[Totally]

All right, these are the final figure drawings from my spring semester 2001 class.

Since these are scanned in, they are not the complete images (the actual size of these images is 18x24 inches). I have included links to the full versions which I shot with my digital camera.

April 5, 2001- Charcoal and white pencil

Full image: http://www.perilith.com/~totally/figure/figure040501full.jpg

April 12, 2001- Ebony and white pencil

Full image: http://www.perilith.com/~totally/figure/figure041201full1.jpg

May 1, 2001- 2 minute gestures - conte crayon


May 3, 2001- Charcoal and white pencil (Final Part 1)

Full image: http://www.perilith.com/~totally/figure/figure050301full2.jpg

May 8, 2001- 3 minute gestures - conte crayon


May 8, 2001- Charcoal and white pencil (Final Part 2)

Full image: http://www.perilith.com/~totally/figure/figure050801full.jpg

Comments and critiques are welcomed as always.

[ May 08, 2001: Message edited by: Totally ]

[Pyros]

looks good *nods*

anatomy could be a bit better but the shading
rocks! :D

[Fred Flick Stone]

Totally, hello, I haven't posted in a long time...I have actually been so swamped with work that I haven't had time to get online anymore...and the only computer I have is at work, and I am rarely here after hours.

Blahhh...like you need to know any of this...THese are really nice images. The thing that stands out the most in the images is the face work. THe faces on all the drawings, sans the quicksketch images have a real nice quality to them, as you have captured, truly captured a strong likeness and emotional quality within them. The figures though have a bit more work necessary to bring them up to the level of finish that the faces have. The biggest thing I have noticed in the images that sounds out loudly is the lack of real understanding for what goes on under the surface of the form. This is a vital element that is going to make ofr break good figure drawing. And for that matter, it will make or break a good illustration. If you plan on further developing your drawing skills, I would get a good anatomy book, like the Elliot Goldfinger book, and take more life drawing workshops to develop that eye. Most of all drawing is pulling from the intuitive and the imaginative that we all have within us. What needs to be developed is that intuitive edge. In figurative work, one needs to have an intuitve understanding of the anatomical breakdown of the human form in order to finally get to what it is he is trying to say ith the images created. I am a figurative instructor, and I have witnessed the various levels of learning that people go through, what I see with your work is that you have developed a very strong hand, and are really focused with the work you do. It really shows in the heads you created. Now give yourself the opportunity to find the rest of the info you need to really make an impact with your work. I am not sure what it is that you want to do for a career, but your hand is strong, it looks as though you could easily do something with an illustration aire to it.If this is the case, then definitely fine tune your abilities.
Technically, I think the last image has the strongest emphasis on light and shadow. The shadows you are working with on the other images are a bit vague as your lights and darks are all hovering about within the same value range. They could use more adjusting, creating a stronger sense of light direction and better identifying the 3 dimensional qualities of the form. Think of the models you draw as large shapes, observing the cross sections of the form you draw. This can help you when the anatomy is unknown to you.
I know that studying anatomy can be a pain in the ars, I am still learning it to this day. THere are a lot of bones and muscles, tendons and ligaments to learn, where the insert, where they originate, how and why they are what they are. But, if you can think in total volume, that is simpler shapes, but as large masses and not just as limbs and such, then I think you can better satisfy yourself when running into anatomical roadblocks or frustrations...

