Summary of knowledge gained and knowledge lacking.

Life Drawing One has been an exciting challenge as I re-enter school.  There has been fast progress as I learn the guidlines and appropriate them into methods of my own.  Yet, there seems to be a vast amount for me to learn.  We haven't even begun drawing the upper-body. 

The open-drawing sessions seem to have helped me in my progress, but these sessions are most benificial after a lecture on a specific body part/area.  The lectures give me the information and the tools to use in the drawing sessions to make a more accurate and dynamic drawing.  For instance I could have attended a dozen open drawing sessions at the begining of the semester, but without being taught how to build a drawing starting with the spine/ribs, I would still be making akward outline drawings.  Once I started establishing the body's structure in my gesture drawings, I felt like I had advanced at warp speed.  All of the sudden, I could more accurately communicate depth, weight, and volocity.

A major frustration for me has been the pelvis.  I think I have been struggling because I am not yet practiced enough at drawing the muscle attatchments and other landmarks of the pelvis.  I feel that I was doing better earlier in October when I was approaching the pelvis intuitively without instruction.  When I attempted to understand and draw the pelvis factually, everything was jarred.  It wasn't until I had a few pelvis drawing demos, and several open drawing sessions, that I finally began to portray the pelvis more accurately.  Maybe drawing from the Maniken could get me used to the muscle attatchments.  I hope to attend some more open-drawing sessions to synchronize knowledge and muscle memory.  That act is something that I love about art.

Check out my work so far  http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridgedoor/sets/72157622561117781/

Thigh muscles for the Maniken

The thigh muscles are finally complete and I have photos to share.  I found this really sweet tripod to take photos which helps alot.  My pictures can be a little fuzzy still, but that has to do with the digital zoom more than anything.  These muscle groups took a long time to make.  I would average it out to be about 45 minutes per muscle.  Working with clay is pretty relaxing actually.  I don't mind it as much anymore.  Hopefully I appropriately named the last two views.  Please correct me Amy if I didn't.

Lateral View

Medial View

Posterior View

Posterior View

Anterior View

Medialposteriorcranial?

Posteriorcranial?

In Class Drawings for Oct. 8th

I'm glad we were finally able to draw on Thursday.  It had been a while since the last drawing session in class, and due to Monday Night Football and a model failing to show up for open drawing on Tuesday, I wasn't sure if I became rusty or not.  I'm satisfied with my progress so far and I feel encouraged by these drawings I worked on in class.  No complacency allowed, though.  There are always areas to improve.  What follows are all of the drawings from last class period, begining with 30 sec. gestures.  I thought it would be cool to post the the progression of gesture drawings to longer drawings within one class period.  The focus of that class period was the spine plus the rib cage, which is where everything begins when it comes to life drawing.

30 Seconds

30 Seconds/1 Minute

1 Minute

1 Minute/3 Minutes

25 or 30 Minutes

25 Minutes

25 Minutes

Abs

Here are the abdominals for my mankin.  They were quite challenging to make, especially the obliques.  I think it was just because they cover so much surface area and have a small area to attach to the manikin.  As frustrating as building in clay can be, it is a good thing to practice.  People in general retain little of what they hear, but can remember well what they do with their hands.  Knowing the attachments and bellies of muscles will make my drawings more dynamic.  I'll be able to bring a more realistic tension to the correct areas as I draw my lines, as well as showing relaxation without things sagging out of place or looking flat.

Lateral View

Anterior View

In Class Drawing Progression for September

Here's my progression in Life Drawing 1 for September '09.  As you scroll down you're going through them cronologically.  The pairs that they are grouped in don't mean anything.  It was just easier for me to post all of them that way.  I'm not a blog ace yet.  I've labeled underneath how long the timer was set respectively.

30 seconds

1 minute

2 minute

5 minute

20 minute

10 minute

20 minutes

30 seconds

1 minute

2 minute

30 seconds

1minute

1 minute/5 minutes

5 minutes/10 minutes

10 minutes

12 minutes

15 minutes

5 minutes

30 seconds

2 minute

5 minute

15 minute

Goal for Fall 2009:  Become a Life Drawing samurai.  Maybe someday I'll be a shogun.

I improved once I started drawing the spinal column first.  I usually get the rib cage oriented in the drawing next followed by the pelvis and a femur bone.  The shoulder blades are helpful to add as well so I can get the arms placed in more efficiently.  Usually the buzzer sounds by then if the drawing is timed to be under a minute, however every once in a while I will get a spare five seconds and thats when I throw in a long axis line that is most informative about the overall gesture of the model.  I've been attending as many of the open drawing sessions as I can, and I think it helps a lot.