Figure Drawing: It's Just Like Riding a Bike...

Too bad I don't really know how to ride! Jk.... or am I? Anyways, yes, I believe that figure drawing is "just like riding a bike- once you learn how to ride, you never forget it..."! In my time at Salem State University I had a great drawing professor by the name of Haig Demarjian who taught my figure drawing course. He taught me to really see the figure and how to get the whole thing on paper quickly. We would do quick 1 minute warm-ups and then move up to longer poses. This was a great exercise in getting the important stuff down first and then moving onto the finer details. I've kept this approach with me with everything that I do. Start from the general and move to the more specific details. It's a rule that you can't go wrong with no matter how often, or not, you draw from life.

The reason for why I'm talking about this is because my brother Jake and I found ourselves at the lovely Art Room up in Topsfield yesterday. We braved the visually amazing March flurries and headed up old route 1 north to find that the Art Room is actually part of a small strip mall off of Main St. The space is cozy and inviting- and there's even a gallery up in the front. Check out their blog. Jake and I brought compressed charcoal as well as vine/ willow charcoal, Strathmore 18"x 24" white paper, assorted pencils and some ink for ink washes.

Trying to escape the clutches of the omnipresent line

First and foremost, I like to consider myself a comic artist with fine art tendencies so when I draw, I rely on line to describe the forms. Fine art tends to be the exact opposite- whether it's painting or drawing, everything is rendered with soft edges. This is where it gets tough for me- if I predominantly use lines in my work how do you I break this habit and begin to render things as they actually are? Below you'll see my attempt at trying to do this (I ultimately used line for everything!). I'm still satisfied with the results, as it had been about 3 years since I'd drawn from the nude figure (wayyyy too long for any artist!). I'm going to be doing this much more often now that I know where the Art Room is.

Jake likes the way that the face came out here.

"Maybe she's a little too voluptuous here Josh?" :P

I had to force some of the shadows because the lighting wasn't strong enough.

The bigger the contrast the more tones one can work into each drawing.

Notice the tones on her back that carve our her muscles. This is

how things actually are rendered in our world. No lines are required.

I should sign this one: Moebius!

Don't mind that second drawing...just terrible!