As for the quicksketch images, I would say try and think of the figure s a whole, and not as segments of anatomy, i.e. the upper arm, the lower arm, the shoulder, etc. try thinking of all these things working together in one fluid harmony, and make those connections. Think of the arms and legs as continuous limgbs, don't build in pieces...Quick sketch is taught for a couple things, one is for the better understanding of the model you are about to draw for the entire class, semsester, project. Another reason for quick sketch is to loosen up the hand, and still another is to capture quickly gesture, and action, without complicating it with meaningless details, thus the lack of time to draw them. And yet another reason for them is to develop a quick read, and better place accurately the right information for drawing figures.
The best way to ease into quicksketch is to start with a process for getting figures to the page. In our school, we teach what is known as the figure abstraction. It is a base set of rythyms that exist within us all, they are the action/reaction lines that all the muscle groups make when working together as a whole. They are also a means for illustrators to quickly assess figures, as back in the day, there was much less photography, and more illustration, so large images full of figures were not uncommon.
Starting with a scaffolding in the beginning stages of quicksketch will eventually lead to good intuitive habits later on, and you will find that you need to use the tools or processes less and less, and rely upon your very attuned skills more and more.
I hope you got A's on these images, as they are very strong...and I hope you plan on further progressing with your skills, you have great potential.
I teach at a school called the Jeff Watts art atelier in San Diego. I am not sure where you live, but if you got the opportunity to come by the school, you should. I think you would find what you need there. the web address is www.wattsatelier.com.
I included a few images of mine from the site to help articulate some of the points I was making. One is a quick sketch page, of what I believe are 2 minute or three minute sketches.
I am also including a figure drawing from a few semesters ago, it is a two hour pose, and finally an oil pickout study from life, approximately two and a half hours work. It was treated the same way a long charcoal drawing would be, only using one oil color, and the white of the canvas to create the values...
I hope this has been constructive in its help to you...if you have any other questions feel free to email me and I can help you with whatever, within reasonable limits. Take care and keep up the creative progress...





[ May 08, 2001: Message edited by: Fred Flick Stone ]

[Fred Flick Stone]

YOu know, I should look at the profile before I stick my foot in my mouth. I just read that you are a texture artist for a company, so your skills are already being put to good use. You are already on your way. Disregard any insults you may have read earlier if they came across that way. And now that I know you are in Laguna Niguel, get down here to the school and check it out, I garuntee you you will like what you see...thanks and again apologeez for not reading your bio first...

take it easy,

FFS

[Waldo]

Nice to have you post again, Fred. Hopefully your schedule will ease up enough that you can do so more frequently. The knowledge you possess and your ability to convey it both here and in person is invaluable. You are quite the instructor and I encourage any and all of you to do the best you can to educate yourself, no matter where you live. Having the internet as an education tool is also invaluable (preaching to the choir again). My skills have improved immeasurably over the past 6 monts by attending both Watts and this forum...

And oh yeah, Totally, nice work and get your butt down to Watts. The quick sketches they knock out there will make you cry, but they are damn well worth it. Classes are starting up again soon and they fill up fast so hop to it. I'll send you and email if it's in your profile if you'd like to carpool...

Later!

[ May 08, 2001: Message edited by: Waldo ]

[Totally]

Fred,
Haven't seen you around the forums in a loooooong time. Thanks for the well-thought out response. I truly do appreciate it.

As this was my first semester of figure drawing, I have vast amounts of space for improvement. Many of the concepts you mentioned I already know I must improve on. Fluidity with the gesture is one of my weak points, I need to learn to loosen up. I haven't had any courses which go over the internal anatomical structure of the human figure, and I know that is helpful.

Although I work as a 2d texture artist and graphic/web designer, I still have a lot of skills to improve. It has been a life-long goal of mine to have art as my profession, and I have been taking classes since I was in kintergarden. I am considering transferring to the Art Institute of Southern California by spring semester of next year.

[Totally]

Waldo:
I wanted to take figure drawing courses over the summer (I was considering the Art Institute of SoCa), but I don't have a car... I see that you live in Irvine, so if you'd want to carpool that would help quite a bit with that whole transportation problem... my e-mail is in my profile

[silber]

hi�
very nice drawings
I'm interessetd how long
the models posed for one of them?
I do figure drawings too
but we always draw only 3-15 min
on one pose

[Totally]

For the first half of the semester, we wouldn't do more than a 20 minute study. In the second half of the semester we did sustained drawings. We would start with 15-25 minutes of gestures and then work on a single study for around 2 hours.