Figure Drawing
Introduction
One of the most difficult skills to learn is drawing figures. The principal
reason beginners have trouble drawing the human figure is that they want to
immediately start drawing fully clothed subjects in completed poses.
Objectively reducing the human figure to basic shapes with mass and weight
greatly simplifies the task of drawing people.
Approaching
figure drawing
There are three ways to develop a solid foundation in figure drawing. No
one approach provides sufficient perceptual development to draw figures
realistically. The three approaches to figure drawing are gesture drawing,
reduction to basic forms, and composite drawing.
Gesture
drawing the
human form
Gesture drawing captures the characteristics of the shapes you draw.
Gesture
drawings imply characteristics such as overall mood, weight, and physical
structure. Imagine how the object or figure feels all the way around. Feel
how heavy or light the figure appears. Developing your ability to draw in
gesture is a necessary step in developing the perceptual skills necessary to
render human form.
Figure 3-28 shows how gesture drawing implies exaltation or dejection.
Figure 3-28.—Gesture drawing
implying exaltation and dejection.
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