27thMarch2013

StagesofaFullyRenderedFigureDrawing

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StagesofaFullyRenderedFigureDrawing
In Classical Drawing, we are not so much drawing the figure, as drawing the
light and shadow, which will reveal the human form. This is a stepbystep
approach that employs layers of increasing refinement and sophistication at
eachstage.Theruleisalways,togofromthegeneraltothespecific,towork
from the big form, to the everdiminishing smaller and smaller forms, but to
alwaysstayinthecontextofthelargestatement.
Different stages will require a different way of seeing, and a different way of
thinking, and a different way of handling our material, all of which will be
coveredinclasstime.
I have used a drawing from an unknown 19th century Portuguese academic
artistforthisdemo.Pleaseexcusethegraininess.Asyouwillseeinreallifein
class,theoriginaldemodrawingsaremuchsmootherandmuchmoresubtlely
rendered.
1.TheBlockIn
Spend the first five minutes observing the model. Specifically we are
assessing the pose and how the weight is balanced in this contraposto
arrangement.With a plumb bob, we make mental or written notes of vertical
alignments,anddecidewhichplumblinetochooseforthispose.Aftermaking
asmallthumbnail(about3highinthecornerofourpaper),wethensetabout
measuringthehalvesandquartersontheheightofthemodel.
Thenwestarttheblockinofourdrawing.Markthetopandbottom,andwitha
ruler, draw the vertical plumbline and measured quarter marks on that
plumbline.
Using comparative measurements, we block in the feet, then using vertical
alignments,weworkourwayupthelegs,totheknees,whichshouldbeinthe
vicinityofthefirstquarter.Continuingwithverygeneralenvelopetypebockin
sketchyghostylines,wemakeourwayuptothehipsandthemajorchanges
ofdirectionthere,thenthewaistandeventuallytothearmpits.
Once we have reached the armpits, we start from the head down. First the
head,thentheshouldersandthenthearms.

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2.TheConstruct
The construct stage is fairly quick, but crucial.We observe where the centre
lineofthemodelstorsois.Thatisaconstructionlinethatstartsatthepitof
theneck,downthesternum,downtheabstothebellybutton,andthendownto
thepubicregion.Thisconstructlinewillgiveusthegestureandswingofthe
torso, as well as the division of left and right for proper perspective. We can
then place a line across the centre line that is the bottom of both pecs or
breasts.
Wewillalsoplaceacentrelineontheheadforthecentre

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3.TheShadowShapes
Justasweblockedintheoutercontoursinageneralfashionforthefirststage,
thisisthestagewhereweblockinthegeneralideaofwheretheshadowswill
go,andthenplacealighttoneintheshadowareas.Thistonecanbe#2,or#3
value.

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4.TheArticulation
We are now in a position to judge all our shapes better, because of the light
tone placed into the shadow areas. The drawing has moved from a general
linedrawingtoonethatisconcernedwithmasses.
First we should assess whether all the large shapes are right, and make
correctionstothebigpicturefirst.Weassesswhetherourmeasurementsfor
quarters and halves were right, whether our alignments and placements of
hips, waist hands were right, and most importantly, whether that top quarter
hasbeenproperlyapportionedtotheheadandshoulders.
Oncethosemajorcorrectionsaredone,wecannowgothroughformbyform,
with all the smaller undulations of the shadow areas, and their corresponding
lightareas.Wemakethosesmallerarticulations,andtoneinthatshadowarea
darker,toavalue#5or#6.
In this stage we are creating a twotone lightanddark silhouette. The two
tonesarethewhiteofthepaperforthelightsandthe#5or#6oftheshadows.
Wemakenodifferentiationbetweenanythinginthelights,noranythinginthe
darks.

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5.TheFallofLight
Thisstageandthenextoneareconcernedwithestablishingacontextforthe
lightsonly.Nottheshadows.
Thefalloflightistheidea,whichcanreadilybeobserved,thatthebrightness
of the light from our single, overhead light source, diminishes as it travels
furtherawayfromthatsource.Sothetoppartofourmodelreceivesbrighter
light and then brightness gradually drops off the further down or 6 feet model
thatittravels.
Soweplaceasmoothgradationoftonefromtheanklesuptothebottomofthe
ribcage.
Typicallydownbytheankleswecanstartwithavalue#3andgradateslowly
andevenlytillwegettothe#1(thewhiteofthepaper)andthebottomofthe
ribcage.

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6.TheBigFormModeling
This stage is also conceptual in nature. We should understand our guiding
principle,thatwealwaysworkfromthebiggestform,thebiggestidea,themost
generalstatementtosmallerandsmallerideas,formsanddetails.
In this stage therefore, we need to step back from the notion that we are
drawingallthedetailsofthemodelinfrontofus,andengageourconceptual
brain, that is going to see each part of the model in its most basic geometric
form.
Once again, we are concerned with creating a context in our lights (not the
shadows).
Right over top of the Fall of Light (above) we model the big forms of the
cylinders (all the limb segments, and the torso), the sphere, or ovoid of the
head, and the semispheres of the shoulders, and the cubes of some of the
joints,suchastheknees.
This stage changes the graphic look of the previous stages to one of a
volumetricstatement.

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7.VariationsoftheDarks
Nowthatwehaveestablishedthecontextforourlights,weturnourattention
back to the shadows. In this stage, we aim to bring all our shadows to a
completefinish.
Wedealwiththeabsolutedarkestareasfirst,thatisthehairinshadow.Then
wemovetothebedbuglineandtheturningoftheoutsideformawayfromus.
Theremaybesomemorevariationsinthedarkareassuchasthearmpitora
continuationofsomeformssuchasribs,pelvisintotheshadows.
Thetonalrangeinthedarksshouldbeminimized,sothattheviewerseyeis
lessdrawntotheshadows.
Reflectedlightsshouldnotbeerasedoutofourinitialshadowvalue,butrather,
they should simply appear by virtue of the darkening of surrounding bedbug
lines,turningoftheformandcastshadows.
We should pay special attention in differentiating form shadows and cast
shadowsandusetheruleswhichgoverneachoftheseseparately.
And we should look for opportunities to include lost edges, and soften edges
whereedgesneedtorecede.
Trytosimplifythedarksasmuchaspossible.

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8.RenderingoftheLights
This is the final stage of the drawing, and should be the stage in which time
slowsdown,andwefocusonrenderinginorder,thebiggestforms,themedium
forms,thesmallforms,themicroformsandsoon.
Sincewehavealreadyestablishedthegeneralcontextofthelights,itsagood
strategytodevelopandrendereachform,segmentbysegment,toacomplete
finish.
Inrenderingtheseforms,weneedtobedelicateandsubtle,andmaintainthe
dominance of the governing larger volumes. Small details must always be
subjecttofittingintoalargercontext.Foreachformandsubsequentsmaller
andsmallerformsthatarerendered,weneedtoturnthoseformsandensure
that within its own context each form has a light, a mid and a dark value to
createtheillusionofvolume.
Inthiswaywecanconveytheentirebreadthandcomplexityofthehumanform
inonedrawing.

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MandyBoursicot2013
Posted27thMarch2013byMandyBoursicot
Labels:classicalart,Classicaldrawing,ClassicalDrawingAtelier,classicalorderoflight,classicalrealism,drawing,
drawingclass,figuredrawing,lightandshadow,progression,stagesoffiguredrawing
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