Gesture Drawing
Capture movement and life in seconds.
Gesture is the foundation of figure drawing: the energy and direction of a pose before any detail. Seven days of short, timed drawings train you to see the whole figure at once and put it down fast.
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The line of action Done
Find the one curve that runs through the whole pose, from head to weight-bearing foot, and draw it first. Everything else hangs off that line. Don't draw outlines, draw the movement.
+6 more
Shapes over lines Done
Build on yesterday's line with simple masses: an egg for the head, a bean for the torso, tubes for the limbs. Keep it loose. You are describing volume and tilt, not anatomy.
+5 more
Weight and balance Done
A standing figure leans its weight over one foot. Notice how the hips tilt one way and the shoulders the other. Draw a plumb line down from the pit of the neck and check where it lands.
+4 more
Twist and rhythm Done
Martial artists coil the body like a spring. Look for the twist between ribcage and pelvis and exaggerate it slightly. A gesture that reads a little too strong is better than one that reads stiff.
+5 more
Blind gestures Done
Today you can't see your drawing until the end. Keep your eyes on the reference and let your hand follow. The results will look odd, and that's the point: you are training the eye-hand link.
+4 more
Animals in motion Done
Gesture isn't only for people. A galloping horse has a line of action too, through the spine and into the tail. Find it before you think about legs.
+6 more
The longer gesture Done
Two minutes per pose. Start exactly as before, with the line of action and the big shapes in the first 30 seconds, then use the rest to refine. If the gesture goes stiff, you started on detail too soon.
+2 more