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A Bird
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4yr
added comment inHow to Draw Gesture
Just started this course, last time I did figure drawing was years ago and dropped the class because it was frustrating.
I had a really hard time slowing down and just constantly moving the pencil causing scribble look. I didn't analyze the model enough I think. Also drawing on computer paper sitting at my desk in front of the screen was really hard. It felt constricting.
Should I just start in the middle of the page for each figure? and maybe only fit one per page?
Any pointers a appreciated.
Danet
3yr
I'd say you are on the right track, You're using long lines and connecting the parts, you are looking for abstract ideas and not shapes or forms. That is what gesture is all about. I think having several drawings on the same page is fine. But what @Sandra Gustafsson says about drawing big is also true.
We want to learn as much with these drawings as we possibly can. As you said, we are analysing the figure and trying to find the right answer.These seem to be all different poses, which is fine, but I find that repeating the same pose several times helps me find the main ideas. That is also why we sometimes scribble, to find the right option. Ghosting the line and drawing more softly helps a little with this.
If you post the reference photo next to your drawing I can help a little more with what that answer is. Keep it up!
Sandra Gustafsson
3yr
When I have attended a real life drawing class, we used to start with really quick sketches where the model was in constant movement. That way we got warmed up and everybodys sketches looked equally bad, and no one worried about it (or we even laughed at each others scibbles). I did classes with real professionals a couple of times, and we all found that part really hard. It's just like warm up before you do some sort of physical exercise or work out - you feel stiff and heavy and sluggish, unmotivated and reluctant, but after the warm up you have loosened up and you feel much more ready for the task. So don't worry about how it looks in the beginning, either single sessions or at the beginning states of your drawing journey.
Another tip is to start big. Draw one figure on each page, Size A4 or bigger. That way you learn how to move your arm, you get a better understanding of the general shapes and movements and gestures. If you draw several figures on one page, they tend to merge together, influence and relate to each other, and it can be hard to see the single figures. It's the same thing as with different shades of color; one shade can look completely different, depending on which shade is next to it or around it.
Drawing big also helps you learn how to hold the pencil and to draw from your shoulder. When you draw small you tend to draw more from the wrist, which is good for details but not so much when you want to capture the general shapes, gestures and movements.
Another one you might want to try is to experiment with having your drawing surface at different angles, to see which one suits you best. Try to make a leaning surface with a board propped up at one end with some books, or something. Try putting your paper on a vertical surface, like a wall, a draw on it like that. Try standing instead of sitting. Find what works for you. =)
And one last thing I'd suggest is that you look at your work through a mirror. That way you see it through a different perspective and you can more easily see what's wrong and what's right.
(Sorry for the long rant! I hope you found something in there helpful.)
