art drawing figure drawing

Gesture

• Movement between contours/forms/tones
• Detail is nothing without gesture
  • Gesture brings life to a figure
• Tell a story with body language
  • Exaggerate to tell a better story

Quick Sketch

• Great way to practice gesture
• More about how it feels vs how it looks
• Not meant to be a finished drawing

Tips

• Look for the longest axis
• Use simple lines
  • C curve
  • S curve
  • I (straight line)
• Find the longest action line of the body
  • Connect head to toes
• Bendiness
  • Tension --> zig zag
  • Relaxed --> Flowing curve
• Asymmetry of the body
  • The body isn't symmetric, don't attempt to make it so
• Look for stretches and pinching
• Draw smart not fast
  • Simplify the figure down so you can draw it in the time you have
• Be careful not to make torsos too straight
  • Makes them feel very unrelaxed
• Make BIG lines

Step by Step

• Not hard rules

30 Second Pose

1. Start with head
2. Find gesture of neck and action line to foot
3. Rhythm lines for the legs and the arms

2 Minute Pose

1. Analyze
2. Head
3. Attack to neck
4. Drop rhythm from shoulders to pubic bone
5. Leg gestures
6. Arm rhythms