Life Drawing 25/2/16

Life Drawing

Thursday 25th February 2016

Introduction

This is our first life-drawing session in the second term since we had the animation screenings and the acting classes. Now we have returned to life-drawing we have to revisit the skills we had learnt in the first term about observation. 

Session

2 Minute Poses

Here are some poses where the model posed for two minutes. I found these difficult to capture accurately because I felt that i needed time to remember what i had learnt from the previous sessions and my drawings were showing this. 

 [Two Minute Poses: Pencil]

 [Two Minute Poses: Pencil]

1 Minute Poses

We then moved onto one minute poses as we felt that if we reduced the time to capture the whole model, it would make us observe the model more and remember quicker. I felt that this did help because we weren't given time to worry about details, therefore making us focus on proportions and shape to capture the form of the model. 

 [1 Minute Poses: Pencil]

 [1 Minute Poses: Pencil]

30 Second Poses

Continuing with the same trend, we further reduced the time per pose. This further challenged us to quickly capture the essential lines of the model. 

Again I feel that this was helping me remember and I felt that I was improving further into the session. 

 [30 Second Poses: Pencil] 

Weight

These next poses are of the model carrying a bag. These poses challenged us to portray weight within a still image. This was a requested pose; within the Red Baron's New Toys Script Pesticide is seen carrying a sack full of Toy Soldiers. Therefore this pose by the model is supposed to portray a foundation for that same scene.

I felt the way to achieve this illusion was to just observe the model, because I can see that she is carrying that weight on her back; therefore if I just capture what I see exactly, it would show through the drawing. 

The bag was not a heavy one, and i feel this shows in the drawings. However if I wanted the bag to be heavier, I would make her bend her back further and reduce the distance of the bag to the floor to further exaggerate that weight. 

 [Weight Poses: Pencil]

 [Weight Poses: Pencil, Sharpie]

Negative Space

These next drawing are created focusing on negative space. These drawings we focused the contrast of the model's skin to the black background to observe the shapes created around the model. 

This made me observe the form and shape of the model. I would observe the from through the light and shading and the shape through he lines created by the contrast around the model. 

[Negative Space: Pencil, Charcoal]

[Negative Space: Pencil, Charcoal]

Contour Lines

Taking the idea further of the model's lines, we had the task of capturing the model's contour without taking the pencil away from the paper and without taking our eyes away from the model. 

These sketches are the result of that task and as you can see they are not completely accurate. However I understand this was to demonstrate observation is key, and even if the drawings are inaccurate I feel they have captured the models organic contour line. 

[Contour Lines: Sharpie]

Exaggeration

These next sketches are of the model in the same pose, however we were tasked to exaggerate the pose further with the next drawing. Therefore we would have to exaggerate any straight, curved, or twisted lines to exaggerate the pose further. At first i was confused by this idea because how the model was posed, that would mean there would be a restriction on how exaggerated the model could be. What I mean is: if the model is twisted in the middle, to exaggerate you would twist the model further, however this would mean you would have to draw the back of the model. However you cannot see the back of the model, you are facing the front and cannot observe and capture the back. 

I continued anyway and just maintained the pose of the model but deformed the lines and shapes; therefore the model is still exaggerated. 

[Exaggeration: Pencil] 

[Exaggeration: Pencil, Sharpie] 

[Exaggeration: Pencil, Sharpie] 

Seated Poses

These last poses were of the model in a seated position. We were given longer to draw these poses compared to others, however we would need to demonstrate a mixture of knowledge and skills we had done this same session. 

Because the model is seated we would have to demonstrate: proportions, weight and contrast effectively as well as many more other skills and knowledge. 

Seated positions pose a great challenge due to their complexity. I found these a great challenge and feel that the drawings show this. 

Conclusion

This session was a revision of what we had learnt in the first term in the first life-drawing sessions. Because this is a revision, these drawings I've created aren't as effective as my previous drawings. Despite this I feel that I greatly improved within the session alone and feel that this session was necessary to remember those skills and knowledge we need. If I just continue to observe and practice I feel that i will progress and improve effectively.