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ART 338 / Standing Full Figure Drawings

Due Tuesday, Nov. 11

Assignment: Attend the evening live model sessions and draw from the class skeleton to create no less than 5 drawings:

1 detailed drawing of the full skeleton

2 full figure, ‘analytical studies’ (preferably standing)

2 standing full figure, moderate detail (from poses lasting no less than 30 minutes).

You will probably have to attend 2 or more sessions to complete this work. Each drawing should be no less than 18” tall and not cropped (heads feet and hands please!). Don’t generalize what you see. Proceed methodically by first marking height and width proportions for the entire figure, don’t start at the top and proceed down etc.

‘Analytical studies’ means drawings that do not strive for a likeness but rather involve a way of looking at the figural form in such a way that helps understand the proportions and distribution of the basic shapes and masses of the body. Examples might include: axial line drawings that attempt to express the gestural or structural balance of forms in a pose as simple lines that state the angle of a shape rather than drawing the shape itself (see example 1) basic geometric shape drawings that attempt to express the composition of volumes as simple 3d shapes such as cylinders or boxes (see example 2) and alignment/proportion drawings that reduce the figure to simple lines and or shapes and then observes how these are aligned to each other. Analytical studies are not gesture drawings in that they can take a good deal of time and observation to complete, again, I recommend no less than 20 minutes per pose/drawing.

Submitting the Work: Bring completed 5 drawings to class with your name on each (we will scan them later for our portfolio).

Evaluation: These drawings will be evaluated on your ability to make observations that lead to understanding the structure of the standing figure: This exercise is meant to help you learn about the forms and dynamics of the standing figure. In other words it is about making astute observations not just about making marks on a page.

Example 1: Axial line drawings Example 2: basic shapes

Example 3: By Alignment

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