The moving figure exercises + check and log

For this section I attempted to draw people in all sorts of situations.  Here is a selection.

Kids in the garden:

At the train station:
I enjoyed this as people would assume the same pose time after time - essentially looking up at the board or just waiting.

School Fair:
People sitting on the grass observing the fair.

On the train:
As with the previous subjects, these two people were in my view and unaware I was drawing them.

 

At the museum:
Here people were standing, pointing, sitting on chairs and on the floor, walking.

People in the street:
I was sitting in a café looking out of the window.  People outside were standing waiting or talking, walking and looking at their phones ...

 

Naomi - managing to sit still for a split second for me to draw her.  She adopted this pose which shows how unnatural it is for her to stop and be still!

 

How well did you manage to create the sense of a fleeting moment rather than a pose?
I think I did manage to create a sense of a fleeting moment as the people I drew were unaware that I was drawing them and so were not posed.  I feel I captured that sense of life as it is, rather than anything staged.

How successful were your attempts to retain an image and draw later?   I avoided doing that.  I only drew from life and what was in front of me.  I didn't try and retain an image and draw it later.  I think that I would find that really difficult if not impossible!  However, I did in some cases make up an image where one person moved off and another person followed, I would amalgamate the two where another person was doing the same movement as the previous person, eg a woman walking.

Were you able to keep to a few descriptive lines to suggest the person's movement or were you tempted to keep introducing more elements into your work.  I would keep drawing until the person moved to a degree where I knew they wouldn't move back to the action or position I was drawing.  I would try and draw as much information as possible to indicate the action of the person, for as long as they were in sight.  But once captured I would stop.  I found I rather liked attempting to capture the person in a short space of time and if they moved - I would move on too. 

Structure

Structure

Source: Notes from a book titled ‘The Fundamentals of Drawing Anatomy’

The skeleton

When we look at a nude body we see only a fraction of the skeleton – where, for example, parts of it protrude from under muscle and push against the skin.  The rest of it we know imprecisely as a framework and structure for our organs and limbs.  For an artist it is important to gain an intrinsic appreciation and knowledge of this framework and how it functions.

Muscles

There are three types of muscle: skeletal, smooth and cardiac.  It is the skeletal muscles that are most important for artists. Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones by rough fibres called tendons.  So when the muscle contracts the tendon pulls the bone, causing it to move.  Many muscles are grouped in opposing pairs, so that when one muscle contracts the other expands or releases.  This action is most evident in the movement of our arms and legs.

There are two types of skeletal muscle, one lying just under the surface of the skin, called superficial muscles – and the other layered beneath the superficial muscled – called the deep muscle. 

The superficial muscles, together with the bones, show the underlying form of the body and their study is essential for the artist.

Skin

Portraits by Dürer, Rembrandt and Ingres, to name but three masters, reveal a fascination for the skin.  How much of the structure of the superficial muscle appears through the skin will vary from subject to subject, depending on how much fat they have on their body.  Similarly the texture and look of the skin changes with age, state of health and the position of the body.

Proportion

Artists like Leonardo and Dürer observed the human body could be divided up or measured by using the head as a unit of measurement.  This book shows the height of the head, measured from its top to the bottom of the chin, goes into the height of the body eight times.  This system only works when the model is standing straight, however if they are in a different position  we can use this same unit of measurement in a grid system across the drawings, using this proportional unit we can work out the exact size of certain anatomical features in relation to others.  I will give a very clear knowledge of anatomical proportions within the human body. 

 It remains to say that proportions can vary between individuals and the artist has to take this into account when studying the subject.

Posture
How we hold ourselves is controlled by muscles.  Like the skin, posture can tell much about a subject.  In other words ‘body language’ can communicate fundamental information about an individual at a particular moment.

Before setting up a pose the artist must have a clear idea of what he wants to communicate or express.  Rodin’s Thinker and Michelangelo’s David are famous examples of artists using posture and gesture to give conscious meaning to their work. 

