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HUMAN FIGURE STUDY
HUMAN FIGURE STUDY
Who Are We As Humans?
Who Are We As Humans?
One of the greatest feats in Art History has been drawing oneself. The self-portrait is the quintessential, yet painful prompt that every artist is faced with at some point in their career. Over time, that portrait changes to be symbolic rather than representative of natural features. The act of capturing the figure is a beautiful process.
GOAL: Recognizing your own journey, think about where you are in this process. Some have never drawn the figure while others capture its beauty daily. Using any available materials, challenge yourselves to capture the human figure in a way that explores motion and form.
FIGURE STUDY CHALLENGE: Observe a family member, oneself or even a photograph. Trace the contour (outline) of the figure(s) and begin to fill the space with volume and simple shapes. As the shapes evolve, develop more complex shapes until a figure begins to evolve. Using a mannequin, a sleeping grandparent or just a younger sibling, take the time to draw several versions of that individual.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- What materials do you want to use to best capture the figure?
- Are you concerned with a narrative? A full scene?
- Are you focused on the shapes of the figure? A part of the body?
- At what time of day are you illustrating this figure?
REMINDERS
- Be respectful to your model's time and do not get caught up in the single poses. Be creative!
- Draw the same figure(s) over and over again. Watch as you begin to develop a technique that is unique to your own practice.
- Enjoy this time with each other and enjoy the beauty of the human body.
FIGURE VOCAB CHEAT SHEET
FIGURE VOCAB CHEAT SHEET
Background: The part of a picture that appears to be farthest away from the viewer.
Cast Shadow: A shadow that is cast by an object onto an adjacent or nearby plane.
Chiaroscuro: Italian word meaning light/dark. The gradation of light and dark values in a 2-dimensional imagery; especially the illusion of rounded, 3-dimensional forms.
Composition: The placement of forms, shapes, colors, and light and dark areas in a work of art. Artists use composition to direct the viewer's eye to the most important elements of a work of art
Contour Line: Line that defines the edges of forms, separating each area from neighboring ones.
Focal Point: The area of an artwork that attracts the viewer's attention.
Foreground: In a scene or artwork, the part that seems closest to the viewer.
Foreshortening: Perspective on the human body. The study of how proportions change as the body moves from a standing position.
Full Range: Use of values from lightest to darkest in a work.
Gestural Line: Line that shows the movement inherent in the object or figure, usually very fluid looking.
Middleground: the part of the painting that lies between the background and the foreground.
Proportion: Size relationships of parts to a whole within the composition.
Tonal Range: Various shades of grey between absolute black and absolute white.
Contemporary Artist Shoutout
Contemporary Artist Shoutout
Sam Lewis "SLEW" - Fine Artist | Videographer | YouTuber
BREAKING DOWN THE FIGURE
BREAKING DOWN THE FIGURE
Introductory Level
Introductory Level
Use the following video and resources the help breakdown the human figure into manageable steps. Do what makes sense to you and continue to develop on your own.
Intermediate Level
Intermediate Level
For those who have explore the figure once before and are up for the challenge, check out this clip to further strengthen your form and the position of the figure. Continue to develop this as you see best fits.
Advanced Level
Advanced Level
So you think you are a pro? Check our the following video series to strengthen your own understanding of the figure and the muscular structure that makes up our bodies. Continue to challenge yourself.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Loomis Figure Draw.pdf
DON'T FORGET TO SHARE YOUR PROGRESS/RESULTS
DON'T FORGET TO SHARE YOUR PROGRESS/RESULTS
DID YOU KNOW . . . ?
DID YOU KNOW . . . ?
If you can draw armpits, you can draw figures. Here’s a strange sentence – we have a lot to learn from armpits. They are an intersection of the pectoral muscle from the chest, lats and teres major on the back, and the tricep and bicep on the arm. So studying them is a great way to get a better handle on the muscles of the torso, but also to start to see the figure as a functioning machine, to see anatomy not as a bunch of parts but as a series of connections, and that will help us create more dynamic figure drawings. So let’s get into it.
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