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Overview
A brief review of anatomical structure is followed by detailed illustrations and clear instructions for rendering line, tone, structure, and form in a variety of techniques. Explanatory drawings, practice exercises, and step-by-step photographs are used to discuss sketching, sustained and contour drawing, working with charcoal or pastels, as well as finding and posing models and drawing people of different ages and ethnic groups.
Art students to professionals will find the text's direct terminology and detailed illustrations of immense value.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780486141817 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 06/14/2012 |
| Series: | Dover Art Instruction |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 160 |
| File size: | 25 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
Read an Excerpt
Figures and Faces
A Sketcher's Handbook
By Hugh Laidman
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1979 Hugh LaidmanAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-14181-7
CHAPTER 1
PART I/FIGURES
I am sketching Michelangelo's David in the Florence Accade-mia. A busload of German tourists crowds through. The guard asks me to move. I take another position out of the traffic pattern. For the first time I realize how large David is. I draw the little girl at the foot of the pediment. I remember the story my old German art instructor told me—the top of David's head is still unfinished.... I think of all the work I've left undone and feel a little closer to Michelangelo. I think, as I draw, I can see the sculptor chipping away.
Because I have been drawing what I have been seeing and thinking about what I have been drawing, my impression of David may be closer to indelible than the impressions of most of those German tourists.
Bones
Above we have identified the major bones. It is not necessary to remember all the names, but it helps to be familiar enough with them for easy reference in the beginning. In the study of the bones, the framework of the figure, we begin to comprehend the possible degree or limit of motion of the parts of the human structure.
We can simplify the skeleton for the sake of drawing to the elements shown in the three views on the left.
At the top of page 21 are illustrations of the three main parts of the skeleton. The backbone, a series of tiny interlocked bones, connects the three parts. The important thing for the artist to remember is that the spine is a flexible column to which the three main inflexible parts are attached. The movement of these parts in relation to one another is in direct relation to the degree of flexibility of this connecting column.
The lower jaw moves in the skull, the pelvic girdle does change during childbirth, but fundamentally these three masses are static shapes.
Bearing in mind that the bones of most mammals, including the human, would fall into an untidy pile but for the fact that they are tied neatly together by an amazing structure of tendons and muscles, we will attempt a simplification of the human anatomy.
The upper arm bone (humerus) fits into a socket in the scapula, and the scapula in turn works in conjunction with the collarbone (clavicle), completing the collar around the neck. The scapula (shoulder blade) is anything but stationary, joined by clavicles right and left, one for each shoulder blade. The clavicles in turn almost meet at the front of the rib cage (sternum, or breastbone). It is traditional for the instructor to explain that the bone called the clavicle is so named because of its resemblance in shape to an ancient Latin key. This adds a bit of seasoning to an otherwise bland subject. More interesting to the artist is the fact that even in overweight people we can detect the clavicles beneath the skin and muscle.
The upper femur has a ball-like structure that fits into a socket in the pelvis.
In the human, the spine has an S curve. In the gorilla, another primate, the curve of the spine is that of a C. In the head, the frontal angle of the human is classically a vertical line; that of the gorilla is at a much greater angle.
Using our simplified skeleton of the torso area, make quick sketches of the rib cage, pelvic area, and the skull, connected by the spinal column. The upper section of the rib cage appears wider at the top than it actually is. This is due to the
scapulae and collarbones encircling the upper area around the shoulders and neck. The humerus, fitting into this area of scapula and clavicle, helps to give the appearance of a broader upper rib cage. Between the rib cage area and the pelvic area is the epigastrium. Keeping these facts in mind makes it a little simpler to sketch the human figure. Once we have general shapes of these three main masses—skull, rib cage, and pelvic girdle—well in mind, we can attack arms and legs with more assurance.
Viewing the figure from the rear, we find a bony area in the vicinity of the small of the back. The bone structure of the arm has certain similarities to that of the leg. The humerus, the single bone of the upper arm, extends to the elbow, at which point two bones, the radius and the ulna, continue to the wrist and hand. In the case of the legs, we have a socket in the pelvis that accepts the femur, which in turn extends to the knee, where we have two bones, the fibula and tibia, extending to the ankle and foot. Draw a couple of thumbnail sketches, first of the skeleton, then of the figure, in similar poses.
By the time you've study-sketched all my lounging skeletons on these three pages, you'll be better prepared to draw a figure. Make thumbnail sketches of these, bearing in mind what has been said of the skeleton and its functions so far.