Fundamental form
For a drawing of a figure to come to life it must have the illusion of volume both above and below the surface.  Fundamental form may be described as the volume or composition that lies below the surface of the skin.

Various visual ‘languages’ have been devised by artists such as Leonardo and Dürer to illustrate fundamental form, from cubes and oblongs to ovoids and cylinders. 

Below a figure is drawn according to the following sequence:

1.       Proportions indicated by markers and relationship of posture within the pose

2.       The posture and pose overlaid by fundamental form ie shapes

3.       The above with the addition of the underlying skeletal structure

4.       The finished drawing

 

 

 

 

Form and movement in a clothed figure + check and log

I didn't really follow the guidelines here.  My figure wasn't seated and I didn't use hatching.   I avoided detail and just focused on the clothes and attempted to give form through light and shade using pen and ink and marker pen

.

Check and Log:
Did you find it easy to approach the figure as a whole or were you distracted by details of the sitters dress?
I think I found it easier to approach the figure as a whole rather than focus on the particular detail of the clothes.  For me it helped to approach the drawing by aiming to achieve a realistic sense of form rather than saying to myself I need to particularly observe how the clothes sit around the figure.  To open my mind to observing all elements of the subject in order to achieve a realistic drawing, without focusing on detail, was how I approached it.

How did you create volume in the folds of the fabric?
In this case I used pen to depict lines and creases and I used the marker pen to indicate light and dark to give the form.

Does the finished drawing give a sense of the figure beneath the fabric?  I think it does.

How would you tackle a drawing like this again?
I think it helped me in this case that I had already decided on the media I wanted to use.  I then considered how I would use that media to draw the subject.   I therefore had the nature of media in mind when I thought about how I would depict the fabric and approached the drawing in that way - letting the media dictate how I would draw.  The ink pen enabled me to put in some fine detail and the marker pen enabled me to add broad strokes of shade.  Had I decided to use a different medium I would have adapted my whole approach accordingly.

The clothed figure - Fabric with line and form

Here are some pencil studies of fabric I did using line only and then tone. 

A piece of creased taffeta type material with lots of
indentations.



Using charcoal pencil and putty rubber





 

Three drawings + check and log

Using Conte crayons

Using pencil then marker pen



             

Using conte and black chalk pencil




Check and Log:
How accurately did you depict the overall proportions of the figure?
I think I got overall proportions pretty accurate.
Did you try to imagine the sitter skeleton and muscles?  Did this help you to convey the figure's structure and form?
I did try look for the bone and muscle structure and it did help.  Just seeing and trying to draw the outline shapes that depicted bone and muscle, even in a basic way with line or a single mark, helped to give a sense of reality to the drawing.

Gesture: Stance/Energy + check and log

 

How well have you managed to capture the poses?  What could be improved?
I think I managed to capture the poses well.  Identifying the central axis at the beginning, by drawing it, really helped me and particularly helped in achieving the stance or movement in a short sketch.  I don't know what specifically could be improved.  I am sure the end result will improve the more practice I do and using the technique of establishing a central axis so it becomes more second nature when I want to capture a sense of movement.

Do you think that your figures balanced?  If not where did you go wrong?
I think my figures are reasonably balanced to my eye.  I think using the same model over again helps in getting the proportions right without too much trouble.

How did you go about conveying a sense of energy?
I looked to depict the action so I focused on the action rather than anything else.  So if it was someone throwing a ball I would focus on the arms and the ball and the stance.  Focusing on depicting the action seemed to help in drawing it. 

Check and log

Were you able to maintain a focus on proportion at the same time as creating a sense of weight and 3d form?
I laid down the shapes and established the proportions before adding definition and shading to get a sense of weight and form.


Which drawing gives the best sense of the pose and why?

       

I think the above two drawings give the best sense of the pose.  Somehow the angles of the arms and legs help to give the sense of 3d form, once those were in place the addition of shade enhanced the form and gave greater depth.  So in short I think its probably easier to get a sense of depth with these sort of poses, than if the model is lying flat for example.

