Life Drawing

These are some of the life drawings I have drawn using different techniques on my Foundation course. When drawing the human body it's important to get the proportion of the body right, otherwise the picture will not look realistic. I enjoy life drawing as it's a good way of expressing the human body through image using various techniques to create different effects.

I have created this drawing on a black piece of paper using white chalk to draw  with. I tried to capture only the light areas of the model, where the light was reflecting. I left the dark areas black. This gives an effect that the model has a bright light shining behind her that is illuminating her body from one side. I used my finger to smudge the chalked areas inwards to make the body seem more curved. 

This drawing was a 30 minute pose, I used graphite to draw with, using lots of small sketchy lines to create the image. I smudged areas with my finger to create depth in the image by darkening all the shadowy areas on the models body. I went back to add some detail like her collar bone and the feather in her hair. I used graphite because when used lightly it creates a good sketchy line that can easily be smudged to create shaded areas.

I created this picture by covering an A1 piece of paper completely with charcoal and by smudging using my hand I created lighter areas, and with a putty rubber I was able to make really white areas as it took away the black charcoal. I tried to capture the texture of the model by mimicking the way light reflected off her body. I also tried to create a ruffled effect  of the fabric she was sitting on. I was able to simulate certain muscles in her back by smudging the area with my finger in the direction that the muscle went in. I left the background black but smudged around the outside of the model slightly to accentuate her body shape. This image was inspired by Pierre Paul Prud'hon who used similar techniques to create captivating works of art.

The model did a 45 minute pose so that we could capture her in more detail. Because she was lying down I had to try and capture the position of her body on the fabric so it looks as if she is actually lying there. After drawing her body shape I filled in details and added some shaping to make her body look more rounded. I then drew her surroundings and s the creases in the sheet and shaded in the darker areas. I prefer it when I have a longer time to draw a pose as I am able to capture the model in more detail.

I created this picture using pencil. I first drew the model in her pose which inspired me to create a fantasy background in which I depict her as a fairy sitting on a mushroom with butterflies around her. I find this more interesting than just drawing the model in her original environment because I am able to use my imagination and creativity to create a fictional background for the model which wouldn't be easy to re-create in real life. 

I used a similar technique to create this image by drawing the model in two different poses and then creating a background that depicts one of the poses as a devil and the other as an angel creates a fantasy feel as if these are two different women but in fact they are the same just drawn in different ways with different features. 

My last drawing was a 45 minute pose where the model was lying down. I used charcoal and chalk to to create areas of shadow and light by smudging the charcoal and chalk around the muscles and the outlines of her body. I painted the background with a black ink to soften the edges and to add a sense of depth to the picture. This is emphasised by the shadows and light reflections off her body.