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Phil
•
4yr
added comment inHow to Draw Gesture
Asked for help
Hello, this is my second try at drawing gesture, hoping I got at least a little bit closer to the purpose of this lesson. I would really like some feedback please.
These were not timed. I am planning to start timed sessions once the current ones pass as acceptable, so it would be really appreciated if you gave me a thumbs up as well. This is just to be safe I do not stray from the right path. It still feels like I am focusing too much on form even though I start with the gesture line. My hand itches to start filling in details and I have to keep reminding myself this is a gesture exercise. Same happens with proportions. I want to start measuring but I always lose the flow.
I apologize if the quality of the pictures I have taken is not very clear, I have tried my best.
The models are from quickpose and for the first couple of drawings I closed the tabs without saving the references, sorry about that as well.
Same as in my previous post I am very open to any critique, even the harsh ones.
Thank you very much in advance for your time.
Edit: Wow, the compression killed it.
https://imgur.com/a/ATluDFM
Matt Tsui
4yr
I recommended starting timed gestures now as well. Having a short time limit like 30 seconds or a minute will help you focus on the most important gesture lines rather than looking at the details.
Since you won’t have time to look at details, one or two lines can often indicate the gesture of the limbs like arms and legs, while the head and torso can be simplified into a few basic shapes.
Personally, it sometimes helps to make the reference image smaller so that you couldn’t find the details in the reference if you wanted to.
Nicole Lee
4yr
Hi Phil, I think you are doing great! You can try warming up your hand by drawing lines/curves on the side before going into gesture to help your hand relax and produce more confident/smooth lines!
Adam Wiebner
4yr
I think you are on the right track and should start in with timed gestures now. As an alternative i like to sometimes limit the number of lines of c, s or i to be used. So for example if you could only use 7 to 9 lines maximum, you choose which are necessary. Something which is actually fun to try and practice as well!
Phil
•
4yr
Asked for help
I apologize if is this is very little content to critique, but I'd really want some feedback please to make sure I'm on the right path and continue with the exercise. The first one I was trying to understand what the lesson was about, in the second I started thinking less about what I see and more about what I feel, and third one I think I got the flow. Hand is still very stiff. I'm concerned if there is anything that could potentially turn into a bad habit if I continue as of right now. And how do I fit more poses on a paper? Everytime I focus on making it smaller it just becomes the same. I start with a head, but sometimes the straightest or longest lines. I'm sorry if anything I wrote sounds pretentious. My focus is on learning and making it right so I'm very open to anything you have to say, no sugarcoating needed. Thank you very much in advance for your time.
Hi Phil!
You understand the concept but you focus too much on the form.
At this stage drawing the outline of the figure is a secondary step, the main thing is to define the lines (simple straight lines or curved C and S lines) that define the movement of the trunk and limbs.
Begin by defining these lines, with fluid movements, before building the figure on them, as if these lines were a framework.
First identify the main line of action that defines the movement and position of the body.
If you were to draw a single line on the picture you are looking at that summarises the movement, what would it look like?
Probably a curved S- or C-shaped line.
Keep it simple, you only need a few strokes to mark on the paper all the information you need to fix the movement of the figure.
The action line, which I have already told you about, on which you will mark with simple I-shaped lines the position of the shoulders and pelvis, into which you will insert the arms and legs.
Only when you are satisfied with these simple strokes will you be able to say exactly what the figure is doing, start defining the shapes but keep it simple, complicated things will come later, take one step at a time, there is no hurry :)
what I think could be a problem that could become a habit is finding directly the flow and proportions of the reference. Work on those and eventually you will be at the place you want to be. As you continue and questions arise I will try my best to critic also long as I am free. Keep up with Practices🥇🧨🥇
your exercises seems good so far.
What you should do is to learn how to draw basic shapes or parts of the body, so you can roughly draw head and other body parts. Although I said you can roughly learn how to draw head and other parts does NOT mean you should include details, still keep it simple showing the flow of movement. When drawing gesture identify centre lines because that help to make a person see where or how the body is turned or facing. It also shows the flow. I at times identify centre lines by identifying the centre of the chest and I do exactly the same when it comes on to the back by using the spinal cord. You could even make up landmarks to identify before hand where you intend on placing specific parts of the body. What you could really learn also Isère the basics of proportion, so it could look more like the reference or your imagination. I know at times maybe you wish you could just get it right already but all I say is keep practicing and you will be happy in the end👍🏽. Never give up!! Although I have not fully mastered gesture I will continue to give you critics based on my knowledge so far🥇🧨🥇
Could you please tell if this helped in any way.
Phil
•
4yr
Hello Sinix and Stan, I'm Phil. In digital art we have the transform tool, which is very useful for composition. But in traditional art, more specifically in still life drawings, I'm struggling to place multiple objects on a canvas, as they tend to go in various directions, or are too big for the sheet I'm using so I erase a lot. Do you have any tips on taking the image you see in real life, cropping it, resizing, filtering and putting it onto a canvas? How do I know where I start on a paper?
That's when the rule of thirds comes in real handy. Divide your canvas into three equal parts, vertically and horizontally. Then you can use the point where these lines intersect to place the "points of interest" of your subject. It doesn't have to be that exact same place, it's just a simple solid starting point. You can practice different framing and compositions easily by using this simple concept and taking a whole lot of pictures with your phone until you begin to feel comfortable with it and it becomes second nature, then you'll want to try wilder compositions like for example pushing the objects to one corner of the picture and seeing how it feels different to you having a lot of empty space around them, etc. Experiment and take a little time to observe the results. Then take all this knowledge and simply translate it into paper.
Asked for help
P.s Phil was taken so I had to mistype my name.
This is my first ever try at a portrait after studying through planes and shapes of the head. I'm new to art and it feels like I'm lacking a lot of fundamentals, since most of my drawings at this point feel like I'm stuck in a forest without a clear way forward. I'm not sure of what to do next at this point and if I could do previous steps better.
•
4yr
Hi @pgil. Nice perspective! The feature lines are converging correctly!
I understand that feeling of being stuck in a forest! There are many good courses online. The one I started with was Proko´s figure drawing course. Strongly recommend it! https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/how-to-draw-gesture/discussions
Dorian Iten´s The Shading Course is a good next stop after that
https://www.theshadingcourse.com/
Hope this helps!
