ASLD Figure Class

From 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm, Mitch has us sketch many 1 minute studies. This practice is to help with composing a figure--both so that the size can fit the page without much adjustment as well as being able to quickly show what the figure is doing. In 1 minute, it's challenging to fully draw the details of an individual--even if it's just a general description of their movement.

Viewfinders are either a piece of paper with a square cut out of the center or can be made with just your hands. This allows you to "crop" what you want out of a scene. Once you see what you want to draw, you can use enveloping to figure out the "points" in your drawing. Combined with using a viewfinder, this can plan out the space on your page--preventing unnecessary scrunching or cutting off of a model.

I obviously can't show this with an actual naked model so I'll instead use a planter to show this process. This was a quick sketch I did in 5 minutes. Using this process is a quick and efficient way to scale your subject quickly. Additionally, this can help break down complex studies into simple shapes. Starting with simple shapes allows you to have the fundamental base of the subject and then build up from there, refining the drawing and adding details, shadows, etc.

This class--like the other classes I've taken--was challenging. I discussed this on another page but I've mainly drawn from pictures or sculptures in the past. Drawing from real life presents many different challenges. In color photography, reflected light can sometimes be completely obscure from an image. As Mitch discussed, drawing from life is the best way to learn about figure and light. For figure, I have only had experience drawing mainly upright/laying down figures--where their body is mainly on one "plane." Live models lie down, twist, and curl. These movements alter the plane and lead to foreshortening, new shapes, and difficult perspective drawings. Where I may know how the size of a head or a leg compares to a body when standing straight, different poses challenge my preconceptions. Over the course of this class, I have been gradually changing my mindset from drawing what I know to drawing what I see. I am not trying to draw what I see and check the drawing with what I know. By doing this, I believe I can better capture the essence of an individual and capture their uniqueness. In Andrea's figure drawing class, I worked on this with portraits, but in Mitch's class, I see I need more work capturing a body's essence.

Another challenge was that for each long pose, after the model would take a break and come back to pose, the form would be slightly different. This challenge pushed me to draw more quickly and adapt/think about how shadows may change with this transition. 

Overall, this class was a really interesting in-depth look at people's figures. Mitch's knowledge about anatomy blew me away--and makes me want to take a drawing anatomy class in the future. We see people every day and, culturally, are quick to make comments about people's bodies. Many times in either a derogatory or overly sexual way. Being nude, in the US, brings a similar reaction to the inappropriateness of dropping an F-bomb in a church. We all realize that when we strip away the fabric we decorate our body with that we are left with a warm sack of skin yet still have a reaction to being naked. 

Studying bodies has given me a new perspective on age, gender--or gender fluidity-- and other physical attributes. 

In Melanie's fashion class, I've thought a lot about how clothes are a physical representation or expression of either who we are, what we want to portray, or who we want to be. By removing these layers, we're left open like a blank canvas. No colors to clash or support our skins' tones. No bulky coats to hide unwanted lumps or tight one-pieces to show off our curves. No dresses or dress shirts to suggest our gender identity. All that's left is body. And all that's left is us, the shadows that form on us, and the space we occupy. 

And without adornments, every body carries some beautiful character despite age, gender, or body type. With an older woman we drew in this class, protruding veins carried an incredible pattern of shadows. A man had beautifully shaped calves that were balanced between sharp and softened. Although this was in open studio, a person who had a double mastectomy had curves that created a playfull silhouette.

By observing and drawing people, I have found to appreciate the uniqueness of people. As I have felt like I should fit into the expectations that some others have of me (what I should pursue as a career, how I dress, how I act, etc), this exercise has helped me realize the importance--and beauty--of being oneself.