Nick’s 100 Day Challenge Hands & Figure

[nick.lagrow]

Could be a perspective issue, although I’m definitely guilty of thinner wrists and arms in these. Will keep an eye on it tomorrow.

Day 74

Looong day today, no time in the morning to draw so posting later tonight. Don’t love the 20m figure from today – chose to spend some more time on the proportions of the leg and the torso. I can see how this pose would be good to check some understanding of the abdominal muscles – but I’m not there yet 🙂 practicing simple shadow shapes and draftsmanship.

In other news, we’re moving into a bigger space in the next couple of months – and I’ll have some more dedicated studio space. I signed up for a couple online classes at Gage Academy up in Seattle today which’ll benefit from the dedicated space – can’t wait!

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Light in the back could be massed in shade. 😉

Cool! Have fun in those classes! I assume it’s online? I started posting up my hand/arm studies if you’re interested. Cheers.

[nick.lagrow]

Yep! All online. I’ve seen some figure drawing classes that still meet in person, but the one I signed up for is virtual – will see how that goes. And totally interested, will go check those out!

Day 75

A few days ago I finished my charcoal pencil, and this one is softer – I’ve noticed marks get darker more quickly. I kind of like it for these, since I’m just trying for two values anyway. Wanted to study the foreshortened index finger more today – it seemed so small in the 20 minute drawing. Still does in the study, but it makes a little bit more sense why.

[nick.lagrow]

Day 76

I’ve been ignoring feet for a long time, so spent a little bit of time on it today

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Cool. I like the change in making the figure more angular. Thrust reads better here.

[nick.lagrow]

Ha, I think that was mostly from trying to get the angles right without thinking about the shadow shape. I love seeing how mark choices like this influence the design. A comment from (I think somewhere in Steve Huston’s hand lessons) resonated with me, that even realistic rendering like John Singer Sargent’s portraits are stylized to get the idea across rather than just great rendering / observation. I’m sure there’s a more concise way to say that 🙂

Day 77

This was a good one to practice the knuckles and the plane connecting the fingers to the hand. The wrist connection bugged me though, so I spent time measuring the angles more carefully and thinking about the shape of the ulna

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by nick.lagrow.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by nick.lagrow.

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Yeah, Steve mentions how Sargent may have exaggerated the neck (made it longer) on an old woman to satisfy the commission. Artists are always picking and choosing.

Good job on the interlock of the wrist to hand on the right.

[nick.lagrow]

Day 78

Thanks! I spent most of today on structure as well. This pose was a challenge with foreshortening – a lot to come back to on this one in the future, but for today I tried to figure out the connection of the neck into the shoulders.

[nick.lagrow]

Day 79

Working on understanding the knuckle connection – tried to simplify the finger joints down to tubes. Just like day 77, not sure how that connection works still

[nick.lagrow]

Day 80

Practicing finding the centerline and angles between some of the major landmarks of the back

[nick.lagrow]

Day 81

Continuing to think about the knuckles. In today’s, I tried to simplify the proximal phalanges into foreshortened tubes to make that connection simpler.

[nick.lagrow]

Day 82

Another pose from the back. Working on landmarks, then tried to understand the shoulders better

Approaching the back structure study, tried in order:

• Angle between shoulders
• Centerline gesture
• Angle where neck meets the head
• Angle between PSIS
• Perspective of the arm + wrist
• Shoulderblades

[nick.lagrow]

Day 83

Worked on copying some of the studies from Michael Hampton’s Figure Drawing Design and Invention. With the last ~20 days of this challenge, I hope to take what I’ve learned about the anatomy of hands and use it to study how others’ marks reinforce those ideas.

[nick.lagrow]

Day 84

More practice on the angles / box of the hips. Happy Thanksgiving to all celebrating 🙂

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Wow, so close! Awesome.

For Day 82, right-most sketch, I like how you have the spine/centerline, but that wrinkle to the left cuts way too long. I know there’s compression, but a nice short indication could help. Also, see it as a gestural/action mark that flows over the mass of the ribcage/scapula.

You’re definitely understanding those block forms that make up the hand. Good stuff.

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