There is no formula for producing instant artists. The nearest thing is the simple procedure in which the student thinks about every mark he makes on his paper in relation to the subject that he intends to draw and the purpose he had in drawing it in the first place.
The top three seated skeletons on page 24 are drawn from a skeleton placed in one position. I have merely moved from one vantage point to another to illustrate the variety of drawings possible from a single position of the model. The skeleton at the bottom of page 24 and the lower left skeletons on page 25 are again in one position, but I changed my drawing situation. The remaining drawings on page 25 are of a skeleton lying down on a couch, drawn once again from different viewing points.
The idea of sketching skeletons in these rather odd positions is to further acquaint the student with the framework of the human figure. Once you have this basic framework well in mind, it will aid you in drawing more convincing figures. At this stage, you need only make little thumbnail sketches, such as those I have included among our drawings of relaxed bones.
Muscles
Once you have become familiar with human bone structure, do a series of sketches from a model. As you draw the figure, preferably from life, try to see where the bones are. Imagine where the rib cage is. Try to locate the scapulae, think of the way the spine bends in the various positions. Later we'll draw figures and fit the skeleton into them, and vice versa. Now, before studying the main muscles, we'll just think about them.
Too great a mastery of anatomical knowledge may make the artist more anatomist than creator. Masters of the past were generally more occupied with anatomy than today's artists. Any comprehensive study of the human form in Renaissance days usually involved a one-on-one relationship with grave robbers, a degree of influence at court, and a strong stomach. Today's student risks only a few pennies' fine for an overdue book at the library in his quest for knowledge. Whatever the source, an intelligent study of the figure is basic to good drawing.
Here and on page 29 I have drawn both sexes in similar positions to point up similarities as well as differences in muscle appearance.
The function of the muscles of the body is to supply power for action. They do this in part by contracting, and in so doing, become shorter, harder, broader and more clearly defined. While a given muscle is contracting, a corresponding muscle is extending and pulling against the contracting muscle.
The study of the skeleton is a relatively simple project (with due apologies to orthopedic surgeons). The study of the muscles is far more involved. Quite simply, while bones seldom change their configuration except in the growth process, muscles change shape with any and all action. To further complicate an already difficult subject, there are more muscles than bones. It is small comfort for the figure artist to be told that should his knowledge of the muscles become so thorough that it overshadows the artistic merit of his figure drawing, he has just missed the boat.
Draw a figure. Once the figure has been sketched, fit the skeleton into it. Or, start with the skeleton and follow up by sketching the figure. Do this in little sketches as indicated here. In some cases, I've made sketches to show the basic tonal pattern or just the outline. Get into this habit of sketching these thumbnail drawings. This makes you think graphically, a very important habit. An explanation of how pages 30 and 31 were made will help. The model was posed, and the skeleton was posed in a similar position. I drew the model first and then the skeleton. I did this throughout these pages. All you need do, since chances are you won't have a skeleton around, is to make little sketches from these drawings, from any sketches or photographs you happen to have, or just "fake" them. ("Faking" is a designation used by artists when no model, photograph, or scrap is used in the completion of a drawing.) Make many sketches until you begin to think in terms of structure. Avoid drawings that look like an anatomist's drawing. Trace the sketch below and fit the bones into their proper locations.
Comparative Structure
The shoulders of the typical adult female are relatively narrower than those of the adult male. The nipples of the adult male are placed higher on the chest than those of the adult female. The nipples of either sex are not in the center of the breasts, but are toward the outside of the chest area. In the male, the section around the hips seems deeper, bringing the navel relatively higher in the adult male than in the female.
The humerus of the male is relatively longer than that of the female. A long-armed girl will find a sweater from the man's rack more likely to fit. The male's legs are longer, the torso shorter. Should some of these observations seem in conflict one to the next, it merely strengthens the case for simultaneous posing of the two sexes.
The center of the adult is at the crotch, at the pubic bone in the male, just above, in the female. As you study and compare the male and female figures, you will begin to store up your own special observations. No matter how athletic the female, her body does not develop distinct muscles as does the male; no matter how underweight or overweight, she still has a comparatively greater amount of fat over the thighs, the hips, and the buttocks. The buttocks of the male are more rectangular than those of the female, hers being rounder, fleshier, and relatively larger. Despite fads and fashion, this is the basic structure as provided by nature.
