[skullighter]

I've been trying to do more life drawing, and I have a few questions. What should I be focusing on while I'm drawing? Should I be thinking about why a shadow is cast here? Why a highlight is there? How would this object look from another angle?

Whenever I go out and draw, I find myself just copying what I see. I go rather fast just streaming the data from my eyes on to my paper and I don't If I'm retaining anything. I don't know if I'm learning anything. Usually I'm listening to music through earphones. Is that a bad idea?

[Awetopsy]

Hey skull,

One thing you can do is look for the light source. becasue you'll start to understand that wherever the lightsource is, the shadow is opposite. another thing you can do is try to imagin how deep the object your drawing is. (how much farther away the back of the obect is from you compared to the front).

Also One of the greatest things is tearing apart TV. People who have jobs in the TV industry have to be able to make things look real. Watch commercials and Movies. Try to figure out how they achieved certain effects like: how many lights did they use for that shot? Where did they put those lights? Etc.

Also go back to some of your older attempts of life drawing and think about how you can improve on those.

Any way, back to work. Hope that helps.!!!

Awe



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http://noelsart.cjb.net

[Flinthawk]

Music is good if it helps you concentrate on the task at hand, that shouldn't be your problem. What I think you should do is draw the same subject but in a variety of ways and possibly with a variety of mediums.

Try doing a picture where you take a soft pencil or charcoal and block in an image instead of trying to draw the contours and shadows. Draw the image by thinking about it as a 3D form, slowly filling in the areas as if you're blocking in the bones, then the muscle and the skin.

Try shading things in a different way. Try doing quick 30sec to a minute sketches to get a feel of movement and posing. A fun thing to do once in a while is to try some foreshortening...really exaggerate the perspective on the subject making the parts closer to you really big and the parts away from you really small...gives you that wall-eyed look but it can be useful for when you want to use that technique subtlely for a more dramatic look.

Like I said, try different mediums...pencil isn't the only thing out there so I find it nice to switch to charcoal and a kneaded eraser to get softer shadows and highlights...helps me look at shading and highlights better. Try a color medium as well.

Hope these ideas help a little.

[Bugscratch]

Don't think while you're drawing. It's a good idea to draw exactly what you perceive. Dont question why something looks the way it looks, just draw it.
Thinking questions while you're drawing diverts your mind from what you see which results in worse drawing results.
If you want to know more about the psychological issues involved in drawing realistically read the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards.
It explains the different modes your brain can be in (a verbal mode & a perceptual mode) and how to get into the mode that's better for drawing from life. I found that if you follow the rules she describes your drawing really improves.
Listening to music is not a bad idea, I do it all the time when I'm drawing. Maybe though you should select some wordless music like classical music or movie soundtracks since the words can be a diversion.
Once again read the book, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

-bugscratch

[Fred Flick Stone]

Skull-ok, I think this question has repeatedly come up within the last month, about 6 or 7 times now. I might need to write up a small why you do sheet and just keep it handy for this very question.
When you learn the human form, the shadows and highlights fall hand in hand with all the other info you learn while studying this. THere are too many things to be focusing on in the beginning. Post an image so I can give you more specifics in regards to where you are with your studies.


I have been teaching figure drawing for a long time now, and I am still learning something new every day.

THe headphones are a total distraction when learning, but when getting projects finished, music is the pace setter, or the friendly company we need, since what we do is so isolated.
If you are right now lwarning for the first time, kill the headphones while you are taking in the information.
As for what you need to look for, that is up to you. But give yourself a focus each time you sit down to draw. THis time I am going to study outline, next time I am going to learn about shapes, the following will be about anatomy of the torso, etc. Since there is so much to learn, there needs to be a focal point or a game plan for what you are intending to take in.

Copy what you see when you are studying, don't try to deviate from the norm unless you already have a strong handle on what you are doing. By manipulating what you see, you really aren't learning much of what is in front of you. At one point, you will want to make up what it is you are doing, but when studying, you really shouldn't. So yes, stick with what you see.
Beyond that, just get your game plan together, and while you eork, stay concsious of whether or not you are sticking with your lesson. It is really easy to fall off the horse, that is another reason why being in a classroom environment is so important. If the teacher is good, you wont deviate from the game plan of what you are intending to learn.

Post some of your work and I can give you a much better gauge as to what you might want to start off with in your studies, and keep coming to the forum for answers and help. This place is a great school...heh