week 3-6

week 3 gestures

week 3 upper torso study

week 4 gestures

week 4 head hands feet

week 5 arm leg and dress study

week 5 tracing paperweek 6 shading

week 6 gestures

week 6 head hand feet

Model Drawing 2, week 6

Gestures to begin, as usual:

We completed TWENTY 1-MINUTE gestures.
We then completed TWO 2-MINUTE BLIND CONTOUR drawings, immediately followed by TWO 2-MINUTE SIGHTED CONTOUR drawings.  We followed these drawings up with some head studies.

THREE 4-MINUTE HEAD STUDIES, followed by FOUR 3-MINUTE HAND STUDIES.  The goal was to complete at least one hand per 3 minutes, but some students were able to complete both hands in the allotted time.

Student work:

We then moved on to TWO 5-MINUTE WALKING POSES, as a quick refresher of what we did two weeks ago.

 Afterwards we moved into STRIPED DRESS STUDIES, completing THREE CAREFULLY DRAWN STUDIES.  Careful observation was critical for these figures.

From left to right: ONE 11-MINUTE STUDY, ONE 12-MINUTE STUDY, AND ONE 18-19 MINUTE STUDY.  We took turns draping the model, hence the random time lengths.

Our next study involved drawing the model in an UN-STRIPED DRESS, and adding the stripes to it after finishing the drawing.  This was a difficult exercise, if it seemed hard that's because it was!  And although it was a bit daunting, everyone still did well with it.

ONE 15-MINUTE drawing, stripes added afterwards.  Note:  SHADOW SHAPES ON THE DRESS!  We started lighting the longer poses, so that means rendering!  If you can get as far as lightly rendering the figure IN ADDITION to the garment by all means go for it, don't stop after you've rendered the garment.
OUR GOAL THIS TERM IS TO FINISH (AND BY FINISH I MEAN RENDER) A FIGURE WITH A NICE HEAD, HANDS, AND FEET IN 15-20 MINUTES!!

The last figures of the day were rendered on newsprint with black colored pencil and white pastel, creating a 3-value system for the garments:

 Note:  I was standing BEHIND THE LIGHT, so I didn't have as many strong shadow shapes as I would have liked, but I'm still paying careful attention to where they are.  I'm also following the same logic for the lightest lights (white pastel), only adding it where the light feels strongest on the garment, thereby using the paper itself as a midtone for the dress.

We then completed ONE 20-MINUTE RENDERING, and ONE 10-MINUTE STUDY.  We might have done one more pose, but I may have not written it down, so if you missed this class and want to make up the work for it, throw in an extra 20 minute rendering.

Student work:

Model Drawing 2, week 5

We began with TEN 2-MINUTE gestures:

After which I demonstrated an exercise in which we draw the figure onto a sheet of paper with marker first, then the garment on tracing paper over it.

We followed the demo with THREE 2-MINUTE GESTURES IN MARKER, with  THREE 7-MINUTE SIMPLE WOVEN BLACK DRESS drawings on TRACING PAPER over it.

We then changed dress, and did another set of THREE 2-MINUTE GESTURES IN MARKER, with THREE 5-MINUTE SIMPLE DRESS drawings on TRACING PAPER.  The key to the dresses was that they be woven, and editing down to only the necessary information.

My figures on one sheet, edited information in the garments.  Note that I lay in ALL gestures of both the figure and the garment in a light marker, then go over the garment with a sharp black colored pencil.

Student work:

We then changed dress again, and repeated the same exercise:  THREE 2-MINUTE GESTURES, with THREE 5-MINUTE DRESS DRAWINGS ON TRACING PAPER.


Student work:

We then reviewed arms and legs (center figure), completing TWO 5-MINUTE ARM/LEG STUDIES (in the 5 minutes draw one arm AND one leg on a proportioned fashion gesture).

  Afterwards I demonstrated basic lighting on a dress, reviewing shadow shape construction, direction of light source, and highlights, as well as folds, tension points, gathers, and cascades.  (above drawing, far right figure)
We then completed TWO 10-MINUTE RENDERED DRESS STUDIES, this time with the gesture drawn w/ a light marker and the garment drawn directly on top of it in black colored pencil.

