a figure, while understanding that the figure exists in, and occupies, space. Firstly, he demonstrates his average ideal proportions, which can be used as a starting point for building a figure. These ideals can then be distorted and changed to create any size or shape of person. Although this doesn’t seem immediately relevant when faced with a model, what it does do is train your eye to look for the deviation from the ideal. Making you more observant and more likely to produce good looking work.
The second book is Bridgman’s Complete Guide to Drawing from Life by George B Bridgman. This book is dense and not the easiest thing to read. But what I have gleaned from it so far is the need to understand how the body is put together. An understanding of the skeleton informs an understanding of the muscles, which in turn informs the soft tissue on top. Everything is linked and should be able to be seen in a successful drawing. It isn’t a how to draw book, it’s a how to think about thinking about drawing book. This is perfected summed up by the author himself in the first paragraph of the book.
“This is the story of the blocked human form where the bending, twisting or turning volume gives the sensation of movement held together by rhythm. Its purpose is to awaken the sense of research and analysis of the structure hidden beneath. It is hoped that the ideas conveyed in the drawing and text of this book may enable the reader to carry on to independent and better ideas.”
I have to admit I haven’t even scratched the surface of the lessons in these books. They’ll be something I return to over and over again, every time learning something new.
This assignment required me to produce three large figure drawings. Because of Covid I once again had to use photo reference, I downloaded some high-quality images and printed them out so I wouldn’t be tied to a screen. I began by doing a page of gesture drawings, familiarising myself with pose and working through how I wanted to represent the figure. I didn’t want to just copy the photo I wanted to produce I drawing of what I saw in the pose.
Here is an example of an abandoned attempt, after doing the gesture drawing, I tried to measure everything and layout the final drawing. I really didn’t like how it was turning out so I left it alone, I felt I was being too slavish to the measurements. It felt was stiff and uninteresting, so I moved on to another pose.
This time I relied on my gesture drawing a bit more and less on measuring. As you can see I did three versions, some more finished than others.
Because of the sketchy nature of the previous drawings, this time I wanted to focus more on tone. I worked hard, trying to be more accurate rendering the three dimensions.
These final two drawings are more finished than the others. I wanted these drawings to feel free and full of energy, while at the same time trying to be accurate.
Looking back at these drawing I have mixed feelings, some work better than others. As with many other exercises throughout the course I have been fight to find a balance. I know that with a lot of time and concentration I can produce tight “copies”, or I can produce fast, energetic drawings. What I’m searching for is a middle ground, something that has the best of both worlds. Spontaneous, energetic, accurate. I feel that the drawing of the woman’s back comes closest to this ambition.
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