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, 3/8/10. 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, 2/8/10. 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.

20 min poses,  2/16/10, charcoal on paper.

WEDNESDAYS

Sunnyvale @ Cogswell Polytechnical
1175 Bordeaux Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089
http://www.cogswell.edu/
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm  / Fee: $5

I first discovered Cogswell’s workshop in mid-March.  This workshop is only the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Since it is organized by their animation department, short poses are their forte. 5 minute poses are the longest.

The figure drawing room is quite nice. They have horses, easels and plenty of space. They also have really nice lighting equipment, but it was not used well this night. For a short pose night, it worked out ok. Overall, I recommend Cogswell if you’re in the mood for short poses and gestures.

They love short poses here. 2 min poses, 3/17/10, charcoal on paper.

Lighting was terrible this night, but I was able to squeeze some decent 5’s. 5 min pose, 3/17/10, charcoal on paper.

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 pose, 20 min head drawing, 3/4/10. Charcoal on paper.

2 min poses, 2/23/10. 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.

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 video is a demonstration of head quick sketch drawing using the Reilly Method, narrated by the artist.

Quick sketch is a name for a short, 1-10 minute, drawing or study from life or model. Topics covered in video:

• drawing fundamentals
• head lay-in / construction
• adding light and shade
• edgework

This is the video version of the Head Drawing tutorial.

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.

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.

The important points to look for are the landmarks (seen as pink dots in Fig. 1 above). Using the landmarks as a guide, I not only get the gesture and shape of the ribcage, but the contour as well.

The numbers in the drawing represent the stroke order. It is not necessary to do them in this exact order. However, the shoulder line, which is drawn through the pit of the neck, will give you a lot of information and gesture. Since quick sketch generally starts with the head, if you work top down, the shoulder line will most likely be the first stroke that follows the head.

Step 2: Abdomen

Once we’ve established the ribcage we can then capture the shape of the abdomen. The landmarks to look for are the lower obliques and the lower abdominal (Fig. 2).

Step 3: Hips
The last segment of the torso are the hips. Sometime it is called “the miniskirt” because in a simple geometric shape it looks like a short mini skirt as you can see in the drawing above (Fig. 3). The landmarks to look for are the points of the hipbone and the bottom of the crotch. The hipbones can generally be found at the point where the leg meets the hip.

Step 4: Centerline

Since the shoulder, ribs and hips gave us our horizontal gesture, centerline gives us our vertical gesture. Centerline is a generally drawn through the spine. Of course, the spine is very dynamic and can curve and bend, but for this pose we can use a nice vertical straight.

At this stage, our drawing looks very simplified, but it is extremely important to lay-in and capture the torso accurately. This simple framework will be the foundation for our figure. Much of the success or failure of the drawing will depend on how well the torso is layed in. So, take the time to measure and make accurate marks before moving on to anatomy. Of course practice, practice, practice and tons of repetition will make your lay-ins solid.

Step 5: Anatomy

Having taken the time to accurately describe the torso, we can now plot the anatomy. When I say anatomy, DO NOT draw EVERY muscle, joint or tendon you see. Keep your anatomy simple. There’s no need to describe every single muscle, and for quick sketch there isn’t enough time. The important thing to do is to observe what the pose gives you.

Generally, the anatomy to look for in a front pose like this are the breasts, ribcage, abdominal wall and naval. It’s also good practice to describe the torso anatomy before adding the legs and arms.

Using my lay-in as a guide, I follow natural rhythms to describe the anatomy (Fig. 5). There’s a lot of great information out there on anatomy and figure construction, so I won’t go into too much detail here. Generally, I want to keep things as simple as possible and capture the large masses using simple geometric shapes.

Step 6: Separate light and dark

Using the lay in as a guide, I can begin to light our figure. The first step is to separate the light side from the dark side. At this stage I am thinking of terms of only 2 values, white and black. A single light source pose like this gives a clear separation. The diagram in Fig 6 above shows what I was looking for.

I also begin to introduce edgework by adding a firm edge for the core shadow and crisp edge for the cast shadows. The outer contour is a blend of crisp and firm edges.

Since this is a quick sketch, I don’t want to go too crazy with edge variety. As with the simplification of values, I also simplify the edges I will use.

Step 7: Adding tone

OK, here’s my favorite of Reilly Method, the shading. The way quick sketch is shaded is what I fell in love with when I was first introduced to this approach. Using the shadow shape as a guide, I drop in a middle value in the shadow area. Middle value is the value between white and black. White in this case being the white of the paper.

For quick sketch, I generally like to hatch in one direction but it’s a matter of personal style and preference.

Step 8: Final drawing

Since I have a little time left in this 5 minute study, I add some finishing touches. I soften some edges of the core shadow, punch in darks and add touches of half-tone to give the drawing a little more depth and help the forms turn.

For reference, here’s a step by step diagram of the torso lay-in process.

*** Tips on Figure Quick Sketch ***

1. Observe, observe, observe

Before making marks and jumping right into drawing, take some time to observe the model. Look for the landmarks. Look for the gesture. Look for the rhythms. Look at the shape of the shadow. Observe what the pose is giving you. Throughout the drawing, stop, gather yourself and take the time to observe.

There is not a lot of time in quick sketch or gesture drawing, but good observation will help you to make more accurate marks.

2. Take your time

Even though quick sketch is done from short, 1-5 minute poses, take the time to observe and measure (see Tip #1 above). Especially during the lay-in. Do not rush the lay-in, especially if you’re new to quick sketch drawing.

