Just returning to figure drawing

[Donna13]

Hello everyone,

I have recently discovered Wet Canvas & I've been in the wearble arts forum since I've been focusing on metalsmithing & jewelry making for several years. I've always loved figure drawing but basically stopped a long time ago mainly because I didn't have access to a model. I found a drawing club that offers a figure workshop a few times a week & I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with the figure again.

Now comes the part where I ask for your help. Do you have any recommendations as to what materials to bring to the workshop? My concern is that since I've been away from figure drawing of any kind for many, many, many years, it's like starting all over again & I don't want to take a medium that will cause me to be any tighter or self conscious about my work than I already will be. Do you have any suggestions for a medium or technique that will help me loosen up & just have fun drawing? I know this sounds like a really strange question but I would appreciate any help at all.

Thanks a great big bunch.
Donna

[jjackm]

twig and ink, vine charcoal? I think soft pastels could loosen a person up too.

[hairless]

Hey Donna,

This might be a bit lengthy but aside from just listing some materials and pointing you to some technique I figured I'd give you what advice I usually give to anyone who asks.

My favorite keep-it-loose medium is charcoal since you can use it on its wide edge and cover a lot of ground without getting wrapped up in details. I break my pieces in half so I have a more manageable line length. I like using charcoal pencils (I wish I could still get Ritmos) and Conte pencils sometimes too but that is mostly for longer (greater than 10 minutes) poses.

I see a lot of folks who handicap themselves with small sketch pads when they are just starting out. Go big and be bold. At least 18"x24" to start with. Gives you room to explore and move your drawing tool around. I know that newsprint is recommended a lot for its economy but I hate it. It is too smooth and greasy for most mediums and it shreds under any kind of vigorous drawing which I think encourages people to draw timidly and lightly. I like using decent drawing paper (currently using some Dick Blick sulfite paper at $14.00 per 100 sheets) and anything but newsprint but that's as much due to my technique as preference. Try it out and see if you like it.

I don't know of a technique to suggest but I would encourage you to stand at an easel to draw so you can step back when you need to assess your drawing for proportion, composition, etc (sitting presents all sorts of challenges in life drawing). Set your easel to the right of the model (if you are right-handed) as you look at him and keep your board as parallel to the model as possible. You want to be able to look at the model and your board at the same time (without turning your head much). Try to draw at about an arms-length from your paper and with a loose (not a writing grip) grip on your drawing tool.

Lastly, don't judge your drawings as you are making them. When I find myself doing this, I start to tighten up and when I give myself the freedom to explore, I find some of my best drawings. I have a friend who says that he doesn't make decisions (to keep or discard) his drawings until six months later.

So the materials I bring to a 3-hour life-drawing session with warm-up poses and some longer ones:

1. Drawing paper/pad 18"x24" of 70-90lb paper at least 20 sheets

2. Compressed charcoal (HB, 2B), vine charcoal (soft, medium), Conte pencils (Sanguine, Sepia), Charcoal pencils, pencils (HB, 2B).

3. Kneaded eraser.

4. Utility knife or pencil sharpener.

5. Drawing board (19"x25" masonite 1/4" thick with four 2" binder clips)

[trevors]

Donna If they have easels and drawing boards Just take charcoal some pencils and some paper the bigger the better A1 size; would be ideal!
There is plenty of time to gather other stuff but the first few hours will pass very quickly you won't have time to think of all the other materials.
Good luck Trevor

[Donna13]

Thanks so much for your help, advice & suggestions. The workshop does have easels. I just called to confirm. I have a clip type drawing board, large paper, vine charcoal & charcoal pencils. I'm really excited to get started so now I can't wait until Saturday! I'll try to post something over the weekend (if I can get it to work).

I really love looking at everyone's work here. It so inspiring. Thank you for welcoming me into your forum. You're wonderful!

Donna

[trevors]

Donna, Post what you do good or bad you will get a lot of help on this forum.
Go for it what have you got to loose paper and charcoal is all!!
Trevor

[Blick Art Materials]

Hi Donna,

I would recommend staying away from pencils. Because of the way we are trained to hold a pencil many artist's tend to creep way up the pencil and lean too much into their drawings. This creates a limited focal point and leads to too much specifity on part to part versus the whole.
Work broad and start with a gesture of the overall set-up and figure. Locate the figure in space on your page as well as surrounding objects. Having objects outside of the figure will give the drawings context as well as assist you with scale and proportion.
I prefer to work with large peices of vine charcoal, a Mars plastic eraser, and a chamois. The chamois can erase as well as create soft tones. They are excellent for figure drawing. You can wash them too if you want but you can make tones better with a dirty one so I never wash mine.
Check out the Natural Chamois at DickBlick.com.
http://www.dickblick.com/zz049/57/
Work with vine charcoal that is thick (you can rub it on sandpaper to make a point if you need detail).
At Dick Blick Coates charcoal in thick or extra thick is a good option.
http://www.dickblick.com/zz200/72/
If you want drama and immediacey try the Alphacolor CharKole, it is intense black, velvety soft, but extremely difficult to erase. This is great on a smooth paper for gesture drawings. The square shape lets you have several mark making options as well.
Happy Drawing!
Tina

[macrobertson]

Donna, there have been some really useful replies here!
I agree, in a nutshell... to avoid tight drawings avoid small drawings with small lines... to be expressive use larger paper(of the cheaper variety like Bond) and draw from the shoulder with broader mediums... you could also try two or three pencils of different colours tied together you can't be tight with that!

Mac

[suz_lyn]

Just want to chime in my gratitude for all the helpful advice in this thread. Great stuff. Donna I'm green with envy you are starting a class and can't wait to read an update on how you enjoyed it!!