This video is a real time demonstration of a complete quick sketch drawing, narrated by the artist. This is the video version of the figure quick sketch tutorial.
This tutorial is an introduction to figure quick sketch drawing. Quick sketch is a name for short, gestural drawing from life or figure model. The poses can generally range from 1-5 minutes. Topics covered will be the fundamentals of gesture drawing, laying-in the figure and an introduction to the Reilly Method. Figure quick sketch is a key fundamental skill in creating effective drawings so let’s get right into it.
The approach to Reilly Method I use is a synthesis of three teachers: 1. Sergio Sanchez, 2. Rhaban Canas and 3. a touch of Steve Huston. When I first started to study Reilly Method, the first thing I was taught was how to properly lay-in the torso. The torso is important because it is the largest mass of the body and it is where all the limbs and extremities originate. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will use a front view of a female torso in a relatively static pose. Since the torso is so important, I will spend some time breaking down the steps of the lay-in before we move to light and shade.
Step 1: Capture the ribcage
The torso is the largest mass of the body and the ribcage is the largest mass of the torso. We want to lay-in or capture it’s shape and gesture. Since this pose is static and up and down, I am able to simplify and capture the ribcage into a rectangular shape. Of course, the figure is dynamic and the shape of the ribcage can vary depending on the pose and the angle of the viewer.
