Reclined Male Nude

[yogi]

Second figure drawing. I find I'm really enjoying the process of drawing figures. So, I kind of went nutso today and did two (the other is the "wheel pose" also posted here).

I'm very new at art and, now, at figure drawing (beings how I just started today), so I need all the help and advice you can give me. Please feel free to give your opinions and critiques. I really want to learn because I eventually want to take this knowledge and apply it to sculpture.

Scanned really goofy on the right side, but you get the idea.

[Sergey]

Rodin had the same idea. He often made drawings (not even looking at the paper, as witnessed by his contemporaries).
OK, some words about this drawing. Everyone has his own anatomy, but if you're looking for classical proportions that's what I can say:
All the line that's in contact with the surface is too soft. He's a man, try to find harder angles. The same thing with shading. Men usually have clearly visible rib structures, pectoral muscles etc.
I've seen the "Wheel pose" first, and you have the same excess softness of curves there. BUT...IT'S GOOD.

[yogi]

Hi, Sergey:

Thank you for your critique on this. You're right about the "softness" of the curves. I'm struggling with that. And, the shadowing where he touched the floor should be darker because it was darker in real life. I'm so slow at drawing right now. This sketch took me an hour, and I felt like I was wasting the model's time....so I let him go before I "solidified" some of the shading. I suppose speed will come with practice. I hope so. If it doesn't, then my models might turn to skeletons before my very eyes! :D

I hadn't realized this was Rodin's approach to sculpting. I'll have to look up some info on him. Thanks for the tip.

Yogi

[Sergey]

Hi,
1 hour is not too much :)
And of course speed comes with practice.
Nice drawing, post more :)

[yogi]

Thanks for the encouragement, Sergey. I'm glad to know that speed comes with practice. :D If I keep practicing, maybe my models will still be breathing by the end of the sessions after all! Tee hee. :)