Balance
The standing figure must be in balance or it will topple. There are many ways of being in balance. In the top left figure, the model has more weight on one leg than the other. I have done a step-by-step progression again, including my little thumbnail sketch. In the bottom left figure, the balance is at three points. The model was leaning on a table. Without the table, it may appear he is about to fall. With a line to indicate the table, he is back in balance. The remaining points of support are the foot on the floor, and the toes just partially balancing the rest of the figure.
Below, two models pose in hard-to-hold positions, using tips of toes, knees, and fingertips as balancing contacts.
At the right I have shown a male and a female in similar positions to show the slight difference there is in conformation and attitude. Below them we have a figure kneeling, drawn from two vantage points. Again we have a balance, this time a four-point balance. The arch of the foot forward from toe to heel makes two points. The knee of the other leg and the toes of the foot on the ground make four. Constantly think of balance and weight distribution, as I've shown in my little sketches.
In the sketches below, the feet do the balancing. Remember that each foot has an involved system of balancing: the heel, a forward pad, and five toes.
I have drawn a male model in a similar position to the kneeling female on the preceding page.
If you were doing a portrait, and the model were to get into a position with one leg higher than the other, the final portrait, although showing just neck and head, would have a more relaxed appearance. Photographers know this and will often have a person stand with a foot up on a chair while they are taking a picture of just the head and shoulders. The straight-on pose—standing like a U.S. Marine at attention—is most uninteresting.
Hands
The hand is a most expressive part of the human figure. It can be entreating. It can be threatening. It can be, and frequently is, used as a weapon. It can do many things. Through the years, as different artists have portrayed the hands, each school has been most individual in its interpretation. We can easily recognize a Gothic hand or a Renaissance hand. If it were a hand by Dürer, we'd not only know it was a hand by Dürer but also know the period in which it was drawn. The human hand itself has not changed. The way it has been portrayed by artists throughout the ages has changed considerably.
Here I have done three sketches of the framework of the hand —the bone structure—and shown the opposable thumb. In the upper right, the tendons of the back of the hand are forced into focus.
The happy thing about the study of the hand is that you have built-in models. You can study your own in a mirror or you can look at them in front of you. Keep sketching. Make little sketches and big sketches. Study the hand. You'll find that a good hand in any drawing is going to help carry that drawing. This is the place where many artists fall down. Even non-artists have learned to look to the hands in a drawing when evaluating the relative ability of the artist whose work is under review.
As you draw and redraw your own hands in various positions, you will realize the range of expression that you can achieve. The drawings throughout this section are usually of a pair of hands. In most cases, with a little study, you will observe that I have begun with a line sketch of a given pair of hands, continued into a block structural rendition, and finished with a simple shaded drawing.
Again I am drawing varied positions of hands, starting with little thumbnails, and continuing, step by step, into finished sketches. Always strive for action, however calm and reserved. The hands must express something, preferably something the artist has in mind.
Study the relationship of one finger to the next, all the fingers to the thumb, fingers and thumb to the palm. Study the hand from the back, from the palm. In time you will begin to draw convincing hands.
Feet, Arms, Legs
I have drawn four sketches of the bones of the foot. In my sketch of a pair of feet below the sketches of the bones, note how the ankle bone is lower on the outside of the foot. As you view the inside of one of this same pair, you note the very distinct inside arch of the foot. At the extreme bottom of the page, the flat-footed effect of the outside of the foot is shown. The remaining two feet (not a pair) show the action of a foot running ... walking.
It would be a good idea to put a mirror in front of you and sketch your own feet in many positions. Study your own feet. You need the mirror because without it you get a limited view. If you can get a model to pose, fine, but it isn't necessary in order to sketch and study the construction and action of the foot.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Figures and Faces by Hugh Laidman. Copyright © 1979 Hugh Laidman. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page,Copyright Page,
Dedication,
INTRODUCTION,
PART I/FIGURES,
Bones,
Muscles,
Comparative Structure,
Balance,
Hands,
Feet, Arms, Legs,
Proportion,
Distortion,
Perspective,
Making a Drawing,
Finding the Right Pose,
Interaction of Figures,
Catching the Action,
Drawing Children,
Special Techniques,
PART II/FACES,
The Structure of the Head,
Following Through,
Male and Female Heads,
Light and Shadow,
The Inside Story,
Features,
Profiles and Portraits,
Age and Youth,
Final Drawings,