Fantasy Art Class: SEPT-DEC 2013:WEEK 4&5

Ok, REALLY sorry for the delay in getting this post sorted. The deadline for my new book is a bit punishing.

First off, I will recap on the figure drawing stuff some of you were requesting.

I generally approach figure drawing like this...

... loose and sketchy.
I know that some of you find the braek down shapes more helpful so I wil recap on those right now.
When I used to use this method of putting together a figure drawing, I would use an oval shape for the head, a kind of egg shape for the body, cylinders for te arms and legs and spheres for themajor joints, such as the shoulders ,elbows and knees etc.

You could also try the even more simplified version of this by creating what is generally refered to as a skelton frame

The important thing to remember when creating any figure drawing is how the body works and how each movement will have an effect on the rest of the body, whether it be a bent knee, a tilted head or shoulder etc.

Study the arrows indicating the direction of the tilt due to the body weight being placed on the right leg.

By the way, if you are wondering what the three vertical lines are for, I put them there in case they helped those of you who have a tendency to lean your figure work slightly. If you find that this is still the case, just draw some feint vertical lines one central and two either side. So if this helps.

The drawing below may look a bit complex at first ...

...but once you realise it's just a collection of shapes...

...you can position them to create all kinds of poses. Ok, easily said than done, I imagine some of you are saying, but just remeber, I had to put lots of practice in to figure this out. Just keep drawing, and looking, and seeing, and drawing.

PROJECT #1

Here are the breakdowns of the fairy sketch we started in class.

If it helps, just go for capturing the shape created by the legs and body first and then add the arms

Play around with the position of the wings to see which works best. Try to make them compliment the body of the fairy.

PROJECT #2

This pose could suggest a number of scenes...

HANDS

Hands are easy to draw once you realise that they break down into managable components. The palm is usually pretty much square, the fingers can be constructed using cylindrical shapes and spheres for the knuckles. Study your own hand. Draw your own hand. Keep drawing your hand . You've prbably heard the saying, " I know it like the back of my hand", well, don't just know the back, know all sides, insideand out. This is what will enable you to draw hands really well.

If you are going to use these construction shapes to draw a hand, DO NOT get too wrapped up in drawing perfect shapes. Figure drawing is as much about feeling your way around the frame . The diagrames presented here are just for clarity. Loosely sketch your groundwork as in the examples shown above.