DRAWING WITH CONFIDENCE
With figure drawing, developing your confidence in the life room can be as important as improving your technique. Artist and tutor Jan Harvey presents her nine steps to success
I
t’s sad but true that life drawing has a snigger factor – you tell non- artists that you draw nude people
and the reactions range from incredulity to mucky jokes. It’s no wonder that the artist who is used to sitting in front of a bowl of roses or a misty landscape might find a move to a naked human quite daunting. The whole subject comes complete with a whole new set of challenges. In my workshop, Life Drawing for
the Terrified, I gently ease my students into the subject and try to understand their fears. Apart from dealing with a naked person sitting in front of you, getting the proportions right and understanding the human form is difficult, but as with all things practice really does make perfect. There are always time constraints
and unforeseen challenges in life sessions: lights fail, paper is left at home or your white paint runs out at exactly the wrong time. Nevertheless, nothing quite equals the joy of creating a piece of artwork based on the human form, so enjoy it and relish the good bits whilst learning from your mistakes. The following tips are designed to help you make the most of your first life drawing session.
1
Before you attend a life drawing class it is a good idea to look at human anatomy from a technical point of view. Have a browse through a copy of
Gray’s Anatomy or a similar book on the subject to help familiarise yourself with bone structure and muscle form. No one is saying you need to memorise all the different parts of the human body but understanding how a shoulder blade and collarbone
50 Artists & Illustrators
RIGHT Dorothy Johnstone, Rest Time in the Life Class, 1923, oil on canvas, 121.5x106.2cm
fit together, for example, can drastically improve your drawing.
2
Find a class with a friendly tutor, one who will understand your reservations. Don’t be afraid
to call in advance and ask any questions you might have. Arrive at least 20 minutes before the session begins and set up ready to begin on time. Latecomers are very disruptive.
3 4
5
Make sure you have the correct equipment. An easel and good-sized drawing board are incredibly important. Don’t
turn up with an HB pencil and a piece of A4 paper. Bigger is better where paper is concerned and charcoal is by far the best medium for a beginner to use. Experiment with papers from early on – white can be beautiful but awfully bland! Take plenty of cheap paper with you for quick sketches.
Set up your equipment in place early so that you do not have to fuss around during the session
and make sure you have a good source of light. Ideally you should stand as you work, so that you can step back and continuously compare your drawing to the figure in front of you. If you do need to sit down, draw with your arm extended and make sure the drawing board is perpendicular to your body, not tilted away from you.
Before you start to draw any pose, take a deep breath and a few moments to really consider the shape of the
model and the space he or she occupies. Imagine yourself in that
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