I mentioned the Croquis Café site in a previous post – I had found a video posted by them on Vimeo that gave instruction on how to draw reclining figures. After more research, I discovered they provide a wealth of other resources to artists, primarily art model reference photos, and short videos with 1 minute, 2 minute, and 5 minute poses that are published to their site weekly. Croquis is a French word that literally means “sketch”, and the Croquis style of drawing is done in these short 1 to 5 minute bursts, forcing the artist to concentrate on gesture and proportion.
The two drawings pictured here were drawn from two of the model reference photos provided on Croquis Café’s web site. These weren’t started as gesture drawings, but it was invaluable to be able to take as much time as I needed, and to work as slowly and thoughtfully as I needed, in order to concentrate on the skills I need to improve. There is real value in the Croquis method of quick sketching, and of course there is nothing better than drawing from life, but having access to these reference photos is wonderful.
I’m not sure how obvious it is that I chose these two poses specifically because of how hidden their hands and feet are, but doing so removed the worry of those intricate details, allowing me to relax and work on the gesture, form shadows, etc. Having their faces in profile or turned away from view was also beneficial in helping me focus my attention on the form, composition, etc. Getting to choose the poses that help you work on specific skills is a luxury you just will never have at a class or open-studio.
コメント