Gesture Drawings

Beginning Gesture

A Gesture drawing is work of art defined by rapid execution. Typical situations involve an artist drawing a series of poses taken by a model in a short amount of time, often as little as 30 seconds, or as long as 2 minutes. Gesture drawing is often performed as a warm-up for a life drawing session.

Lines

Use line variations as you draw: thick, thin, wide, narrow, heavy, or light. When you draw, consider the interior of forms, not just the outline. Allow your hand to follow the movement of your eye and use the tip and side of your media as you rotate your wrist while you draw. Move your hand in the direction the shape is moving, follow the contour of the object.

Contour

Contour drawing, is an artistic technique used in the field of art in which the artist sketches the contour of a subject by drawing lines that result in a drawing that is essentially an outline; the French word contour meaning, “outline.” The purpose of contour drawing is to emphasize the mass and volume of the subject rather than the detail; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject and not the minor details. However, because contour can convey a three-dimensional perspective, length and width as well as thickness and depth are important; not all contours exist along the outlines of a subject. This technique is manifested in different styles and practiced in the honor of drawing development.

Shape

The formal elements, those aesthetic effects created by design, upon which figurative art is dependent, include line, shape, color, light and dark, mass, volume, texture, and perspective, although it should be pointed out that these elements of design could also play a role in creating other types of imagery -- for instance abstract, or non-representational or non-objective two-dimensional artwork. The difference is that in figurative art these elements are deployed to create an impression or illusion of form and space, and, usually, to create emphasis in the narrative portrayed.

Form

Sighting In

To draw well, artists need to learn to see size relationships, angle relationships, and the relationship of different negative space sizes. We can teach this using "sighting in" devices and techniques.

Media

What are the characteristics of the media, the materials you are using in your gesture drawing? If you are using charcoal, what is it about the material that captures your attention? What are the differences in watercolor or pencil that make then unique to the visual challenges and experience you are having at that moment?

Point of View

What is the viewers angle to the composition? Where have you placed their eyes as they consider the work you present in front of them? Are they looking at the image from eye level? Are they located well above the figure and are looking down on it? Are they far below looking up at the subject matter? Think about how the rules of proportion and perspective will change the visual repersentation of figure (foreshortening).

Composition

Composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art or a photograph, as distinct from the subject of a work. What are the various types of composition, framing up the gestures / figurative works you are creating in your picture plane?