I’ve recently caught the ‘figure drawing bug’ again, and have been drawing non-stop since early February of this year. Since then, its been a personal mission and obsession to attend as many figure drawing workshops as possible in the San Francisco Bay Area where I currently live. This is a field report of my recent drawing journeys.

These reviews are of the recent workshops I’ve attended, organized by day. There’s also contact info for anyone who wants to draw at their local workshop, and support the Bay Area life drawing community. This report is currently ongoing, so check back for more updates, artwork and reviews.

MONDAYS

Mountain View @ Finn Center
230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View, CA 94040
http://www.arts4all.org/
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm / Fee: $10

I first found this workshop on Febuary 22nd, and I had a blast here. There are horses and tables available. There is ample space and the Finn center is a beautiful location. Best of all is the single source lighting set-up which is ideal for quick sketch and is my personal favorite. So far, the best lighting set-up I have seen in the South Bay/Silicon Valley area.

10 min pose from Mountain View, 2/22/09. Charcoal on paper.

Santa Cruz @ Santa Cruz Art League
526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 426-5787
http://www.scal.org/classroom.php
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm / Fee: $16

I attended this workshop on a cold, rainy night, which made through the winding roads of the Santa Cruz Mountains an adventure. The room is quite small. The model stage is surrouned by tables. There were easels available, but no horses (drawing benches). Being Santa Cruz, the vibe was very laid back, which reminded me of San Diego.

The only downsides are the crowded room arrangement and the poor lighting. The $16 drop in fee is quite high in comparison to other open workshops. Overall, it was a good, first time experience in Santa Cruz. I recommend this workshop for those in the South San Jose, or Monterrey County area.

5 min pose from Santa Cruz, 2/8/09. Charcoal on paper.

TUESDAYS

Palo Alto @ Palo Alto Art Center
1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
website
Time: 7:15 – 9:45 pm / Fee: $5

This was the very first workshop I attended since moving to the Bay Area in 2009. It was also the first time I drew from a model in over a year. Yikes!

This workshop is very well known and the studio fills up quickly. Partly because of the central, Silicon Valley location and the low $5 drop-in fee, which is a great deal.

The room itself is huge, but the massive tables surrounding the stage take up a lot of space. Because the tables are so big, seating gets packed and awkward. There are few horses and easels available for those who prefer to draw on boards. The lighting is ambient, which tends to wash out the shadows.

Despite the downsides, I really enjoy drawing here. It felt good to be drawing with such a large group of artists. If you plan on joining us, take my advice and get here early.This is a regular spot for me, so you’ll definitely see me there.

20 min pose,  2/2/10 (first drawing session in over 1 year). Charcoal on paper.

WEDNESDAYS

San Jose @ Alameda Art Works
Studio #11, 1068 The Alameda, San Jose, CA
http://www.thealamedaartworks.com/
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm (time may vary) / Fee: $10
Contact: Deanna, 408-390-5430, deannabeye@earthlink.net

Alameda Art Works was the 2nd workshop I attented in the South Bay Area and I was very happy to find a Wednesday night of drawing. This studio is the home of local artist Deanna. The studio space was quite small and the lighting was ambient. Because of the limited size there was only room for chairs which were provided.

Despite the small size, I really enjoyed drawing here. Deanna was very welcoming and gracious and it was well worth the $10 drop in fee. Please note, that day of the week and room # may vary. If you plan to attend please contact Deanna in advance for more details and updates.

5 and 10 min poses, 2/3/10 (2nd drawing session after 1 year of absence). Charcoal on paper.

THURSDAYS

Campbell @ Stone Griffin Gallery
411 East Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
http://www.stonegriffin.com/events.html
Time: 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, 7:00 – 9:00 pm / Fee: $15

I was first attracted to this workshop because it was very close to my office. Because of the convenience, I was able to bring a fellow Concept Artist from the studio with me on this outing.

The drawing session is held in the gallery itself. There is not much room and there is no stage for the model. Tables and chairs are provided, but it is not an ideal set-up for figure drawing. They did have single source lighting, which was a pleasant surprise and created some nice light and shade. The $15 drop-in fee for 2 hours of drawing is relatively high and the space is quite cramped. Overall, it was an enjoyable night and besides Mountain View, is the only workshop in the south Bay Area that lights the model well.

5 min and 10 min pose, 2/11/10, Charcoal on paper.

20 min head drawing, 2/11/10. Charcoal on paper.

San Jose @ San Jose State University
SJSU, Art Building, Room 312, 1 Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192
http://www.shrunkenheadman.com/
Time: 6:30 – 9:30pm / Fee: $3

I recently discovered this workshop through a new friend made at the workshops, and now I’ve gone 3 weeks in a row since then. The organizers are the SJSU Illustration Club, also known as Shrunken Head Man. They currently run 3 workshops a week, so please visit their website for a complete listing of additional days and times available.

