I
figured it would be a worthwhile exercise for me to explain some of the self-devised
approaches to life drawing that have evolved in my subconscious over the years.
I am aware that there is a rich abundance of tuition freely available on the
internet regarding drawing methods and it is not my intention to repeat what
has already been said so concisely before. What I want to outline instead is
some of the insights that have surfaced in my experience and that continue to
work for me. I cannot say if these approaches are right or wrong, but they may
be of some help:
Above: 'Figure 11' by Rhys Eggleton. See more life drawings here
Triangulate – whenever I need to accurately place
an element in a drawing without an obvious nearby reference point, I visualise
the points of a triangle to help me confidently place it. This basically involves staring at the model
and picking out two clear points that have already been drawn. I then superimpose
an imaginary triangle that connects these two points to a third, which is the element
I intend to add. I focus on the angles and proportions of the triangle and then
translate the observation to my drawing by lightly marking where the third
point of the triangle would fall.
Pull back – sometimes if what I am attempting
to render is complex I tell myself to ‘pull back’. In doing this my concern
shifts from the daunting task of depicting intricate detail to capturing the gestalt
(the overall wholeness) of the subject. It is a way of zooming out and
simplifying what I am observing. I make a conscious effort to avoid slipping
into ‘tunnel vision’ which can occur when fixating on a small area for too
long. This can lead to a massive disparity of quality within a drawing because
other areas are usually neglected of attention or rushed as time runs out.
Shorthand – with the pressure of a timed pose
efficiencies need to be found in order to have a resolved drawing at the end of
the session. I commonly shade small areas to their approximately tonal value
and then lightly indicate the boundaries of these respective areas which I can
revisit and complete after the model has finished posing. It is like leaving a visual
shorthand note for myself whenever I discover an area that does not necessarily
require strict observation. This frees up precious time for me to focus on the
more essential elements that add gravity to the piece, such as; the gesture,
the features etc.
