Drawing & Sculpting The Figure PDF

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Drawing & Sculpting The Figure Author: Lance Dooley 2 Table of Contents Part 1: INTRODUCTION TO FIGURE DRAWING ....................................................................5 The Language of Art ..................................................................................................

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Drawing & Sculpting The Figure Author: Lance Dooley

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Table of Contents Part 1: INTRODUCTION TO FIGURE DRAWING ....................................................................5 The Language of Art ..........................................................................................................................7 Elements of a Figure Drawing...........................................................................................................8 Gesture ................................................................................................................................................9 Proportions .....................................................................................................................................10 Values (Light & Shadow) ................................................................................................................14 Artistic Anatomy ..............................................................................................................................15 Composition (Design).......................................................................................................................16 Block‐in (Contour) ...........................................................................................................................17 Gestural Block‐in Studies ................................................................................................................18 Block‐in, Shading .............................................................................................................................19 Line To Mass.....................................................................................................................................20 Shadow Mapping..............................................................................................................................21 Compression & Tension...................................................................................................................22 Conveying Naturalistic Mass...........................................................................................................23 Contrapposto ....................................................................................................................................24 Foreshortening (Inferior View).......................................................................................................25 Foreshortening (Superior View) .....................................................................................................26 Foreshortening (Superior View with Theme) ................................................................................27 Hands.................................................................................................................................................28 Feet.....................................................................................................................................................30 Mood ..................................................................................................................................................31 Design Quality – Contour and External Geometry.......................................................................33 Creating Atmosphere .......................................................................................................................34 Drawing From Sculptures ...............................................................................................................35 Conceptual Drawings.......................................................................................................................36 Clothed Subjects...............................................................................................................................37 Figure Drawing Example: Fail Safe Method .................................................................................38 Figure Drawing Example: Dancer..................................................................................................40 Figure Drawing Example: Locked Legs.........................................................................................41 Figure Drawing Example: Mandolist.............................................................................................42 Figure Drawing Example: Sarah & the Sword .............................................................................44 Drawing and Sculpting the Figure, by Lance Dooley © 2012

3 Figure Drawing Example: Reclining with a Twist........................................................................46 Principle of Design: Geometry ........................................................................................................47 Part 2: UNDERSTANDING THE PORTRAIT ............................................................................48 The Skull ...........................................................................................................................................49 The Eye..............................................................................................................................................50 The Nose ............................................................................................................................................52 The Mouth.........................................................................................................................................53 The Ear..............................................................................................................................................54 Portrait Drawing Example: Elderly Man ......................................................................................55 Portrait Drawing Example: Woman ..............................................................................................56 Portrait Drawing Example: Rebasong ...........................................................................................57 Portrait Sculpting Example: Rebasong..........................................................................................58 Sculpting Stands and Studio Concerns ..........................................................................................61 Proportions & Measurements of the Adult Portrait.....................................................................62 Portrait Sculpture: Clay Block-in to Bronze Cast ........................................................................64 Profile of Southern Italian Woman ................................................................................................66 Mask of Native American Man .......................................................................................................68 Drawing The Profile: the Rudder of the Face ...............................................................................69 Portrait of a Peruvian Woman........................................................................................................70 Portrait of African American Man.................................................................................................71 Portrait of a Thin Woman ...............................................................................................................72 Modeling Form: Ukrainian Woman...............................................................................................73 Portrait of an Italian Man ...............................................................................................................74 Profile of Elderly Native American Man .......................................................................................76 Posterior View of Skull ....................................................................................................................77 Drawing Into Painting .....................................................................................................................78 Part 3: FIGURE SCULPTING .......................................................................................................79 The Torso (Male) ..............................................................................................................................80 Maximum Gesture............................................................................................................................83 Contour Line in Sculpture...............................................................................................................88 Clothing in Sculpture .......................................................................................................................89 Figure Sculpture Example: Traditional Anatomical Pose ...........................................................90 Figure Sculpture Armature .......................................................................................................................90 Shaped Armature .......................................................................................................................................91 Proportional Assessment............................................................................................................................92 Drawing and Sculpting the Figure, by Lance Dooley © 2012

4 Block-in Torso, Legs, Head........................................................................................................................93 Torso Block-in.............................................................................................................................................94 Shoulders & Arms ......................................................................................................................................95 Complete Block-in ......................................................................................................................................96

Figure Sculpture Example: Heroic Sized Figure Sculpture.........................................................97 Maquette to Monumental Scale Portrait .....................................................................................100 Anthropomorphism........................................................................................................................103 Summary .........................................................................................................................................105 Table of Contributing Artists........................................................................................................105 Appendix A: Relative Proportions................................................................................................106 Appendix B: Artistic Terminology ...............................................................................................107 Line, Shape, Form, Gesture.....................................................................................................................107 Spatial Relationships ................................................................................................................................107 Light & Value ...........................................................................................................................................108 Composition ..............................................................................................................................................108

Appendix C: Anatomical Terminology ........................................................................................110 Appendix D: FIGURE DRAWING SYLLABUS ........................................................................111 Syllabus for Figure Drawing I, II, III .....................................................................................................111 Course Description & Objectives............................................................................................................111 Textbook and Recommended Reading ...................................................................................................111 Grading......................................................................................................................................................112 Weekly Topics ...........................................................................................................................................113 Materials List ............................................................................................................................................113 Homework Assignments & Sketch Book................................................................................................115 Tiers of Mastery & Progression of Skills ...............................................................................................116