Student work:

We ended with ONE 15-MINUTE BACK VIEW (above drawing, figure to the far right), and ONE 15-MINUTE FRONT VIEW.

My 15-minute back view.

Student work:

Model Drawing 2, week 4

We start with our gestures as usual, TEN 2-MINUTE gestures.

These are followed by heads, hands, and feet.

We completed TWO 5-MINUTE HEAD STUDIES, TWO 5-MINUTE FEET STUDIES, AND TWO 5-MINUTE HAND STUDIES.

Student work:

This was followed by a review of cascades, tension points, and gathers.  The goal of the cascade is to make it feel as though it is being pulled down by gravity.  The weight should feel evenly distributed on either side of an imaginary 90-degree line.

Student work:

THREE 15-MINUTE WALKING poses, with attention to gesture, weight, balance, the planes/perspective of the feet/legs, and the gravity on the falling fabric.  Basic block in of color, with tension points and gathers drawn in with colored pencil.

We then talked about sequins (or as I call them, "sparkles"), and how to apply logical specularity and intensity according to how light behaves and affects basic forms.  Note the drop-off of intensity as the light drops away.

Student work:

ONE 15-MINUTE pose focusing mostly on the garment with its tension points, gathers, and sequins, followed by ONE 10-MINUTE pose focusing on gesture, proportion and movement.

Afterwards we moved into pushing the "sexiness" of our ladies; exaggerated curves (still a slender figure though), arch of back, and perspective of the rib-cage and pelvis.  Perky breasts, and super "S" curves on the legs.

Disregard the chicken beak on the lady on the right, we were talking about chickens and how you can light any form as long as the lighting is consistent throughout the drawing.  Here we have exaggerated crunch-and-stretch on the torso.

Student work:

THREE 20-MINUTE poses with rendering on both the figure and the garment, pushing the angles and curves of the figure.

We end with an approximately 12-15 minute pose:

 Student work

Model Drawing 2, Spring, Week 3

As usual we start with Gestures, in this case SIX 3-MINUTE gestures.

Following the gesture drawings, I demo-ed the upper torso, specifically the connection between the torso and arms.  Here an indication of the pectoral muscles conveys the connection, without having to over-draw the anatomy.

The arms themselves should be kept simple, with indications of the shoulders, biceps, triceps (if the angle you have shows any triceps), and the tapering nature of the lower arm.  I also demonstrated a twisting pose, where the center front line will help you figure out which directions the ribcage and pelvis face.

 We then completed THREE 7-MINUTE upper torso/arm studies.  Student work follows:

Afterwards, we completed a study in angles, silhouette, and negative space.  You begin by marking the proportions of the proportion sheet onto your page, and building a box around them.  Within the box you mark all of your important angles, such as the shoulder angle, hip angle, knee, and ankle (if necessary), and without an under-drawing, begin constructing the silhouette, drawing as much detail as possible (silhouette detail, so think the outside contour).  When completed, fill in the negative space between the figure and the box with any color pastel.  The idea here is to have 3 silhouettes that are easy to read; should you stand a few feet away from your drawing, you should be able to clearly decipher what you are looking at.

THREE 7-MINUTE POSES DONE FOR THIS EXERCISE.
Student work:

After lunch I demonstrated lighting/shading.  The idea is to break down the figure into 2 values, light and dark.  Instead of hastily scribbling shading into your figure, draw the shadow shapes first, then lay in the shadow tone.  This produces a clean and logical lighting system for your drawing.  We focused on shading only the figure, not the garment this week.  My demo is below:

 We completed ONE 15-minute figure, shading only the figure, keeping the garment solid.
Afterwards,  I demonstrated a profile view (by request), and a walking pose, this time with a geometric bathing suit.

Note that the figure is shaded with 2 values, whilst the bathing suit is kept simple, and blocked in.

On the same page as the first 15-minute shaded figure, we composed TWO MORE 20-MINUTE WALKING FIGURES.
Student work:

We ended the session with an approximately 12-minute back view walking figure, which can go on another sheet of paper if necessary.
Student work:

This concludes week 3.