Exploring Human Forms
Representing Movement through simple lines
Day 1: 02.21.2021
We began creating figure drawings from real models to represent the variety of forms of human figures, understanding motion and movement. I have never actually studied or learned how to draw human figures before, more winging the proportions, so I feel like this unit will help me develop some crucial and applicable skills in designing human forms.
Task:
- Record low to high energy activities
- Illustrate emotions and energy through simplified representations
- Gesture and Expression Drawings
- Explore different mediums and limit time on each sketch- short amounts of time
- Limit the amount of time per quick sketch
Exploration of forms in various mediums
Three States of Energy
I spent around 1 minute on each of the sketches. I think my figures are more proportional and accurate rather than expressive and gestural. For many of the figures, I drew a very abstracted version in a couple of lines, then drew a more realistic version. I would like to explore an in-between version that is not too simplified but also expressive. I really enjoyed how the marker flowed, facilitating the gestures of the form with the tones and movement. I would also like to explore more on larger scales, especially with the prismastick, and not consider the form of the human as much as their movement and impression. The smaller marker sketches above are more gestural I believe, but I hope to do a better expressive representation of my models in prismastick.
Day 2: 02.22.2021
In-class sketches
Drawing through zoom during class, each sketch took around 1–2 minutes. This time, I chose to draw on larger-sized newsprint which allowed me to be more fluid and abstract with my strokes. I still think that my drawings are a little too literal, and maybe overworked. I think if I stop earlier in the drawing they will be more expressive, focusing only on the movements of the people rather than details of their forms.
Day 3: 02.23.2021
I focused more on the main elements of the form in these large prismatick studies. Each one was around 1 minute long. I think maybe not having a clear darker outline around the figures could help add a more abstract feel to it. Mark agreed that these are more overworked.
More than the prismastick studies, I think the marker studies are more expressive and fluid in focusing on movement and form rather than unnecessary details. Using only one T4 marker, I was able to overlap strokes to increase tone in certain areas. I used the flat chisel part of the Copic markers, laying down solid base colors and then going over certain areas with the tips. Each of these sketches also took me around a minute. The ones on the top are slightly less refined than the bottom 3.
Day 4: 02.26.2021
Drawing from posing in the mirror and taking multiple photos, I have been practicing developing body sketches in a quick manner. In the future, I will take photos of other people so that it is more proportionally accurate. Also, perhaps I should work on larger sizes newsprint with the primastick. I would also like to try marker skeletons with a pen outline rather than prismastick for its entirety in my next set of sketches. I struggled with some of of the proportions since the spine was curved — especially with the middle figure in the second set of the drawings.
Day 4 : Classwork 02.27.2021
Discussing the examples in class, I saw that many of my peers explored using markers and pens for their figures instead of the more dryer medium. In class, I did various sketches of Ana in Copic marker, Copic marker with a ballpoint pen on top of it, and with prismastick. I appreciated how the primastick was more fluid with the forms, however, I like how precise the pen got with the different parts of the figures without needing to move to a larger size like newsprint. The marker served as a very useful underlay for the figure, so I wouldn’t need to use a pencil to do the proportions. I will explore more different mediums later today. I think that the basic proportions in the pen-only sketch are more accurate than the ones later on. The ones I drew later were more focused on clothes/ not entirely the form which I should change. It was kind of difficult to imagine forms with baggy clothes on models.
Day 5: 03.02.2021
Task
- Sketches that explore a different range of motions in sequence
- Understand mechanics of the body
- Research an action — study the action
I enjoy how the marker is very subtle and blends into the paper. I didn’t necessarily like putting pen on top of the marker since it makes the lines more concrete and less expressive. I think adding in planes adds perspective/ depth to it. I would like to explore more with people manipulating objects in the field.
I like how the pen gives me more control and precision — I’m not sure if that's necessary though. It also makes the drawings look stiffer with straight lines.
In-class 03.03.2021 & Day 6: 03.07.2021
Task
- Study an action, explore, develop a beginning middle and end, action in the sequence
- Then select one pose to refine structure with 2 points of view
I watched youtube videos and searched online for various images of tennis poses — particularly ones in sequence after each other
I began with sketching out the series of movements one does in tennis, following the follow-through of hitting the ball from the serve. I made notes of some areas where I think my proportions are off. The first row has the racket going in a clockwise swing, while the bottom is the opposite movement.
I found these drawings to be much more difficult without any reference photos, and I found myself posing in the mirror to see how the arms would shift around the body. I also struggled to draw someone hunched over from a lower angle. There are lots of issues with the bottom left drawing, which I tried to revise into the one on the right. I also struggled with the legs when staring at them from the very front angle. I think I need to revisit some of the earlier drawings about full-body proportions.
Day 7: 03.09.2021
Task: Refine the sketches of 2 perspectives 1 pose
Class Notes on Faces & Proportions
Rough Sketches to understand the movement of figures — where limbs go and how the body turns as the racket turns
First Versions
I think there are a lot of problems with the proportions in this drawing and the perspective. I didn’t have any reference photos so it was difficult for me to visualize how the limbs and the from of the body turn and appear. The drawing on the bottom is supposed to represent how the figure looks from a front angle but the legs are completely off — facing opposite directions and too far apart. The shoulder/arms are also much too close together. I chose the first pose because it is more reminiscent of playing tennis versus the second one is more similar to baseball. Also, the tennis court in the background is extremely off and much too small in perspective.
Revised Version — color pencil & pen
Pen & Marker
I used a marker as the underlay outline for the proportions of the body. I am still concerned with the right arm in the first drawing, and I’m not sure it’s accurate with how an arm turns in reality. I really struggled to draw these without reference images, and hopefully, I can find some later. I also think I should draw a little bigger so my lines can be more fluid instead of short and stiff. The tennis court in the second drawing should be much higher to be accurate.
Day 8: 03.14.2021
I found old sketches of hands I did back in high school haha
Class Notes & Practice on Heads, Feet, and Hand Proportions
Today’s class was extremely informative, covering numerous topics on portraying body parts in a simplified design manner, both proportionally accurate but abstracted to be representative of the figure — ie. matt’s three squares for feet and the realistic face figure versus the simplification of the face. The same applies to the hands, which I have never considered before in terms of squares and a combination of perpendicular lines.
I would like to revisit my tennis models and incorporate the ideas we learned about faces, feet, and hand proportions into the figures. I would also like to better consider the form in relation to the context of the tennis court which is very proportionally off.
I’ve learned a lot from this figure unit — whole body figures were something I have never actually studied before this class. In high school, my art classes including ap art were more fine art based and open-ended, allowing us to do whatever we wished without any instruction. Learning crucial body proportions is something that I definitely think I will be able to apply to my future designs and illustrations. Previously, I would usually eyeball body proportions and wing it, but now I have more of a sense of structure to establish realism but also simplicity in my figures. Compared to my earlier drawings, I can also clearly tell I’ve stopped overworking the sketches as much to retain an expressive feel.
