Henry Yan Figure Drawing Pdf
Expressive Figure Drawing by Bill Buchman. "The methods in this book can be summarized by four simple words: Art is an attitude... The art-is-an-attitude method is in essence very simple: You are making poetry. The marks you make express your ideas. Focus on the process. Be confident. Don't fuss." 176 pages. $16.49 The author also has a DVD: Art is an Attitude: The Art of Drawing The Figure A poetic journey through the realm of figure drawing in the form of 25 private lessons with Bill Buchman. DVD: 90 minutes. $34.95
Henry Yan Figure Drawing Pdf
Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form by Eliot Goldfinger. An understanding of human form is essential for artists to be able to express themselves with the figure. Featuring hundreds of photos and illustrations, this guide offers views of every structure that creates or influences surface form, informed by the detailed study of both live models and cadavers. A chapter on the artistic development of basic forms shows in a series of sculptures the evolution of the figure, head, and hands from basic axes and volumes to more complex organic shapes. 368 pages. $51.50
The Undressed Art: Why We Draw Writer-naturalist Peter Steinhart investigates the rituals, struggles, and joys of drawing. Reflecting on what is known about the brain's role in the drawing process, Steinhart explores the visual learning curve: how children begin to draw, how most of them stop, and what brings adults back to this deeply human art form later in life. He considers why the face and figure are such commanding subjects and describes the delicate collaboration of the artist and model. 259 pages. $10.21
Usefulness: There are useful step by step process of how Henry Yan does figure drawing that are well paced, they do not suddenly jump from the sketch to the finished product with no explanation, each step by step has explanations for what he is doing. He explains properly how traditional media should be handled and sharpened when doing figure drawing, with more lead exposed for broad shadow strokes. There are quite a few pages interspersed where its just finished work which is good as an example
The next drawing is a simple study of a basic walking movement. I based this study on a video, pressing the pause button at sequential stages and drawing the figure from these key frames. I roughed in the figures using a basic manikin structure, then replayed the video, adding more visual information.
The next drawing, Female Figure Jogging, is a sequential study showing the placement of the basic anatomical forms as the figure runs. As the right foot lands, the outer quadriceps muscle (vastus lateralis) becomes more tense. As the right lower leg stretches in the toe-off stage, the calf muscle (gastrocnemius) becomes more compact.
There are many ways to study sequential movement. Approaches to drawing a moving figure, summarized in the sidebar below, range from using very raw, gesture-like lines to constructing manikins with geometric shapes to following a more anatomical approach in which you observe and draw the muscular forms changing shape in each key position.
The following studies were done from video sources. Some were executed in a quick, loose manner and others were approached more methodically. Quick Action Studies of a Soccer Player, is a series of gesture studies, using a loose manikin approach, of a soccer player running toward the ball to kick it across the field. I included the red arrows when drawing to indicate key directional movements.
For the study Soccer Player Changing Directions Mid-Stride, below, I quickly drew a manikin of each position with graphite pencil and then later emphasized the anatomical contours with ballpoint pen for the lines and a warm gray marker for the tones. Since I wanted the drawing to be a simple study of the basic structure and anatomical forms, I drew the figure without clothes even though the player was wearing a typical soccer uniform.
In Study of a Racquetball Player Doing a Forehand Stroke, I drew the figure using the manikin approach, which helped define how the figure moved structurally. Indicating the structure in this very simple manner made it easier to see how the figure was leaning and twisting and how the right arm created a dynamic arc.
In Study of a Ballet Movement, opposite, I emphasized the rhythmic shapes of the forms to bring out their organic, fluid quality. The rhythm of forms method works well when there is an obvious flowing energy to the overall movement. (Using the manikin approach might have made the figure look stiff.)
Study of a Basketball Player Slam-Dunking a Ball Through a Hoop, opposite, combines actions: a horizontal running action and then a vertical jumping action. The figures were first drawn as basic manikins, and the last five drawings were fleshed out with anatomical forms.
In this exercise, you superimpose the key positions of the action over one another. You can work from a model, from a video that you freeze-frame, or from sequential photographs. When working from a live model, have the model perform a very simple movement with one or both feet anchored in place. For example, the model could stand with feet planted on the floor, then slowly bend from the waist. Ask the model to execute the pose in three or four stages and to hold each position for thirty seconds to a minute. Instead of doing separate studies of each movement, superimpose your drawing of each successive key position on top of the first drawing. This exercise works best if you limit the layers to three or four. The superimposed layers can be drawn very lightly so that the overall drawing does not get cluttered with too many dark lines and tones. If you would like to embellish the layers, you can ask the model to repeat the same action again.
If a live model is not available, choose a video of a figure that remains standing or sitting while part of the body is moving. Freeze-frame the action at intervals, as you did in exercise #1. First draw the original pose, then superimpose each key position of the movement on top of it. You may watch the sequence a few times for additional information, should you need it. Or you may enhance the drawings from memory.
In this exercise, you draw from a live model who is executing a series of continuous movements on the model stand or on the floor, moving from one location to another. These movements should be performed in ultra-slow motion and in an improvisational, free-form fashion rather than according to a planned or choreographed sequence. Because the model does not pause, you should sketch each position for only a few seconds, continuously moving the drawing tool without lifting it from the surface of the page. You can connect the different stages of the movement with flowing lines or a series of rapid, angular strokes.
An alternative is to draw from a video of a dance sequence, yoga, or tai chi movement played in slow motion, as I did in the drawing on this page. Whether drawing from a live model or a slowed-down video sequence, draw continuously without any interruptions of the action.
Since the model is moving from one location to another, you should not try to superimpose the movements on top of one another as in the previous exercise. Instead, rapidly move your drawing hand from one position on the page to the next, building a cluster of images moving across the page. Since you only have a split second to see a particular position, you will be drawing from very short-term memory before looking up to visually grab the next position. This exercise is challenging precisely because you do not have the opportunity to stop the model so that you can finish the sketch. The model will always be slowly moving to the next position and will not be able to repeat anything.
This exercise requires that you work from a live model. Ask the model to perform a continuous action (such as swinging a baseball bat) and then to break it down into three to five basic positions. Then the model should take those positions sequentially, holding each for two to five minutes while you draw. (Alternately, you can take photos of the key positions and practice drawing them after the session.) Since the action is planned, or choreographed, the positions may appear slightly stiff because they are all in the safety zone of equilibrium. To counter this stiffness, try slightly exaggerating the joint movements or applying a continuous tone in the background, connecting the figures together.
Study of a Figure Hitting a Baseball, opposite, is an example of a choreographed sequential movement drawn from a model who held each of the four positions for a short interval. Because of the short duration of each pose, I approached the drawing as a gesture study. I used a graphite pencil to sketch the initial shape of each pose, then embellished it using a ballpoint pen. The watercolor wash was added afterward.
In Study of Two Male Figures Acting and Reacting, shown next, I worked from two different gesture studies, placing the figures together on a light toned paper. I then decided to treat this as a longer study so that I could focus on the anatomical forms.
In Study of Two Female Figures in Action and Reaction Poses, I drew from two models who were doing short poses together. I tried to capture the narrative aspect of their actions by emphasizing their body language (one figure dominating, one figure reacting in a frightened manner). Animators would naturally exaggerate this type of action into a much more obvious storytelling scenario.
Valerie L. Winslow is a professional fine artist who has exhibited her paintings, drawings, and low-relief sculptures in museums and galleries nationwide since 1977. Works by her are in many private collections, and she has won numerous museum awards.