Using Nicolaides "Natural Way to Draw" without a live model

[VideroBoy]

So, I recently got The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides. As far as I can tell, the exercises assume a live model.

Suppose I am unable to secure a live model for some reason (lack of time, lack of willing friends, etc.). What are my options exactly?

I suppose for some of the gesture-related exercises I could go outside and sketch random people on the street (people don't mind, right?). Other than that, am I left with drawing random junk in my apartment? Or going outside and drawing random cars, trees, and other such junk?

[chris_kaw]

I suppose for some of the gesture-related exercises I could go outside and sketch random people on the street (people don't mind, right?). Other than that, am I left with drawing random junk in my apartment? Or going outside and drawing random cars, trees, and other such junk?

That's what I hear. Do enough and you'll get somewhere. It's pretty frustrating though, when the person you're sight-copying starts fidgeting about. All part of the process I suppose.

[Nezumi Works]

That's what I hear. Do enough and you'll get somewhere. It's pretty frustrating though, when the person you're sight-copying starts fidgeting about. All part of the process I suppose.

That's why you learn to draw fast! Which is part of what I'm trying to accomplish lately, sitting in the mall every day on the way home from work to draw passersby. I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm starting to feel the sort of idea I'm aiming at.

On the topic of Nicolaides, I'm really not sure I'd consider him a "beginner" text. His stuff makes a lot more sense, I find, if you've got a bit of experience under your belt first. Maybe Loomis instead, and then tackle Nicolaides later on? He's certainly got his merits, but accessibility isn't really one of them. My opinion only, of course, so you can take or leave it.

[Ryan K]

That's what I hear. Do enough and you'll get somewhere. It's pretty frustrating though, when the person you're sight-copying starts fidgeting about. All part of the process I suppose.

I wonder if that's how these types of sketches or paintings come about:



If it is, then that's a pretty neat way to utilize it. It's like long exposure on a camera.

[Xeon_OND]

Today, I was walking along the streets observing people and I start to picture myself drawing these clothed humans, and I have this question:

Is drawing from a high-res good quality photo of a naked human better than drawing a clothed human from life?

Seems that clothed humans on the streets obscure a lot of anatomy and could end up less useful than a photo of a fully naked human.

[dpaint]

Today, I was walking along the streets observing people and I start to picture myself drawing these clothed humans, and I have this question:

Is drawing from a high-res good quality photo of a naked human better than drawing a clothed human from life?

Seems that clothed humans on the streets obscure a lot of anatomy and could end up less useful than a photo of a fully naked human.

Two separate things; learning to draw clothing as it drapes on a human figure in action is different than drawing a naked human and studying the muscles and structure. Both are important and both compliment each other.

[chris_kaw]

Ryan K, that's a good one.

That's why you learn to draw fast! Which is part of what I'm trying to accomplish lately, sitting in the mall every day on the way home from work to draw passersby. I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm starting to feel the sort of idea I'm aiming at.

I've done some pretty horrible, sketchy stuff copying people who won't stand for 10 seconds. Forgive my newbieness, but how do you get the most out of randomly copying passersby? Is blind copying contour part of the process, or do you do action lines first, fill rest with 'imagination', that sort of thing?

[Xeon_OND]

I've done some pretty horrible, sketchy stuff copying people who won't stand for 10 seconds. Forgive my newbieness, but how do you get the most out of randomly copying passersby? Is blind copying contour part of the process, or do you do action lines first, fill rest with 'imagination', that sort of thing?

Go to: http://www.sheldonsartacademy.com/procedure.php
View the first 5 pics or so on that page.

[Nezumi Works]

I've done some pretty horrible, sketchy stuff copying people who won't stand for 10 seconds. Forgive my newbieness, but how do you get the most out of randomly copying passersby? Is blind copying contour part of the process, or do you do action lines first, fill rest with 'imagination', that sort of thing?

Xeon's on the money here (and that's an amazing link, fav'd!). What you're trying to get down here is gesture and body masses, more than anything else. The story and human quality of your drawing. Later, you can flesh things out, but when you're drawing on location you learn what you need to capture to tell that person's story.

I'm pretty new at it myself, but I'm quickly realizing a lot of the things I have to keep an eye out for. It's quite the education, and hopefully it'll have a big impact on what I do.

[dpaint]

I've done some pretty horrible, sketchy stuff copying people who won't stand for 10 seconds. Forgive my newbieness, but how do you get the most out of randomly copying passersby? Is blind copying contour part of the process, or do you do action lines first, fill rest with 'imagination', that sort of thing?

You look for repetitive actions and gestures. They are all around you when you look for them you start to see peoples body language and you anticipate what will happen. You develope your visual memory. It helps if you understand the ideal and use that as a basis to draw the specific. Heads,bodies and Arms and legs are limited to a range of motion, those rhythms give you the visual anchors for your drawing and you learn to grab them as they repeat.

[Diarum]

Xeon I am using that link in my tutorial thread, by the way the link is in my signature

[brianvds]

I've done some pretty horrible, sketchy stuff copying people who won't stand for 10 seconds. Forgive my newbieness, but how do you get the most out of randomly copying passersby? Is blind copying contour part of the process, or do you do action lines first, fill rest with 'imagination', that sort of thing?

I suspect it depends to some extent on the artist, and what style he's working in. Some thing that has always struck me about most of the drawings of the old masters of the Renaissance and Baroque, is just how "finished" almost all their drawings are. Even sketches made of things like live animals, where the subject would not have been very cooperative. My impression is that they first observed, for a long time, and then drew, perhaps to a significant extent from memory.

I can't really be sure of this though. Art historians are unfortunately for the most part so busy trying to work out the "deeper meaning" of all that old stuff that they never get around to the really interesting technical questions like, for example, how did the artists go about making drawings?