Figure Drawing - Development of a Technique

So this new way of working came from two things. One being that I want to improve my drawing skill with a handled instrument(like a brush or a palette knife) to improve my drawing skills for painting. The other reason is that I couldn't find my box of tools for 2 weeks in a row(don't worry, I've found them since). All I could scrounge up were these three tools:

I started off last week's session as I normally do.

I started off using the sanguine chalk overhand.

Ten-minute drawing.

Normally during the 20-minute drawings is when I introduce the blending stump:

As I was drawing this one I was thinking about an idea that I call implied plane changes. I'd say it's most noticeable in the right shoulder. This is a technique where all the modelling happens near the half-tones where the planes change most notably.

Pulling the tones into the un-modeled areas make the forms turn subtly.

Done well, this will give the illusion that you modeled the untouched areas.

I think it's very effective for filling in the light planes without over-doing it and breaking them up, thereby reducing the effectiveness of your value pattern.

This week I started with using the sanguine chalk stuck in the palette-knife-contraption. This was a 10-minute drawing.

This time I introduced the blending stump into the 10-minute drawing. This time I used it to imply the plane changes in the shadow areas.

In this drawing my steps went this way:

1) I blocked in the body using long straight lines that show the placement and angles. I used the knife-chalk combo.
2) I took the chalk out of the holder and drew in the next step of the drawing which would be the core shadows, rough facial features, outlines, etc.
3) I used the stump to model in the half-tones, soften edges, flatten out over-textured areas and spread out the pigment where I want it.
4) I use the eraser to pick out highlights and fix mistakes. I like to alternate 3 and 4.
5) I draw in all of the details with the chalk again. It's a matter of finishing up the drawing from here. I'll jump back to 3 and 4 here as well.

Another 20-minute drawing using the same principles.

I used the same principles in the shadow side on this one. I pulled the pigment in with the stump from the darkest strokes and also in and out from the core shadows.

I like this technique because you can get a lot done quickly. It's pretty effective too. Makes it look like I spent a lot more time on it!

A ten-minute drawing that I rushed in the set-up. The proportions got out of wack. I think I tried to pack in too much in the time allotted and didn't take enough care in getting it right in the first place.

I added a bunch of these to my Zatista store: http://bit.ly/sergiolZatistaStore If there's one you really want and don't see, let me know and I'll hook it up.

•

In other news, I've started a Tumblr blog as well. Rather than just post my own work there, I want to do something different with it, where I link to whatever catches my eye as I am browsing the web. I have tons of sites in my Google Reader. I feel like spreading the wealth! Hopefully I turn you on to some good art you might not have seen.

http://themainloop.tumblr.com/

•

Newsletter
Facebook
Tumblr