The Art Building is located at the East end of campus near the Student Union Building. Room 312 is huge and there are plenty of horses available. The stage is placed against the wall with track lighting on the model, which tends to wash out the shadows. Despite the lighting conditions, this room is well set-up for drawing from the model.

I had a blast drawing here. I enjoyed the energy of the room and being around the students. Even though there is plenty of space, it’s been filled to over- capacity every week I’ve attended, and it fills up fast so get here early. One of the challenges I discovered was parking and finding the room itself. I recommend street parking within 1 block of campus, or the public pay garage on 7th street. Overall, I highly recommended this workshop which has quickly become a regular spot for me.

5 min poses, 2/18/10. Charcoal on paper.

5 min poses, 20 min head drawing, 2/23/09. Charcoal on paper.

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Like I said, this is an ongoing report and I have a few reviews to write and a lot more artwork to share.  For further information please contact the workshop organizers/ and or venues.

A very special thanks to www.artmodelbook.com for his incredible and comprehensive national listing of classes, open and instructed workshops. Please visit his site for a well organized and detailed directory listing of life drawing locations in your area.

Pick up a copy at your local newstands. A must have for Trek fans and fans of the Star Trek Online MMO.

For those who missed the issue, here’s a sneak peak below. To order this issue, or other back issues please visit the Imagine FX site.

This tutorial demonstrates a rhythmical and gestural approach to laying in and drawing a head in 3/4 or side view. We will use the major thrusts, or gestures, and basic geometric shapes, like the “pie shape” to capture the head. This tutorial will show you how to add a lot of life, movement and dynamism to your head drawings.

There are 3 demonstrations in the video. The tutorial will take you through the entire head drawing process from start to finish. Topics include gesture drawing, construction and shading.

This approach is inspired by the work and teaching of Steve Huston, with a touch of Reilly Method. The static, text version of this tutorial can be found here:

http://www.freshdesigner.com/how-to-draw-the-head-in-3-quarter-or-side-view/

This tutorial will introduce a more fluid and gestural approach to drawing the head. The focus is on the major gestures, or “thrusts” as Steve Huston refers to them, and their relationships to one another. We’re also want to keep our lay-in simple, by using geometric shapes. The first shape we will use is the “pie”.

Step 1: Using The “Pie” Shape

The geometric shape we will use to capture the head in side or 3/4 view is called the “pie”. The name comes from the resemblance to a pie slice or wedge. We get the pie shape by connecting the major thrusts of the head.

The first major thrust is the frontal plane of the face. To get the frontal plane, simply draw a gesture through the point of the forehead (sometimes will be defined by the edge of the hairline) and the tip of the chin (Fig. 2).

This defines where the features of the face will lie and the general length of the subject’s face.

The next step is to draw a line through the point of the forehead to the back of the cranium (Fig. 3). Often times this point will be hidden because of hair. In this case you will have to rely on intuition to guess or estimate where that point is.

To develop this intution, first observe and then use your minds eye to imaging the subjects cranium. With that line and shape in mind, confidently make your mark. Through study and practice of drawing from life, your judgement and observation will naturally improve.

The final major thrust is drawn through the back of the skull to the tip of the chin (Fig. 4).

As you can see. you’ve created a pie shaped triangle. However, it really has all the essential movement and information that the rest of the drawing can be built upon.

Step 2: Grounding The Head

Having captured the pie shape, draw 2 thrusts for the neck that will anchor our head to the torso (Fig. 5).

The key is observation and good estimation. Use the point of the back of the head as a guide for the back of the neck, and the point of the chin as a guide for the front of the neck. The key is good observation, confident estimation and fluid marks. As you make your marks, always consider their relationships to the whole.

Stpe 3: Laying In The Features

First, I plot the major anatomy such as the brow ridge, bridge of the nose, mouth and mandible (Fig. 6). At this stage, I still want to stay fluid and rely on observation and instincts. I dont want to get too caught up in measurements and structure.

Next, I draw a fluid curves for the jawbone and then follow the rhythm up around to give me the back of the ear. Then, I more accurately fill in the cranium, or shape of the hair, hats, etc. (Fig. 7). Of course, I could also add as much construction as needed to guide me when adding details, light and shade.

Satisfied with the lay-in I can flesh out the features and add light and shade (Fig. 8).

For more info on lighting and shading, check out the head drawing tutorials and videos. For reference, here’s a step by step diagram of this process.

The great thing about this approach is it’s fluid nature. It’s also a good way to quickly establish the tilt of the head. Fig. 9 below is an example of the always tricky up-tilted head. Fig. 10 is a down tilt. The numbers are the stroke order.

Below are 2 step by step diagrams for reference.

A lot of this approach is inspired by the work and teaching of Steve Huston. If you want to study this approach further, there was a recent American Artist article featuring Steve’s drawing approach. If you can’t dig it up, I’ll post a review of that article in the future.

In the meantime, find yourself a live model session and try drawing your 3/4 or side view heads using  the pie shape and major thrusts. It will be great exercise in observation and intuition and really add some dynamic ‘punch’ to your head drawings.  As always, I would love to see your drawings and progress so please comment or drop me a line.