 

Was there any movement or gesture away from the model's central axis.  If so did you manage to identify this and put it into your drawing? 
Movement or gesture away from the model's central axis was present in a number of the poses and I feel I did manage to identify this and incorporate it in my drawings.

Essential Elements

I found it hard to focus on tone rather than line and detail so it took me quite a few attempts to get any decent results. In the time suggested of 10 minutes per pose I found the best approach was to establish the basic shapes, then add some contour with a strong defined line, then shade.  I did some hatching but also, when using a charcoal pencil, found it helpful to just add more pressure to get darker tone.  Below are some of the sketches:
(below - light source from right)

      

    

 

 

Below I looked to use different media - conte, pen and ink, plus ink wash on the last one.

 

 

 

Form

This was a longer pose.  I used graphite.  I looked to reduce the subject to shapes to start with, relating one element against another and using the horizontal and vertical lines of the sofa.  I also used the head as a unit of measurement.  I am still not drawing from the middle - keep forgetting - but I got the whole figure in here.  The model was slightly leaning back and to one side, on the arm of the sofa.  This meant the central axis of the body was slightly to one side and curved up as it moved down towards the legs. There was foreshortening to take account of  due to the fact I was sitting in front of the model whose legs were raised up and pointing in my direction.  To draw the position of the legs believably I think it helped that one of knees was bent up and the legs were crossed.  By seeing and depicting where the knee of the bent leg was positioned in relation to the torso and the foot was further behind the other straight leg, all helped to give a realistic impression of the pose.

Check and Log

Have you managed to make a complete statment in this time?  What were your main problems?

I think I did manage to make a complete statement in the quick poses and the longer pose.  I did find it difficult to work fast though.  I tend to start by drawing the head, which is why I believe I lost the feet in a couple of the first drawings and shall try to draw from the middle in future to see if this helps.

How well have you captured the characteristics of the pose?

I think I have captured the characteristics of the different poses drawn. 

Do the proportions look right?  If not, how will you try to improve this?

I think the proportions look believable.  It didn't come naturally to me to establish a unit of measurement at the beginning of the drawing, particularly where we were asked to do quick drawings. But if I did only check at the proportions near the end or after the drawing was done, I was encouraged that I had achieved the '7 heads' theory.  It means I can achieve a well proportioned drawing by eye.

The Longer Pose

1 hour study - using graphite.  I began by lightly putting in all the shapes of the body, using lines such as those provided by the sofa to reference everything.  Then I went in with heavier lines, more pressure, and finally some shading to show dark and light areas and help give a better impression of form.  I used my thumb against the graphite stick to establish unit of measurement, to help judge the size/proportion of the rest of the body.

Part four - Drawing figures : Quick Poses

I found quick sketching hard in that I found myself looking at detail too much.  Also I tended to draw starting with the head and I have noted now that the exercise asks me to draw from the middle of the body out to the feet and head (so I will try that too and see if it helps).  Here are the first lot:

I think both of these are reasonably in proportion based on the measurement of the length of the head being about one 7th of the length of the body.  I used A4 sized paper and with both I lost the bottom of the legs!  I don't think it matters if it was intended, but it wasn't.  It may be why I was asked to work from the middle of the body outwards!





I think both these pictures are believably
proportioned.  This one on the right is the only one where I didn't put any elements in the background (the figure is actually sitting on a low wall) and I realise it therefore looks strange.
So, I added it in after the event (see below) though it would have been easier to do it at the time and I am not sure if the angle of the wall is correct.

10-minute drawings :

I used pencil here so the images are a bit feint to see.  I think they are well proportioned.  In all the drawings on this page, above and below, I judged the length of the head using my thumb against the drawing medium.  I then used this measurement to judge the relative proportions of the rest of the body.  Where the body wasn't standing upright, I still used the same theory - moving the measurement around the body even when it was twisted or sitting, imagining where things would be if it were stretched out straight.   I did attempt to see the different parts of the body as more geometrical shapes, in order to be able to lay down the various shapes quickly.  The background seat helped a lot, providing horizontal and vertical lines to work against.  As I drew I judged where the bit I was drawing was in relation to everything around it, to ensure it was in the right place.

