Figure Drawing Practice 013

        This was my final assignment submission for the online figure drawing class I was taking.  The step-by step method of drawing a long pose figure gave me some tools on how to approach it.  It's a slow and methodical process, unlike the way I used to approach figure drawing before. I used to draw the figure loosely in a gestural way, following the Vilppu method. The drawings looked unfinished.  Now, they looked more finished.

Figure Drawing Practice 012

         Thia was my assignment for last week. I've learned that the key  to achieving a realistic or naturalistic look isn't the details, but a good shape design.  So even with a limited value range, and a simplified shapes, rendering this wasn't as daunting as I used to think it would be.  My instructor said, as long as there's a clear separation of the lights from the darks, and focus on drawing the head well,  the whole figure would still work well.  He said this works. Yey!

Figure Drawing Practice 011

      I really didn't know what I don't know prior to taking a figure drawing class.  I didn't understand anything about value grouping, limiting the value range, shape designing, and the different edges. All these components, I now realized, would be building blocks I would need when I eventually transition to  painting in color.    But for now, learning to understand values, shape design, and edges, together with a good lay-in and a good rendering, are enough to keep me busy for months.

    Here's one of my assignment submissions. There was a few more finishing notes I got from my art instructor, that I need to consider in my future work. But I'm quite pleased with what I've done here.


Model Reference from Croquis Cafe.

Figure Drawing Practice 009

       Another essential lesson I'm learning from the online figure drawing class I'm taking is Value Grouping.  Instead of filling in all the tiny details. I simplify the shapes and group the values with a very limited value range. Even without those details, it still looks realistic. It's not the details that makes it look real. it's a well-designed shapes.  

       Here's one of the assignments I did for the class.  Model Reference from Croquis Cafe.

Figure Drawing Practice 008

      Another breakdown of my drawing process, from gesture lay-in, up  to the finish render.  Drawing a good lay-in took a bit of time. Making sure that the gesture was clear; the shape design was simple and the proportions correct. Then fitting in the details was like completing a puzzle.  Finishing the whole thing took me approximately  a day.  Learning these steps makes drawing the figure easier to handle.