This photoshop hotkey tutorial will demonstrate how to create a flip canvas hotkey using the Actions menu. This tip saves me the headache of having to reach up to the file menu and going through the steps to flip your canvas horizontally (or vertically). Learn how to create a hotkey using the actions menu so you can flip your canvas with the press of a button. This little tip saves me lots of time and really speeds up my work flow.

Of course, flipping your canvas while you work is good practice. This tutorial is great for photoshop users and digital artists of all levels.

This video is demonstrates how to construct the limbs (how the draw the limbs) during a figure quick sketch drawing. The video demonstrates basic figure construction of the arms and legs. Topics covered include gesture drawing, anatomy and landmarks. There are examples from 3 different poses. Narrated by the artist.

This is the video version of the how to construct the limbs tutorial.

The approach from the torso study tutorial is sometimes called a “construction” approach. It’s a methodical way to observe and de-construct the figure. Besides construction, there are other considerations when laying in the figure. For example, gesture and rhythms are what animate our figure drawing and give it life.

For this tutorial, I will use a a combination of construction and rhythms. It all depends on what the pose is giving me. Some poses the structure is prominent (or can be made prominent), in some poses the gesture (and thus the rhythms) are very interesting. Bottom line, good observation leads to good judgment and good judgment leads to good marks and so on. So always observe, observe, observe. Speaking of observation…

Step 1: Observe

The first thing you want to look for is the gesture. The major and minor rhythms, swoops and arcs. All the visible, and sometimes invisible lines that give our figure movement and life. Then, when you’re ready to construct your figure, look for the landmarks.

As a general rule, the legs are of greater significance then arms which is why we follow the torso with the legs. The key landmarks are: the connection to the crotch, connection to the hips, point of knee, connection of thigh (hamstring) to calf, , connection of lower leg to foot, point of ankle bone, heel and big toe. Yes, big toe (Fig. 1). That sounds like a lot, but with practice, good observation will become second nature.

Step 2: Gesture

Having identified our landmarks, we describe the gesture. The major rhythms may not always follow the form, but when possible, use the landmarks to guide your gesture marks. Start with the thighs move down to the the calf.

Step 3: Cross sections

Cross sections really help to define form. They also describe perspective and foreshortening. Before randomly drawing cross sections, observe the model’s anatomy. For example, cross sections can be added at the peak of the thigh, the end of the adductor (thigh) muscle, the top and bottom of the knee, the ankle and depression of the calf.

Add cross sections as needed to describe form and anatomy. It’s not necessary to cross the entire figure. Our objective of the lay-in is to give us enough information to add light and shade.

Work your way down to the feet and then move on to the arms. Approach the arms the same way. Becomes of the arms range of motion, they will tend to lend themselves more to a rhythmic approach. Of course it all depends on the pose.

Let’s go through a few more examples.

Summary

That pretty much sums up basic limb construction. First, observe for landmarks. Next, draw the gesture and rhythms. Then, add cross sections as needed to describe anatomy and form. In their most basic and geometric form, the limbs can be thought of as jointed tubes. Using a dynamic gesture line as a guide will give our “tubes” movement and life.

Keep in mind, the lay-in is simply the framework for our drawing. It’s not necessary to replicate the figure with our lay-in lines. The key is to give yourself enough information to add light and shade. Let the light, shade (values) and edges do the work of describing form and anatomy (Fig. 8).

More information on shading, can be found in the other figure quick sketch tutorials and videos.

*** Quick Sketch CHALLENGE! ***

This demo is meant to be a guide and a starting point. It’s almost impossible to learn and appreciate all the nuances of figure drawing from a static tutorial. The best way to apply the techniques is to watch it first hand or go to a live figure drawing session and draw from the model. So here is the challenge:

Draw a full page of quick sketch figures.

The first person to reply with a full page of quick sketch figures will win an original charcoal quick sketch drawing.

When I say page, I mean 18″x24″ newsprint pad, but that size isn’t necessary. It’s just an ideal size pad to practice. Above is a page of 5 minute poses I did during an open figure drawing workshop.

The minimum number of drawings to qualify are:

• 8 full figures at 3-5 min. pose length or
• 20 full figures at 1-3 min. pose length.

Basically whatever you can draw during 2 live sessions. Generally, a session is about 20-25 minutes.

Pretty simple. Just some incentive to get out there and draw from the model. First person to respond with a jpg snapshot of their quicksketch sheet wins. Good luck and I look forward to your entries.

This is part 2 of a series on how to render Concept Art using Photoshop. This video demonstrates how to use an overlay layer to add lights and highlights to concept art.

This video is perfect for those who are new to Photoshop or are starting out in Concept Art or digital illustration. Narrated by the Artist. Music by Japanese DJ Artists Tsutchie.

This video is perfect for those who are new to Photoshop or are starting out in Concept Art or digital illustration. Narrated by the Artist. Music by Japanese DJ Artists Tsutchie.