I am kidding! So kidding! But I was thinking about this
article and how I wanted to discuss working with a model, specifically how to
position your model in a figure drawing, and what that position can convey both compositionally and
as part of the narrative you are trying to present. In my mind, I broke down
the positions into stand, sit, and lay down, all of which eerily reminded me of
the commands I used to give my dog, Kosmo. But never mind that! Here are
examples of three figure positions and what they are capable of suggesting.
Stand
When a figure stands upright there is a sense of alertness
and potential for a variety of movements. Keep in mind the posture of the
figure. The less rigid the spine and the more relaxed the limbs, the more at
ease a figure appears. For a more dominant or forceful feel, making the body
higher or taller, facing the viewer head-on, or spreading arms and legs to
occupy more space can be effective.
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Picnic by Anthony Ackrill,
oil on canvas, 52 x 24. |
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Pointing Figure by Rob Liberace,
oil on board, 14 x 11, 2009.
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Sit
Depicting a figure sitting down is fairly conventional, so
if you want the pose to imply something more, you'll want to play with how the
figure turns, whether or not the legs and arms are crossed, and the angle of
the chin. A sitting figure can also be interesting if you go to the extremes,
making the limb arrangement really compact or compressing the figure's body,
folding it in on itself, in a way that can energize a pose.
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Catherine Inside by Kristin Kunc,
oil on linen, 44 x 36, 2010. |
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Death on the Road
by Kathe Kollwitz, charcoal
drawing, 19 x 12.5, 1934. |
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Lay Down
A prone or supine figure is obviously going to suggest
vulnerability, sleep or relaxation, sensuality, or carnality. Extending the
limbs can accentuate the grace of the human form, and having the model lying on
his or her side emphasizes this. Depicting a figure head-on brings in the
complicating factor of severely foreshortened limbs.
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Girl in Sun by Ben Fenske,
oil on linen, 24 x 35, 2010. |
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Sutherland Series #5 (Stretching)
by Juliette Aristides, charcoal drawing,
15.5 x 21, 2005. |
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Figure drawing is one of the most intriguing, challenging,
and exciting ways to pursue drawing. And the capablities of what the human body
can convey are too numerous to count. But the more I learn, the more I want to
know. Drawing the Figure in Motion
with Rob Liberace has been a source of so much inspiring instruction for me involving honing my drawing skills, as are all the DVDs in the American Artist
Drawing DVD Collection. I find myself reviewing the footage and material in them over and over, discovering something new and helpful every time! Enjoy,
