drawing with confidence
position and ask yourself where your weight would fall. Feel it and it will improve your work.
6
Imagine yourself in the model’s position... Feel where your weight
would fall and it will improve your work
7
8 9
Paul Cézanne famously said: “Treat nature by the cylinder, the sphere and the cone.” This is an excellent starting point for figure
drawing, too. Keep your thoughts and the marks you make simple. The old adage applies here: “Draw what you see and not what you think is there!” Don’t get carried away with light, shade and tone; concentrate on understanding shapes and proportions and don’t rub out. Instead redraw until you feel you have made marks you are happy with. While the whole drawing might not be correct, relish the fact you drew a perfect thigh or shoulder. Learn from it and move on.
Move your position if you need to, in order to find an aspect of the pose that you prefer, but
don’t move simply because it’s a hard angle from which to draw. Being confronted with foreshortening and unusual views of the figure will teach you a great deal.
This tip comes courtesy of Leonardo Da Vinci – it is very useful to have a mirror handy. Hold your work up to a mirror and
you will soon see the areas that need improvement. Reversing the image helps you to see the balance of the composition. Embrace criticism from tutors and other artists, it all helps you to learn as you go along.
Don’t go too far too fast. Only move on from charcoal when you are ready. Leave paints and pastels until you fully
understand line, tone, light and shade. One thing I have learned is that figure drawing is a skill hard fought for. It is never easy, even for the accomplished artist, and many a piece of work is rejected before that frame-worthy one appears. For more details about Life Drawing for the Terrified and Jan’s other workshops, call (01993) 832357 or visit
www.janharveyartist.co.uk
Artists & Illustrators 51
© THE ARTIST’S ESTATE. PHOTO: CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL/ANDY PHILLIPSON
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