Life Drawing Reflection

Warm-up sketches from Semester Two:

These are some sketches from this semester. I feel like I've become looser in technique in comparison to the first semester. This is likely due to having more practice with  observing form and learning how to complete drawings quickly at a fast pace. Before now I would focus quite some time on the details rather than getting a strong form down onto the paper. Now, I've learned that what's more important is to really observe the model and get a gestural movement drawn first, before honing in on the details like facial features and shading.

Head & Shoulders Task:

This week's task was interesting as it was a collaborative project. The idea was that each of us would spend 30 seconds drawing the model's head and the rotate clockwise around the room until we had completed the drawing. I enjoyed this as it really made me focus on the different stages of the drawing process and it allowed everyone to edit and add to one another's drawings. It was fun to see everyone's influence on my drawings.

Storyboarding Task (images in order):

In this task Mike assigned to us we were to create a storyboard from a live model. We were to use our eyes as a camera and visualise different camera angles/shots to convey a story in a sequence of drawings. The story itself was a figure whose hat has been blown off. The challenge was how we would go about giving a sense of wind. I tried to use a mixture of close ups and mid shots, ending in an up-shot to show some sense of triumph.

Finding Centre of Gravity:

These drawings aimed to find the centre of gravity when observing a model. I actually found this quite difficult as it was often hard to pinpoint where exactly the weight was falling on the body. Sometimes it was a forearm, others a hip/leg. However, it was valuable to learn this once Mike pointed out some mistakes to fix.

Conclusion:

Overall, I feel that this semester's life drawing module was successful. I learned a lot even within the space of a few months. I learned to be more careful and observant with my drawing, and not to just draw for the sake of getting something on the page, but rather to make sure each line and stroke had a purpose - be it to show weight or structure. I enjoyed each class and took something away from every one. I aim to keep drawing from life in the future as not only is it enjoyable, but also a useful skill to have as an animator.