Painterly Figures with Tone: Part 1

Painterly Figures with Tone was a 4 week shortie art class, snuck into November/December. This post includes some of my favorite moments from that class. Please kindly overlook any flaws in the photography. A Sunday evening class, the images were taken on the fly, and in the dark.

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A word about working from photographs…

Typically figure drawing is best with a live model, and typically a figure drawing class would be in the studio, with a series of live model poses, but to accommodate long drawings and online classes, I asked our models to set up and photograph scenes for us to draw. I expected to receive some nice pictures, but they blew me away with their creativity. I love working with models!

Setting up for photographs allowed the models to take on poses they can’t hold for long periods of time, and the resulting photos allowed me to demonstrate concepts on the screen, in a way I couldn’t have done with a live model. Occasionally online classes have their benefits.

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Drawing the figure with tone

A foundational concept for this class was to shift from seeing a figure with a background to instead see light and dark shapes, with all shapes equally calling for description. This involves a great deal of letting go, since most people naturally have a strong urge to draw the figure and leave out the background, or save it to work around the figure after the figure has been drawn to satisfaction. To add to this challenge, most people start a drawing not with tone, but with outlines. We naturally look for the edges of things. Outlines are a way of identifying and delineating objects from their surroundings, a primal skill. But for these hours of practice, artists let go of both the outlines, and their gravitation to the figure. The results are gorgeous.

I love this scene that Mike set up, and he definitely couldn’t have suspended himself in the corner for three hours!

These drawings are examples of what a scene can look like when all elements are seen as equally important. The bed, the shade, and the figure were all described with equal curiosity and attention. I suspect that if an artist is curious about something and really working hard to really see what is in front of them (this is never as easy as it seems like it should be!) it doesn’t matter if it’s a figure or a wall, and it doesn’t matter how true-to-life or “perfect” the resulting drawing, the focus and curiosity from the artist will transfer to the viewer through marks which capture the viewer’s own interest and curiosity. Simply put, the artist’s interest makes it interesting.

In addition to tone, Lisa’s drawing shows great consideration for the model’s physically demanding pose. Notice how the foot plants itself on the uneven window ledge, and the thigh works to hold that tension. We can see more support in the core muscles, while the rest of the body is at ease. She captured this really well.

I love these Sunday figure drawing classes. No class is ever the same. Every class introduces a different approach to drawing. Next series is based on composition. “Composition” tends to sound like a great way to take the spontaneity out of a drawing, but I assure you, this is one of the most spontaneous and interesting methods of drawing I’ve ever experienced! Want to give it a try? I’m offering classes for beginner and intermediate artists.

Stay tuned – tomorrow’s V. Note will explain what the heck is going on here: