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Question: Help with Life drawing!?
I am currently studying life (figure) drawing, and I am confused by several things, such as how to accurately measure proportions (both for people and still life), as well as how to shade more complicated objects (i!.e!. Muscles, wrinkles in clothing, not something like basic cubes and spheres)!.
If anybody could help me with any of the above things, it would be greatly appreciated!. Or, If you could please give me a link to website that teaches drawing (I cannot attend a class due to personal and private issues), it would also be appreciated!. Thank You for taking the time to read this question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Without examples of your work it's hard to give really good advice on where you should start!.
Measuring proportions is a rather complex topic, but there are ways of approaching it in a simple way!. Generally it's just comparing one part of something to another!. example, the rib cage is usually twice as wide as the widest part of the skull!. - the lower arm is 4/5ths the size of the upper arm!.
If you have a subject you are working from, you can hold your pencil at arms length!. Use your thumb to mark on the pencil how long a part looks!. Then compare that length to another part!.
Shading complex objects, again you have to think simply, treating each complex object as a series of simple objects!. A hand seems complex, but if you break it down it becomes much simpler!. The palm is a rounded box shape Then you add the thumb!. The wrinkles in the palm are pieces of cylinders and cubes!.
Wrinkles in clothes are similar!. There are several general kinds of folds, some are long pipe shapes, like heavy drapes, some go around the clothes like at the elbows or knees!. and some are more sharp like a stiff starched material!. In general though these can all be treated like cylinders, or the insides of cylinders, or modified box shapes!.
Spend some time practicing simplifying complex objects and shading them!. It's good practice!. You could even just throw various types of fabric onto a table and draw those!.
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For proportion, use Divinci!.
The head is two circles!. The eye is in the middle of the head!. Eyes are spread out so if you were to put a third eye it would fit exactly in between!.
Go half again to get the nose!. The space you left for your eyes should be the guild line for the width of your nose!.
Half again from the nose gives you your mouth!. The width of your mouth should be the space in between the middle of your eyes ( your pupils when staring strait!. )
I have no trick for shoulders!.
If your arms stretch as far as they could and you stacked them together they will be the Length of your body!. The same goes for legs!.
For shading I have a suggestion!. Get a Barbie and/or Ken and a flashlight!. Besides eyes they are proportionate, and sense they have details like muscles, use the flashlight to change light prospective!.Www@QuestionHome@Com