First lifedrawing sketches

[Gossamer]

...more to follow.
First is 15 min pose, second is 20.
I've just started taking weekly life drawing classes. Much fun
I'm still pretty shakey on areas like hands and feet...difficult, conditioning your eye to see what's reaslly there instead of what you think is there.

[Gossamer]

71 view and not a word of reply, just makes me sad
I know they're not up to the general standard on these forums, that's why I'm taking the classes, to get better at drawing
But any feedback would be appreciated.

[littlejohn]

All I can say is keep it up. You might try reading about the difference between a contour, a gesture and a tone drawing and exploring those techniques. Nicolaides is good. Many people like Lomis, Bridgeman and Hogarth.

You'll learn how to make more convincing marks for hands and feet if you keep trying.

I'd say that, for a beginner, you balance the figure well. Please post more when you can.

[The_Dude_Abidin]

well I can tell that these are early drawings but I also know they can change dramatically. The only things I can say from these few drawings are first and foremost observation is everything. A real problem with drawing is that everyone has a predetermined picture of what something looks like and falls back on that. always drawing a hand or a ear or nose in a generic way. You have to free your mind of all those and draw what you see. Second is to stay away from what I call a furry or hairy line.This is a dead giveaway of early drawing. Its when you make little marks searching for the liine all over the top of the previous one. Be bolder with placing your line. lightly so it can be changed but the searching with a hairy line is a bad habit. But I do see a good start for observation and the proportion is not bad. Just keep it up. Stick with life drawing because nothing helps you more than that. Hope to see fututre drawings.

The Dude

[Dromond]

Originally posted by The_Dude_Abidin
well I can tell that these are early drawings but I also know they can change dramatically. The only things I can say from these few drawings are first and foremost observation is everything. A real problem with drawing is that everyone has a predetermined picture of what something looks like and falls back on that. always drawing a hand or a ear or nose in a generic way. You have to free your mind of all those and draw what you see. Second is to stay away from what I call a furry or hairy line.This is a dead giveaway of early drawing. Its when you make little marks searching for the liine all over the top of the previous one. Be bolder with placing your line. lightly so it can be changed but the searching with a hairy line is a bad habit. But I do see a good start for observation and the proportion is not bad. Just keep it up. Stick with life drawing because nothing helps you more than that. Hope to see fututre drawings.

The Dude

Oh man, I always knew that I had a problem but now I know the name of it. I'm the king of the hairy line :p

[I.was.ink]

I agree with the dude. Have you noticed how little kids drw something that looks like squiggles and nothingness, and you ask them what it is and they tell you its an elephant or a car, and you can't see it. Its because they capture the essence of it and don't worry about every little detail at first. they capture it essence. That's what I suggest. With one line, in one sec draw the shape in which the person is posing. and don't forget that the most important thing right now is to capture the essence of the poe, Don't concentrate so much in the little details that make you go to that dreaded hairy line as mentioned above. and OBSERVE< OBSERVE< OBSERVE. Draw what u see, not what you think you know. Let your eyes tell you what to draw, not your head. because when you trust your head you tend to draw what u think u know, instead of drawing what u really see.

hope this helps!

[Gossamer]

Thanks for the feedback, people
Dude- I see what you mean about fuzzed up lines. So does the person who teaches the group. He's going to make me draw straight in ink next session, argh. Should help me dedicate myself to a single line instead of half a dozen broken up ones, though.
I'm in a situation in my drawing class where everyone else has about two or three more years of drawing under their belt. Which helps a lot, seeing how they work, and also because of the competition it stirs up hehe
Observing instead of just seeing, a very tricky and sometimes frustrating thing to learn. But I'm going to get there heh. I'm detirmined to.

Sadly the scanner is broken atm- I'll update with some more pics as soon as it gets fixed


--Gossamer