For this task we were asked to draw a sequence of six different poses lasting ten minutes each. I wasn’t able to access a model at this point, so I searched for models online to sketch. I chose six images where the positioning of the lighting upon the model varied, and, also the poses that the models were holding.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I’m super pleased with the outcome of these six sketches.

I think I’ve made some slight errors in proportion over a couple of the sketches. There are also some areas of the body that I’ve misjudged regarding the curvature of the body, either overdoing it or underdoing it; however, I am pleased with how these have turned out considering this is my first time sketching the naked or near-naked form.

I think these are fairly strong sketches and I’m feeling really proud of the progress I’ve made. If I had to choose a favourite of the 6, it would be sketch 3. I love the positioning of the model and found it a really interesting image to recreate. I think I’ve depicted the human body best in this piece, and the hatching techniques I’ve used to form the darker tones upon the body looks really effective.

Once again, I can see the benefits of working quickly; less time to think and worry about imperfections. Working quickly and with pencil, I was able to speedily add lines and work upon them, adding and editing as I sketched. If an area needed work, I found that, rather than use an eraser to remove them, sketching over them and adapting the sketch that way was more successful and looked far better.

Were you able to maintain a focus on proportion at the same time as creating a sense of weight and three-dimensional form?

I think I’ve accurately accomplished this.

I can see, specifically, in sketch 3, 4 and 5 that the proportion of the figures is accurate, and, at the same time, I’ve managed to maintain a sense of weight and three-dimensionality. These figures don’t seem flat against the page; I think I have managed to achieve this through the use of tone and the curvature of my lines.
For example, in sketch 5, curving the lines around the shape of the breasts and around the thighs has achieved a sense of realism and the figure seems to rise out of the page that bit more. Small areas of shadow really transform a piece, so I made a conscious effort to locate all areas of tone, and add them all.

Which drawing gives the best sense of the pose and why?

I think sketch 3 gives the best sense of the pose. It’s a really interesting pose and one that I found challenging to depict, but one that is really impactful. It’s not just a person standing there, and the light upon the model really accentuates the curves of the body. Adding tone to a figure when sketching is really important creating a three-dimensional effect, and this was the perfect piece for that.

I particularly love the way the model’s legs look. As she is crouched on the ground, her legs folded and parted, the perspective/proportion was a little unusual. On the left leg, the thigh is barely even visible, which was tricky to portray, but I think I’ve managed to do a pretty good job. Her head is tilted upwards, as though she’s looking up to the sky; another area that I was worried I wouldn’t be able to accurately depict, but, again, I’m thrilled with how it turned out. This particular pose was one that I was anxious about, but I think it’s turned out pretty well.

Was there any movement or gesture away from the model’s central axis? If so did you manage to identify this and put it into your drawing?

In pretty much every single sketch there is some kind of movement or direction away from the central axis. I chose to add horizontal or vertical axis lines away from the central axis, as I’ve found this technique useful in previous tasks, and it worked really well in this task. Adding these lines also helped me massively in portraying accurate perspective, as I could use them as rough measurements of the torso and limbs.

---