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Hello all.
It is a busy time of year, no one can deny that. There is so much activity and positive energy around the Figure Drawing Factory these days that I didn't see any reason to hold off on announcing the landmark twentieth Figure Fabrication project.
You know it has been said that if you want something done, give it to a busy person to do. So knowing that you are all busy with the holidays, and here on the group you have not had any real shortage of projects to work on, my guess is that you will all make like a bunch of Santa's little elves and get right on this one.
Our series of Figure Fabrication projects are ones that typically end up with a little more fit and finish than most, but more importantly the Fab projects are ones that we take a bit of extra effort to pay attention to the figure and what is going on with it.
There are untold numbers of figure drawing books out there that will identify every bone and muscle, while this is not unimportant, it is not what we are going to concern ourselves with this time around.
Everyonce in while a model will appear on the scene that is a joy to work with. Isabelle, a recent addition to our modeling pool and is one such model. Her well defined muscles and form represented in photographs that show each contour, make the poses she has made available to us so desirable.
The pose I have choosen is not what might be considered a typical pose for an classical art drawing session. (infact, though beautiful, i have found that many of isabelle's poses are unconventional) This particular pose is a body position that has been caught mid stride. What made me stop and stare at this pose was the light. As well the questions that immediately arose in my mind, were enough to hold me captive. The light hits her body so as to highlight and define all of the contours we are going to need to understand what is going on with this pose, and why it looks the way it does. Even without concerning ourselves with the anatomical names we can see and almost feel the tension in her gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. The internal and external condyles of her elbows are there for all to see, as well as the glorious arc formed by the cartilages of the 8th, 9th and 10th ribs.
The longer you study this pose I am confident that you will see many many landmarks that will not only help you understand what is going with this pose, on the surface, and also below it. Once you make note of these landmarks you will be able to use them help keep your drawing of Isabelle in true proportion.
All the talk of anatomy can be stifling, DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! There is lots of energy in this pose... so much _expression. If you don't see it in her figure, (that will be hard to miss) look at her face. It is obvious she is full of life and energy and movement. So don't necessarily tighten up here... be expressive as well as accurate.
So, this is what we want to end up with: A drawing or painting, you choose. Study the figure, observe what the muscles are doing. Make a composition that concentrates on the movement and expression of the pose all the while being as true as you can to proportion and anatomy as you can. But most of all, have a good time with this one.
I truly want to offer up a huge Thank you to Isabelle for and in behalf of the whole group. It is great to have you in the group, we appreciate so much what you have made available to us in your photographs and poses.
now, LET'S DRAW!!!
...royce
Click here for Fabrication 021
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