1st life drawing class

[jonny t]

Hi i'm 16 and Tomarrow I am going to a nude life drawing class at 6pm, to 9pm. I wanted to know any tips or suggestions because it is my first time, and What supplies will i need?

[Seedling]

Hello Jonny! I've found that the best supplies for someone new to life-drawing are a BIG tablet of newsprint, a board that's the same size as the tablet, alligator clips to hold the tablet to the board, and charcoal. Vine charcoal is a good choice, because it makes light marks that can be smeared or erased off. (Pressed charcoal, on the other hand, is so thick and dark that you can never erase it entirely once you've drawn with it.) Take lots, because it gets used up quickly. A gummy eraser is also good to have.

A rag is good to have on hand, too, either to draw with, or to wipe off your hands (and possibly face) when you are done. (I used to leave my drawing class looking like I'd dipped my head in a fireplace.)

Avoid any medium that is in a pencil form at first, because it's too easy to get sucked into drawing fiddly details when you are fighting a giant sheet of paper with a tiny point. With charcoal you can make thin marks from the end, and fat marks by drawing with the side.

Conte and pastels are other non-pencil mediums you can try. But keep in mind that conte can't really be erased.

Good luck tomorrow! That first nude drawing session is always a shocker. Don't worry about messing up your drawings or drawing badly. These sketches on newsprint anyway, so they aren't meant to be anything but practice. The objective is to learn to draw the human figure, not to make perfect finished drawings.

Have fun!

[Mirana]

Hmm, I disagree on the vine. It has a hard time sticking to the surface of newsprint. Besides, if you're doing gestural drawings you shouldn't be erasing anyhow.

I use compressed charcol, a tablet of newsprint and an easel (though those are usually provided at most sessions).

[3ch1n0]

I suggest using a simple sharpie for when you are just starting out. this way you will not be able to erase, and will become more confident with your strokes. (besides that, they are not messy, and are inexpensive) I know, for some, the idea of not being able to erase mistakes is scary, but that is something you HAVE to get over. Try not to care too much about these drawing, and treat them for what they are... studies.

If, however, you think you will get to rendering (which I doubt you would for your first session), I enjoy charcol pencils. If you do use a charcol pencil, sharpen it w/ an exacto knife, leaving roughly half an inch free from the wood, but do NOT sharpen the charcol itself. This will give your marks more varieties of thickness.

You will probably being drawing faster than ever before in your life, so again, i say sharpies are the way to go. Work on your jesture, and draw what you see. Look for a movement line (an action line starting from the top of the figure to the feet). Draw this movement line first, and then construct the body you see around it. I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but doing this will often give your drawings more life and movement. Lastly, it is better to overexaggerate than it is to underexaggerate (i'm refering to twists of the body and arches of the back), remember this or your drawings may feel very stiff.

Good-luck and I hope you enjoy it. Lifedrawing sessions for me are always a thrill.

-3ch1n0

[Storyboard Dave]

Depending on the teacher and their methods, it can vary. Usually with first days I wouldn't worry too much about the EXACT supplies. Bring at least something to draw with and then get the syllabus to get exactly what the teacher wants then.

And don't be afraid to try that particular teacher's technique. It might seem foreign and odd but at least try it.