Wow, thanks for posting these great drawings. I've just started live drawing classes and really enjoying it. I've even started to draw from my anatomy book (anatomy for the artist) which I recommend highly. Can I ask how you go around drawing these? e.g. do you draw the spine first etc.
How am I being silly? All of those sketches look all the same, very thick outlines, slightly exaggerated proportions. Its not that they are bad, its just people should try stepping out of their comfort zones and try different things and techniques.
I agree with ZacD, at my drawing class they never let us get comfortable with a particular drawing style before we know it we have to do something completely new. It really helps you think about drawing in a wider perspective, try drawing a human upside down for instance, your brain forgets how the human looks like so you actually draw what you see rather than what your brain thinks you are seeing.
Ahh, the human form is so awesome. Great stuff! Live drawing sessions are so incredibly helpful. There is nothing like having the real thing in front of you.
Keep up the good work!
#ZacD - branching out is definitely something I plan on, though showing power and force of pose will continue to be my focus. I'm thinking charcoal ...
#JaySmitt - I start with whatever catches my eye about the pose most ... which is usually the ass :P srsly though I tend to build from the core, so ribcage and hip bones then legs then arms head last, though a few light construction lines right at the start to nail down proportions is a must, even just a few light nicks i the page to mark head shoulder hips feet or a couple perspective lines to help punch it up
Thanks for the feedback guys!
You are right about branching out for sure. I've gotten back into lifedrawing in a big way to develop my style and it's true that I'm kind of solidified into this particular type of caricature. What can I say, I love dynamic bold powerful poses and drawings that leap from the page.
Tomorrow I'll be getting another 3 hours in at least, maybe 6 ... we'll see if I got the stamina (also K-os is playing a show down the street ... tempting)
all last month I was using woodless graphite. They glide smooth when held sideways and are good for the sweeping bold shapes
Tonight I used a new sketching pencil I just got, the fat flat kind that you whittle to get at the massive 6b lead. Tonight was a gesture session so I decided to keep it loose and just have fun with it. Didn't pay too much attention to detail, jsut allowing the large unweildy tool to do it's thing and playing with whatever happy accedents came up
Tomorrow morning is a session wtih longer poses, so I'm going to try full rendering
as far as other styles go, these are not really lifedrawing, but here's what I got for variety
did a double session today. 3 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the evening.
I'm thinking of submitting some nice polished renders to the gallery and see if I can sell them. There's a 5 dollar per piece submission fee ... any thoughts?
Great thread! I loved life drawing a lot back when I was in College
"I'm thinking of submitting some nice polished renders to the gallery and see if I can sell them. There's a 5 dollar per piece submission fee ... any thoughts?" --TBH, right now, I'm enjoying your loose, quick gestures more. The longer rendered ones aren't quite as lively (a common problem, I find, with spending time tightening quick sketches up). It's not a bad idea, but I'd try to find some renders that imbue the life of the model like the quick ones do
Your definitely right, rendering can kill energy. I need to improve that. Bought some black and white charcoal sticks and a darker sketchpad, going to see if I can use high contrast to push the energy. I want to portray light and depth while still keeping the energy of my gesture lines
stay tuned for results ... trial run with the new medium tomorrow
gah sorry about that, wierd weekend. Sleep doesn't come easy these days.
Male model for yesterdays gesture session. I've gotten too used to drawing girls, so this was good practice. Focused on some quick studies instead of trying for whole figure.
there's a long pose session tomorrow, I'll try out the charcoals then
I checked out the a new studio yesterday (gotta mix it up) called the Purple Thistle Centre. They have free weekly life drawing! The setup wasn't as pro as Basic Inquiry (they , but the atmosphere was really creative. I need a bike though, it's way further from my place than BI
Had a pretty good session tonight at BI. I managed to get my buddy Joe to come down and draw, I'm making an effort to drag my friends to the sessions with me.
I did some experimenting with black and white pastel to try to punch up the value. It worked ok but I feel so clumsy with this new medium. Nothing practice can't cure, and its fun to get your hands dirty pushing around the pastel dust. Need to grab some pastels that aren't so crazy soft, these ones are like trying to nail a birdhouse together with a sledgehammer.
But just as a suggestion that I heard I lot when I was taking life drawing classes--Try out some really different drawing techniques. It almost feels like you're getting complacent in how you go at it.
Some suggestions to switch it up are: Getting each line down in one try, drawing with your left hand (if you're a righty), filling in the forms entirely in circles/loops (imagine no outside lines, only continuous loops making up the form), drawing without looking at the pad at all, continuous lines, etc, etc.
These are all suggestions to keep loosening you up, and keeping your mind sharp as you go!
Wow, nice update!!
A lot of really great stuff you've got going. I like the feel of the second set you've posted (paper looks kinda orangey, black w/ white female poses).
