Tag Archives: human figure

The Things We Draw

While paging through Charles Bargue’s Drawing course book, Scout’s eyes lit up as we came upon the print of the plaster cast torso.

“It even has block-in lines!” she said enthusiastically, referring to the angled directional lines that would help her depict weight distribution of the figure’s muscles. We promptly bookmarked the page as the subject for her drawing session.

Youth sketcher Scout found the plaster cast torso print to be the perfect subject for Thursday’s session. Her devotion to many hours of study shows in her stellar work.

Choosing a subject to draw is an important aspect of the drawing experience. Your subject should strike an emotional chord that stimulates your eye, builds your skills, and fits your purpose for drawing.

Sometimes I wonder, do we choose our drawing subjects, or do they choose us? Continue reading The Things We Draw

Drawing Humans: Our Fascination & Fear

My students often tell me their scariest challenges are drawing realistic human figures, faces, and hands. When I tell them drawing human beings can scare me too, they seem surprised. We all need to spend more time building our skills to overcome our fears.

Carrying a sketchbook can help you log practice time. Every sketch you do helps you overcome the fear of figure drawing.  A single vantage point, while sitting on a bench in a nearby park, provided many figures to practice in my sketchbook, as shown above.

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Each week, students increase their range of techniques and skills in drawing the human figure. Faith, learns about movement and gesture sketches from the book Spirit of the Pose, by Carl Gnass

Learning to draw the human form can be intimidating. But at the same time we are easily captivated by its complex anatomical structure, movement, and beauty. Continue reading Drawing Humans: Our Fascination & Fear

Aren’t You Glad You Have Your Sketchbook With You?

Lucy and her mom, Jamey, are students in our Draw With Your Kids program. While vacationing, they sent us the above photo in an email last week.

“We miss you!!! I don’t think we have been in town for a Thursday this whole summer! Lucy asked me to send you this photo of one of her sketches…you will be happy to know that wherever we are she has the sketch pad with her.”

That unexpected bolt of inspiration can strike anytime, anywhere. It could be the sight of a colorful flower, a folded jacket left on a chair, the movement of an orchestra conductor’s baton, or an arrangement of umbrellas on a beach. Continue reading Aren’t You Glad You Have Your Sketchbook With You?

At The Drawing Table

Sometimes, after a hectic day, you look forward to going there just to hide out and sketch. Other times it is waiting for you, before the sun comes up—a cozy place to set a warm cup of coffee, open your favorite sketchbook, and draw to your heart’s content. Having a table set aside in your home for drawing is essential for gathering your thoughts and doing deep creative work. Continue reading At The Drawing Table