Life Drawing
Lesson I
Gesture -- The Foundation of Figurative Art

Application of the projection concept to the stick figure

1. You've got your basic stick figure with its pivot points.

2. It is important to lighten the stick figure to allow subsequent line work to dominate. Planning ahead, you might want to start your stick figure with pale lines so you don't have to use up time erasing now.

3. You see a body part projecting toward you: Circle the pivot points on the projecting body parts.

4. Connect the two circles with straight lines. The stick is now a center line, defining the shortest distance between pivot-points in the joints.

5. Suppress the hidden side of the far end circle to indicate that the full circle is the projecting end. If an attaching body part sits in front of the projecting side of the cylinder, then you need to lose the full circle, like you see at the elbows.

 

Lets finish the tin man drawing:

Note: If the cylinders project less, circles get squashed more.

 

 

Gesture Intro Page Skeletal Foundation
Stick: The following are the key elements for organizing a "stick" figure:
The line of action Three ovals -- Head, Ribcage, Pelvis Pivot points Long bones Tilts and angles Contour center lines of front and back torso, and face
Projection and volume augmentations: While good as a foundation, the stick figure does not adequately express projection of form, volume, or relative position in space. There is more you can do to express these important factors in the posing model:
The shortcomings of the stick figure Showing projection Application of the projection concept to the stick figure Simple volume solutions Relative position in space
Loosen up: Using the stick figure foundation with the projection and volume augmentations, you can loosely organize an expressive gesture sketch:
Compare the "contour" method to the stick-start method Importance of the free-going mark The line of action and stick are construction lines Adding relationship and rhythm

 

 

What's New? | Shortcut

Entrances: | Studio | Alzofon Art Institute | Guest Wing, Link Room | Idea Library | Academy |
Rebecca Alzofon can be e-mailed at rebecca@art.net
This page created February 14, 1998
1998 by Rebecca Alzofon. All rights reserved.