Plenty--especially if you are trying to figure out how to
draw a person in that chair. Drawing people standing up is waaaaaay more
straightforward than puzzling out how to proportion and position a figure
sitting down. But to draw people this way opens up a lot of compositional
possibilities for an artist.
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| Catherine by Robin Frey, mixed media on paper, 9 x 14. |
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I always think of the legs first. There are so many
possibilities--arranging the legs so they are crossed, one leg can be tucked
underneath the model, drawn up to his or her chest, or positioned at different
levels with the use of a footstool or bench.
There seem to be fewer possibilities when considering how to
draw people from the waist up. Arranging the model with their arms stretched
out rarely makes sense for such a stationary position--the two halves of the
body almost seem to defy each other. But you can have the model's arms hanging
loosely at their sides; drawn to one side of the body or the other for the
creation of a nice diagonal shape; or have the model curl his or her torso over
their knees and tuck in their arms, which can make for an interesting
composition, especially in profile with the curvature of the spine
accentuated.
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| Figure drawing by Henry Yan. |
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Posture also comes into play in a major way when you are
learning to draw people sitting down. The model can sit poker straight with
shoulders back or the pose can be more relaxed with the figure's spine slightly
curved, shoulders setting downward, and pelvis slightly up-thrust to
accommodate the slouch.
I'm excited to see all of the various permutations of the
figure--and more--when I look through all of the works in our Drawing the Figure eBook. Top instructors and draftsmen explore the figure in thought-provoking ways and show us figure drawings that run the gamut in form, technique, and style. Enjoy!
