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Julie Seated with Hands Clasped by Steven Assael, 2007, drawing, 22 x 15.5. We all know that drawing the nude figure is a, if not the, classical way of depicting the human body. But breaking the mold and adding clothing to your figure drawing art can lead to quite a few benefits. You are able to add...
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Ethel Smyth by John Singer Sargent, chalk drawing, 1901. Adapted from an article by Dan Gheno Facial features can be used and contorted to tell us all kinds of things in a drawing . But you don't always have to think up dramatic scenarios for a drawing. Ideas can be subtle, too. Like using the mere...
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Plate VIII, Study for a Picture , chalk and pastel drawing. From The Practice and Science of Drawing by Harold Speed. I was just telling a friend of mine that artists love books. That surprises some people, but it is totally true, especially if you love flipping through great books for drawing ideas...
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Woman on a Treadmill by Kate Sikorski, figure drawing, 2009. I am a firm believer in starting a life drawing with the envelope—the shape you first draw before anything else. I've come to think of it as one of my drawing basics. This envelope maps out the highest, lowest, most left, and most...
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Head of 12-year-old Christ by Albrecht Dürer, drawing, 1506. Adapted from an article by Dan Gheno. As you know from my previous blog about needing a GPS to draw heads --because I get more lost in the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose than you'd think would ever be possible--I am on the lookout for...
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The drama of this charcoal and pencil drawing by Lilian Wescott Hale is in the bold contrast of value of the figure's skin, dress, and hair. I love all kinds of art: super complicated installations, amazing marble sculptures, and virtuosic canvases filled with color and form. But when it comes down...
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Sketch of a Man by John Singer Sargent, charcoal drawing. Adapted from an article by Mark G. Mitchell. Looking at a John Singer Sargent's drawings, I really can't mistake them for anything but the work of his hand. His line work is so thin, firm, and consistent, even in figure drawings full of...
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In Janvier Rollande's drawing, Sage (detail; pencil drawing, 2006, 17 1/4 x 12 3/4), the area from the child's eyebrows to the base of her nose is the smallest of the three "segments" of the face. Drawing a face is a little like reading a map. And no, not the cool Indiana Jones map...
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Peter Kelsey's cast drawing of the male torso. Hey fellow artists! Drawing anatomy seems overwhelming to me sometimes, but if I focus on strategies for HOW to learn it, it starts to seem doable. Here are a few tips I learned from a recent article written by Dan Gheno in Drawing magazine: Peter Kelsey's...
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Drawing anatomy allowed Leonardo to understand how the human body works in relation to its appearance. Back when I was struggling to pull my drawing abilities together, I realized that it didn't matter how good my line got if I couldn't tell what I was looking at. This came to a head when I was...
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Drawing block-in by Steve Early. From the time I started drawing, I have had a constant battle with myself over how to start. For years I have been looking for the one right way to sketch in a composition or block-in an underpainting. Lately, and with the help of my Studio Incamminati instructors, I...
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Patricia Traub presents animals—above, The Collector , 10 1/2 x 14 3/4, 2008—in her work in a naturalistic way that emphasizes their unique physical attributes and bearing. I don’t have pets but I really love drawing animals because it allows me to focus on a subject matter that is...
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Leonardo Da Vinci's drawing, Head of an Angel , 1483. In my last post, I was telling you about how I decided to take Leonardo Da Vinci for my master when I was first studying art seriously. Choosing a master means taking a close look at great art and great artists, and learning the lessons they can...
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When learning how to convincingly draw the head on the body, focus on the location of the neck in relation to that of the head. When trying to draw the head correctly on the body, pay specific attention to the neck and the placement of the head upon it, above the ribcage. Creating a realistic portrait...
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Garvies Point 2 , oil on linen, 28 x 42, 2009. All works by Rob Zeller. I’ve always dreamed of having something, anything—shoes, a coat, a car!—custom made. While all of those are pretty much still out of my reach, I know that I can custom design how I get my art training. There are...