I also really enjoy a lot of the more loosley drawn ones you have going in the middle. What were you using for those, is it just conte? The lines are really flowing, it almost feels animated to me. Very nice!
Thanks Mezz
The looser linework is graphite pencil, usually a 8b
the stuff on darker paper with black and white is done with two tones of chalk/charcoal
Replies
Jay
ZacD, you are being silly IMO. Drawing...
Keep up the good work!
#JaySmitt - I start with whatever catches my eye about the pose most ... which is usually the ass :P srsly though I tend to build from the core, so ribcage and hip bones then legs then arms head last, though a few light construction lines right at the start to nail down proportions is a must, even just a few light nicks i the page to mark head shoulder hips feet or a couple perspective lines to help punch it up
Thanks for the feedback guys!
You are right about branching out for sure. I've gotten back into lifedrawing in a big way to develop my style and it's true that I'm kind of solidified into this particular type of caricature. What can I say, I love dynamic bold powerful poses and drawings that leap from the page.
Tomorrow I'll be getting another 3 hours in at least, maybe 6 ... we'll see if I got the stamina (also K-os is playing a show down the street ... tempting)
all last month I was using woodless graphite. They glide smooth when held sideways and are good for the sweeping bold shapes
Tonight I used a new sketching pencil I just got, the fat flat kind that you whittle to get at the massive 6b lead. Tonight was a gesture session so I decided to keep it loose and just have fun with it. Didn't pay too much attention to detail, jsut allowing the large unweildy tool to do it's thing and playing with whatever happy accedents came up
Tomorrow morning is a session wtih longer poses, so I'm going to try full rendering
as far as other styles go, these are not really lifedrawing, but here's what I got for variety
With the life drawing, might be an idea to put a bit more focus on constructing with straight lines.
Curved lines are great at flow and rythym, wheras straight lines really help with power and the understanding of the planes of form.
Also, I cut a new demo reelf or my job hunt.
[ame]
did a double session today. 3 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the evening.
I'm thinking of submitting some nice polished renders to the gallery and see if I can sell them. There's a 5 dollar per piece submission fee ... any thoughts?
"I'm thinking of submitting some nice polished renders to the gallery and see if I can sell them. There's a 5 dollar per piece submission fee ... any thoughts?" --TBH, right now, I'm enjoying your loose, quick gestures more. The longer rendered ones aren't quite as lively (a common problem, I find, with spending time tightening quick sketches up). It's not a bad idea, but I'd try to find some renders that imbue the life of the model like the quick ones do
Great stuff though, would love to see more!
Your definitely right, rendering can kill energy. I need to improve that. Bought some black and white charcoal sticks and a darker sketchpad, going to see if I can use high contrast to push the energy. I want to portray light and depth while still keeping the energy of my gesture lines
stay tuned for results ... trial run with the new medium tomorrow
Male model for yesterdays gesture session. I've gotten too used to drawing girls, so this was good practice. Focused on some quick studies instead of trying for whole figure.
there's a long pose session tomorrow, I'll try out the charcoals then
Got some good results with the 8b graphite though.
Trying a new life drawing studio out tomorrow. Curious to see what the atmosphere is like there.
Wish me luck
http://www.drsketchyvancouver.com/
I checked out the a new studio yesterday (gotta mix it up) called the Purple Thistle Centre. They have free weekly life drawing! The setup wasn't as pro as Basic Inquiry (they , but the atmosphere was really creative. I need a bike though, it's way further from my place than BI
Had a pretty good session tonight at BI. I managed to get my buddy Joe to come down and draw, I'm making an effort to drag my friends to the sessions with me.
I did some experimenting with black and white pastel to try to punch up the value. It worked ok but I feel so clumsy with this new medium. Nothing practice can't cure, and its fun to get your hands dirty pushing around the pastel dust. Need to grab some pastels that aren't so crazy soft, these ones are like trying to nail a birdhouse together with a sledgehammer.
not sure why photobucket is calling "terms of use violation" on me for this one ....
But just as a suggestion that I heard I lot when I was taking life drawing classes--Try out some really different drawing techniques. It almost feels like you're getting complacent in how you go at it.
Some suggestions to switch it up are: Getting each line down in one try, drawing with your left hand (if you're a righty), filling in the forms entirely in circles/loops (imagine no outside lines, only continuous loops making up the form), drawing without looking at the pad at all, continuous lines, etc, etc.
These are all suggestions to keep loosening you up, and keeping your mind sharp as you go!
the one on the left was all right handed
imgur ftw
A lot of really great stuff you've got going. I like the feel of the second set you've posted (paper looks kinda orangey, black w/ white female poses).
I also really enjoy a lot of the more loosley drawn ones you have going in the middle. What were you using for those, is it just conte? The lines are really flowing, it almost feels animated to me. Very nice!
The looser linework is graphite pencil, usually a 8b
the stuff on darker paper with black and white is done with two tones of chalk/charcoal