I only ever took one figure drawing class before at BYU, and it was probably my favorite art class ever. Not because it was fun; but because it was hard.
The human figure is really tricky- and to do it from life, adds another layer of tricks. You have to understand the bone structure, how the muscles fall on the bone, how the fat sits on the muscle and how the skin drapes over it all. Then you have to understand the proportions of each part in relation to each other, but from every angle possible. If I were to draw a cat, it could still look like a pretty good cat, and look NOTHING like the original. With people... we ALL know if it looks right or wrong. The smallest degree of change in the slant of a line here, the depth of a shadow here, the shape of this muscle here... the tiniest fraction of inconsistancy changes the entire look and outcome of the body. Why do you think we look so different and so similar all at the same time? Its in the tiny details that we differ.
Each class starts out with about 30 minutes of 2 minute poses. These get us warmed up. I always feel completely overwhelmed and under impressed with myself during the warm up.
The warm up is also where I ponder about the models... Its just so strange. They are just naked in a lit room, standing on a pedastal while 20 people sit and stare at every inch of them. How are they so confident and bold as to be drawn from every angle? Also, how do they sit so so still? So their job responsibilities are to be naked, and hold still for 20 minutes at a time! When I really get thinking about it, its the holding still without moving a muscle, and then after a short break, holding the same pose again that really impresses me! I also find it interesting that during the break they put on robes, and will walk around and chat with everyone. One of my friends pointed out, that it would be really weird if they didn't put their robes on, but at the same time- we've all just been staring at them... so why would it matter? but, the thing is... it does matter, and I can't quite put my finger on it.
Honestly though, some of the models are so amazing and beautiful and good at what they do, while I ponder on them always... I respect them a lot.
Ok, back to class. 30 minutes of 2 minute warm ups, then one or two 20 minute poses. After that they go into final pose which lasts the remainder of the class which is 1.5-2 hours long (breaking about every 20 minutes). In each final pose, I try to do the full body and a portrait. Sometimes we have 2 models at the same time, and I have to desperately chalk fast so that I can do both of them. I hate it when we have 2 amazing and very different models at the same time. So here are a few of my portraits and finished bodies.
I'm about half way done with the course, but I thought I would post some of the ones I have drawn so far... like I said, its real hard, which makes me feel kinda proud when I do a pretty good job.
