TAGS: figure drawing

One of the most daunting challenges artists face is instilling a sense of movement and action into a drawing or painting. Just as artists must conjure a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional picture plane, they must also create the sense of time passing in a medium that ultimately does not move or change—unlike, say, music, dance, or film.

The artists featured in this issue all have managed to overcome this obstacle and imply a strong sense of motion, action, and life in their work, giving their viewers dynamic, exciting experiences.

In this issue, our Drawing Fundamentals series moves from looking at the historical roots of copying as an instructional practice to offering specific recommendations about how artists can copy master artwork in order to benefit the most from their efforts.

In this issue, Kenneth J. Procter discusses his work in the medium of powdered charcoal and looks at his own evolution as an artist. The issue also features a special section on portraiture, a subject with great expressive potential despite the restrictions portrait artists sometimes must work under.

The mere mention of portraiture evokes strong responses from artists of all backgrounds. For many, it brings to mind the work of the masters—portraits by Rembrandt, Velázquez, and John Singer Sargent, which rank among the finest paintings ever created. Other artists think about the challenges of working with sitters who are anxious to see how their completed commission will look. It also reminds us of the years of practice and dedication required to master the art of capturing a person’s likeness—one of the most ambitious goals an artist can achieve.