Appendix E: FIGURE SCULPTING SYLLABUS .....................................................................117 Syllabus for Figure Sculpting I ...............................................................................................................117 Course Description & Objectives............................................................................................................117 Textbook and Recommended Reading ...................................................................................................117 Grading......................................................................................................................................................118 Weekly Topics ...........................................................................................................................................119 Materials List ............................................................................................................................................120

Appendix F: SCULPTURE PROJECT GUIDE TEMPLATE ..................................................121 Appendix M: A GUIDE TO MOLD MAKING...........................................................................122 Citations ..........................................................................................................................................146

Drawing and Sculpting the Figure, by Lance Dooley © 2012

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Part 1: INTRODUCTION TO FIGURE DRAWING Figure drawing is the art of drawing the human body. Life drawing is the art of drawing the human body while observing a live model. In this publication We use the term figure drawing to encapsulate all activities and forms of drawing the human body, weather it is from imagination, reference material or observing a live model. We will discuss a variety of topics in an attempt to introduce the reader to the field of figure drawing.

This publication is not all inclusive and the serious artist or art student will build their knowledge and skills in the area of figure drawing by acquiring as much reference material as possible, as well as practicing the art of figure drawing on a regular basis. Many artists dedicate a large portion of their work to figure drawing, figure painting and figure sculpting. This type of artist is referred to as a figurative artist and when the term artist is used for the remainder of this publication, it is implied we are referring to the figurative artist. The section on The Language of Art will introduce some vocabulary used by artists. At the core of this publication is the concept of learning and knowing how to create a harmonious figure drawing by balancing the five elements found in a figure drawing: gesture, proportion, values, anatomy & composition. With a trained eye and strong but delicate command over one’s motor skills, it is possible to create a higher level of aesthetic in one’s figure drawings. While taste is always important in any conversations about art, it is always possible for the artist to become more skilled at depicting the human figure accurately. The artist is then free to use this ability to his own ends, whether for realism or something more fanciful. Therefore, the bulk of the material in this publication is dedicated to understanding how to create and recognize figure drawings that convey a naturalistic look. To the professional, this means honing in on the Drawing and Sculpting the Figure, by Lance Dooley © 2012

6 largest broadest movements of a figure and reproducing these accurately. In contrast, the amateur will focus on the details first and try to build a drawing around that. Without the fundamental knowledge of how to create a well‐structured figure, the skills of an artist would be stunted and maximum potential may not be reached. Inversely so, pure skill with no creativity produces dead work. Hence, the delicate balance of knowledge, motor skills, and creativity is the holy grail of the artist. This publication has included examples from a variety of styles to promote maximum awareness. Examples on techniques, approaches and methods to drawing and then sections on special topics will collectively address a variety of important concerns and concepts for the artist. The art student will especially benefit from these sections, which will show many examples concerning how the human body appears and what problems to avoid. A section on drawing from sculptures has been added because drawing classical sculpture casts is a stable of an academic education. A section on the portrait has been included because of the challenges presented to the artist when confronted with drawing the portrait. It is often said, “the portrait sells the drawing”. Before we begin, another point to be aware of is how the artist views the model. It is impossible to leave behind all of the preconceived notions of what we think the human body looks like. However, when drawing a specific human body, the artist must remember not project oneself onto the paper. The power of seeing is the greatest ability an artist can possess. Once the forms are seen as they truly are, then motor skills can be learned to render the specific shapes and character of the model.

Drawing and Sculpting the Figure, by Lance Dooley © 2012

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The Language of Art Drawing is a visual language and no amount of verbiage can make up for what can be instantly recognized by our eyes and minds. The language used by artists is a set of terms and phrases used to describe lines, shapes, forms and colors. In its most basic sense, representational art is form. The more varied and intriguing the forms an artist can create or mimic, the more interesting the art will be. Art that is amorphous or without form is often dull and boring. Art that lacks structure will quickly lose our attention and have no relevance to the viewer. Hence, there is a need to understand the structure of the human figure and to describe it with minimal subjectivity. Shapes found throughout the figure are exact and vary from subject to subject. Forms are conveyed to us optically through an understanding of light, shadow and variation in the value changes along the borders between light and shadow. An adult can predict the tactile nature of an object optically. We begin learning the lessons of object softness and hardness from the moment we enter the world. Much like a dog explores objects with its mouth, we explore objects with our hands. The relation between the tactile nature of an object and its appearance are recorded in our minds and as we age, we no longer need to touch everything in front of us to predict its tactile properties. The trained artist will use the knowledge of optics to manipulate any medium to create the illusion of form. When the artist’s ability to render form has reached an advanced state, he or she can trick the viewer into believing that what has been created on paper, canvas or clay has a life of its own.

Drawing and Sculpting the Figure, by Lance Dooley © 2012

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Elements of a Figure Drawing The primary elements of a figure drawing are: gesture, proportions, values, anatomy & composition. These terms will be used extensively throughout this text. In an ideal setting with the bes...