Gesture Feedback Request
17d
Dana
I'm still trying to work on gesture with some quick study forms. I've only been giving myself 3 minutes on each, which may not be enough given how new I still am to drawing. Some of them end up unfinished due to running out of time.
I'd really appreciate feedback on 1. my lines, 2. the form itself, 3. how best to improve as a novice, 4. how to potentially self-critique (this may be hard given my inexperience and lack of knowledge, particularly with anatomy). I'd like to be able to self-critique to some extent so I can get quick feedback and try to improve rather than mindlessly repeating the exercise.
The second one, I kind of mindlessly scribbled over after time was up and while I was watching TV, so that's why some lines are quite heavy. The clothed one made it hard to actually do any form, but it came up in a random selection of images.
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16d
Nice work on these! Getting used to a timed sketching session is an adjustment, especially figuring out what parts of a subject to get down on paper first.
For your lines, they are a bit dark and scratchy for what you're doing, and a lighter pressure will keep it looking neater as you're utilizing searching lines and finding the right line. Practice your line confidence by using tapered strokes that follow through the entire motion of drawing, and not stopping and starting abruptly.
For your figures themselves, you have a good start here! With figure drawing, and specifically with timed sketches, the most important thing you want to focus on is the Line of Action and the gesture of the figure rather than the details of the anatomy or clothing or even hair and facial features. For the Line of Action, find a way to capture the flow of the entire pose from head to toe, and build the pose around it. I think you're already doing a good job using simpler lines to draw the parts of the figure, so keep that up!
I see you're in the Drawing Basics course, so keep studying the Rhythms lessons! I'll link a video from the Figure Drawing Course as well, which has some lessons that may help you out!
With critiquing your own work, it might help to approach it as if you're critiquing someone else's. For gesture drawing, what you'll want to look at as you critique is proportion, line quality, and line simplicity. Compare your drawings to your references and see where you might have shortened an arm or lengthened a torso too much, and be mindful of that as you continue your next drawing. As you watch lesson videos here or look at other artists' work, take note of how they put down lines and keep their sketches from getting too chaotic.
Keep up the great work! Remember it's not about details right now, and keep your focus with capturing the energy of the pose! As you practice it will become easier and easier! :)
https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/how-to-draw-gesture
https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/project-rhythms
https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/6-habits-for-good-line-quality
Thank you! I really appreciate the advice. Line confidence is something I am still working very hard on, but I know it comes with time and repetition. Do you feel that, with these self-paced courses, we should remain on a subject until we feel quite confident in it, or will lingering too long delay progress? I'm on the Cross-Contour on 3D forms video now. Perhaps it's best to revisit these other topics before going further?
