Ram’s 100 Day Challenge: Gesture and Structure | Figure Drawing

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Hi Ram, no worries. We all need the help here.

I’ll leave you be. Keep drawing, warming-up, feeling out the ACTION.

Keep an eye out on your connections though for the limbs. This recent figure above is a good example of what to consistently aim for: clear, loose, but push the gesture more. The ones before are a bit off, limbs-wise, as they come off the torso. Keep referring to figures YOU think are good against the ones that failed. Again, keep working, things will become clearer the more you learn and do.

[Shravan]

Day 14:

Hi Marcolino,

I tried to keep yesterday’s image as reference and drew today. Here is one of my sheet.

[Shravan]

Day 15:

I was doing a timed challenge, so I was not able to darken the drawings. My proportions are off in almost all the images, this makes the figure very awkward.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by Shravan.
• This reply was modified 4 years ago by Shravan.
• This reply was modified 4 years ago by Shravan.

[Shravan]

Day 15:

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Hey Ram,

Better. Proportions are definitely off in some. With practice you’ll be able to relate points and relationships. I do feel a few are missing that ‘energy’ and flow. Focus on the soul of the figure first before constructing the forms on top. Practice warm-up drawing of rhythm lines, look up Loomis’ ‘Figure Drawing for all its Worth’ book and Bridgman’s ‘Drawing from Life’ book. Both contain good sections on that. If not, watch Vilppu’s timed-sessions.

Of note, do try and take your pics under better lighting. Not sure of your situation. But a good tip for viewers wanting to see your work more clearly. I know some can’t have a fancy scanner at times.

Cheers! Keep it up.

[Shravan]

Hi Marco,

Thank you for the advise. I’m trying to focus on gesture over structure, but sometimes the feel is not being portrayed properly! I’ll have to work harder on it. I have Loomis book. I’ll start reading it once I finished the current book. I do not own Bridgman’s book, and the book is costly here. I’ll get it once I save up some money.

As for the lighting, if the duration is less: I am not able to darken up my drawings to take the picture. I’ll give my best to take the picture under better lighting.

I’ll start practicing warmup gestures from tomorrow. Would you recommend me to do timed sessions?

Day 16:

1 and 2 min session.

5 min session.

[Shravan]

Day 17:

Today I practice gestures on few sheets. Sorry for my image quality…

[Raven Kushner]

Ram,

Your gestures look really good, really active. In almost every one, I can tell the exact pose you were going for. At least that’s how I judge my gesture drawings now – could I get into that pose if I didn’t see the model. Your commitment is leading to even greater results!

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Hi Ram, do timed sessions, do quick little gestures from imagination with no time at all as warm-up. Just keep at it. 🙂

[Shravan]

Hi Raven,

Thank you! 🙂

Hi Marcolino,

Yes, I will do it. With the timed sessions, I realize I am struggling to attach the legs to the hips. I will practice to make it feel and connect better.

[Marcolino Estuardo]

Yo,

Regarding timed-sessions, follow the advice of Steve Huston, where you don’t aim to finish a whole figure. Just pick a part and focus on that. How does the head connect to the shoulder? How does that arm come off the torso? How are legs coming off the hips? etc, etc.

[Shravan]

Hey man, yes I’d do this from my next drawings.

Also I drew a very disproportionate Loomis Figure reference.

[Shravan]

Day 19:

How do I make the figures feel the stretches? If I don’t feel my drawings, then the gestures are off. Gestures are harder than I had thought. I need to observe and interpret it harder.

[Shravan]

Day 20:

Proportions, proportions and proportions!

[Shravan]

Day 21:

I realise my mistake were more on placement/connections over proportions. As Marcolino suggested, I focused on the connections for the time sessions (<1 min timed).

 

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