Assignment three

Here is the drawing I have done for assignment three.
  

1. I decided to draw a view of my garden when looking through my patio doors.  This view fulfilled the requirement to include in the final piece, items drawn from nature as well as items such as buildings, fences etc and would enable me to demonstrate my understanding of how to create a sense of perspective and depth.

2. To prepare I did a rough charcoal sketch to get a feel of the main elements in the composition.  I also took several photographs of the scene for a number of reasons:

(a)    Although I would be drawing the view from life I wanted to capture the particular way the light fell on the garden at a particular time of day - around 9am.  As the light would change quickly I did this to remind myself from the photo of the fundamental light and shade in the garden at that time and also the shadow under the patio table and chair in the foreground which I would add in at the very end of the work. 

(b)   I also used a print-off of the photo to establish the vanishing point in the scene - which I determined to be in the centre of page at a height in line with the top of the greenhouse at the back end of the garden.  This vanishing point helped me create a believable depiction of the patio in the foreground and the angle of the rectangular garden as it moved into the distance.  I also judged that the trees on either side of the garden also angled down to the same vanishing point.   With all other lines such as the buildings and their roofs - I just judged the angles by eye against the vertical sides if the buildings and judging one angle against another.

3. I planned the composition in pencil. I established the main angles using the vanishing point, changed some detail within the composition by using a different patio table in the foreground.  I moved a small statue I have to within view to add interest and help create better perspective.  I decided to keep the trampoline in the picture and took a picture of my daughter on it to add interest, to make the composition more personal to me and to and give a sense of reality and life to the scene.  The trampoline also helped to establish the middle ground.  The houses in the distance way beyond the end of my garden and the trees behind the buildings give the far distance.

4. I used tonal differences in negative spaces around subjects such as the statue, to define such detail.  Also I depicted the different tone of grass in the lower middle ground to that in the raised up grassy area at the end of the patio before you descend some steps – helping to give the impression of the true structure of the garden

5. Media: For many of the exercises in this part of the course I had ventured into largely new territory by using pen and ink and water soluble pencils.  I have enjoyed experimenting and practising with this media but was ready for a change with my final piece.  I did experiment with more water soluble pencils for this final piece, but finally decided to do something different and use pastel pencils.  I felt these pencils would enable me to achieve the more impressionistic style I prefer but also allow me to put in detail as they were in pencil form. 

My plan was to gradually build up the different tones from a relatively limited palette of colours.  However once I had experimented a little and embarked on the drawing, I realised the downside of using pastels in pencil form was the time it would take me to build up the colour and tone in the picture. I spent much longer than the suggested time adding colour and working on tone that after a number of hours, once I had put in all the detail and built up the tone to a degree, I decided to broaden my palette of colours and also use pastel sticks so that I could work at a faster pace by getting bolder and greater coverage. 

6.  I was inspired in my research by the fact that all the artists I looked at, played around with their compositions – from emphasising particular features of interest, playing with perspective and light to draw the viewer to the main focus of the drawing, to adding in features to a composition which weren’t really there in reality.  To the extreme of creating compositions that were largely fantasy or made up to tell a story as Claude did.  I therefore arranged my composition by placing the chair and table, by moving the statue into view, by adding my daughter on the trampoline and also a blackbird that I regularly see in my garden.  I also found it helpful to be encouraged to leave out certain things which I didn’t feel were helpful to include, though I only did that in a limited way by excluding the odd part of a roof or chimney in sight.  I hadn’t known that the great artists of the past did make up elements of their compositions as they did, even composing their scenes from a stock of drawings they had done previously.  It was also interesting that this way of creating work was often more highly regarded than drawing from reality.    I think this way of thinking is liberating.