Life Drawing- Fourth Session
Today's life drawing had us looking at the relationship between the environment and the model.
For drawing 1, the initial 20 minute warm-up, I chose merely to get into the flow of the session.
From there, I'd used the second 15 minute exercise to try using space and environment to set up a narrative, and stress the existing 'feeling' of the composition from the existing figure.
From there, I'd used the second 15 minute exercise to try using space and environment to set up a narrative, and stress the existing 'feeling' of the composition from the existing figure.
Space was tricky with this drawing, as I struggled with applying the 'technical' rules of perspective points and horizon line, alongside the 'organic-look-and-draw' approach we have in life drawing.
The problem I think had been the vanishing points obviously needed to be way, way out, off of the paper. Too close and it distorts the space. I tried to judge the lines, but without a solid mark to work from, I ended up switching between different 'angles'.
Maybe you could use masking tape when drawing down, on a wide table (I myself have put a longer strip of paper underneath to allow the space much needed to plot these points/lines), but on an easel this obviously wouldn't do much good.
Maybe you could use masking tape when drawing down, on a wide table (I myself have put a longer strip of paper underneath to allow the space much needed to plot these points/lines), but on an easel this obviously wouldn't do much good.
I wonder whether it's better leaving the sessions to just eye-hand practise, but at the same time I want to try out what we're learning in perspective alongside the figure. These will strengthen the fundamental mechanics we'll need in our Invisible Cities Project, when drawing compositions directly from the mind.
I want to practise these more to a close likeness, so that if the opportunity presents itself, I can have the room to experiment and pick what I feel's most relevant to what's being requested. For instance, if I need to draw an environment similar to 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari''s set design, where the perspective's heavily distorted, I'd want to be able to mess around with the perspective. Not because I can't achieve a likeness, but because I choose not to.
I want to practise these more to a close likeness, so that if the opportunity presents itself, I can have the room to experiment and pick what I feel's most relevant to what's being requested. For instance, if I need to draw an environment similar to 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari''s set design, where the perspective's heavily distorted, I'd want to be able to mess around with the perspective. Not because I can't achieve a likeness, but because I choose not to.
The lecturer suggested I get some perspective/architectural books out from the library draw environments from life, and consider working from artists Antoni Gaudí, and Rachel Whitehead.
I feel eventually there'll be a point where the line of both perspective studies and life drawing will begin to naturally overlap. Where both become a foundation from which to pick and choose from. I'd done a little work with applying this idea when drawing from the mind, and on top of using existing photographs and out and about, so to see these skills in practise. But naturally it still needs a lot more work.
I feel eventually there'll be a point where the line of both perspective studies and life drawing will begin to naturally overlap. Where both become a foundation from which to pick and choose from. I'd done a little work with applying this idea when drawing from the mind, and on top of using existing photographs and out and about, so to see these skills in practise. But naturally it still needs a lot more work.
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| 20 minute warm-up |
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| Environment and Figure Study |
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| 30 seconds-1 minute Poses |
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| Close-up Study |
love that collection of drawings - sheet 3 - sensitive and evocative stuff.
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