When I first started studying quick sketch, it took me months to be able to draw the lay-in well during a short pose. I would often get bored and frustrated because I wanted to rush through the lay-in, get to the shading and polish my little figure in time. Eventually I learned to relax and appreciate the process. This allowed me to internalize more of the lay-in process and ultimately made me faster and my drawings better.

Take your time to do the lay-in well. It may seem boring and repetitive, but over time it will pay off in the quality of your figures and overall drawing skill.

*********

This tutorial was meant to be a brief introduction in how to lay in the torso. Reilly method, figure quick sketch and gesture drawing in general is a very deep and complex subject. Later on, we will break down how to lay-in the whole figure, and how to apply the techniques to various poses and viewpoints.

Of course, a subject like this is best learned from example. If you are fortunate enough to have instructors in your area who teach this approach, I highly recommend taking a live class. We will also post more resources for those who want to study Reilly method further in upcoming articles. For those who want to dive in to drawing the head, check out the head quick sketch tutorial.

The subject of our demo will be “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, the legendary Japanese filmmaker. This picture works really well for this demonstration because of the high contrast lighting and clearly defined shadow pattern. We’ll get into shading later, but first let’s start with the basics.

Step 1: Beginning the Lay-in

OK, so this is pretty much how ALL of my head drawings start and how a lot of artists approach head drawing. At this stage I try to observe the key landmarks that will guide the construction of our drawing. For more info on some of the key landmarks of the head, check out the last portrait painting tutorial.

Reilly method emphasizes good design so the first step (Fig. 1-a) is to: 1. accurately estimate the subject’s head width and length, and 2. plot and design where the head will be on the paper. For a quick sketch like this, composition isn’t too much of a concern, but it’s good practice to plot where the head will be placed and to design the composition of your image.

Next, I draw in the centerline to establish the tilt of the head. Then, I draw a line through the brow ridge. This gives us the angle of the of subjects gaze and begins to define the planes of the head.

Correctly defining the tilt of the head and angle of the planes of the face is critical to the success of a head drawing, so practice, practice and practice. Make sure these marks are done right before moving on to the features.

Step 2: Laying in the features

First, I anchor the head by blocking in the contour of the neck and shoulders. Using the brow ridge as I guide, I estimate their depth and distance apart, and draw marks through the center of the eyes. Using centerline, I lay-in the bottom of the nose and center of the mouth.

Step 3: Constructing the features

At this stage of the drawing, I describe the shape of the eye opening (which follows the orbital bone), the ‘keystone’ of the brow ridge that leads to the nose, and the width of the nose. My main focus now is giving myself enough information to plot the separation of light and dark which will be the next step.

*Please note that this has been oversimplified for this tutorial. There’s a lot of great material out there on head construction, so I won’t go into too much detail here. For more in-depth information on head construction, the work of Andrew Loomis is a good place to start.

Step 4: Seperate light from dark

Alright, we’re almost at my favorite part of Reilley method drawing, the shading, but first, we need to capture the shape of the shadow area. By simplifying the values, I can clearly cut-out or separate the border of light and dark. I also begin to describe form by introducing firm and crisp edges. Generally the core shadow (the border of light and dark) will have a firm edge and cast shadows will get a nice crisp edge.

Edgework can be a tutorial in itself and takes a lot of practice to master. For now, let’s just focus on simplifying the values and getting accurate separation. I’ve drawn over the image in blue (Fig. 4) to show what I was looking for on our subject. For the comic fans out there, look at the work of Frank Miller or Mike Mignola for reference on how to simplify values and design the shadow shape.

*Tip: if you’re having trouble separating light and dark, and simplifying the values, squint when you look at your subject. Or if you’re working from photo, bump up the contrast using a photo editor.

Step 5: Adding tone

Alright, this is the fun part. This is the payoff for all the hard work of good plotting and designing. Using the shadow shape as a guide, drop in a middle value tone. By middle value, I mean mid-way between white (light side) and black. I generally drop the initial tone in one direction, but you can also hatch in the direction of the form you’re describing.

I still remember the first time I was introduced to Reillly Method drawing. I was so dazzled by the elegance and beauty created in the shadow area. To this day, I still get mesmerized when I see it done well. For example, check out the quick sketch drawings by Sergio Sanchez, who was my teacher and mentor.

Step 6: Suggest half-tones and final touches

It’s time to add some finishing touches. First, I punch in some darks. Observe the darks in your subject, but generally, punch in the darks in the eyes and darken up the core shadow to really make the forms pop. Next, I finesse the edges along the core shadow, hair, contour and features. Finally, I add hints of half-tone (the value between white and the middle value) along the cheeks, forehead and nose.

Half tones add a little more life and depth to our drawing, but this is a quick sketch so we don’t want to go too crazy with introducing values. Hint at a background, sign and date and we’re good to go.

** Tips on Head Quick Sketch **

1.  Draw light

When drawing your lay-in and construction lines, have a light hand and draw as light as possible. Especially if you’re working in pen!

The only reason the construction lines are visible in this tutorial is because I bumped up the contrast of the scans. Even if you’re using charcoal or pencil, practice having a light hand and a light touch when making marks.

2.  Work small

This drawing was done in my pocket moleskine, which measures 3″ x 5″. You don’t have to work this small, but a quick sketch is just that, a quick study of the subject. Working small and working quickly, 3-5 minutes, will help you to really focus on good fundamentals.

This first few steps are the key, the rock, the foundation of drawing. So do a lot and practice, practice, practice.

3.  Do a little everyday

Drawing heads well is not easy. It can take a lifetime to master. The beauty of quick sketch is that it is quick and doesn’t require a lot of commitment of effort or time. Anyone can take out 5 minutes a day to draw. If done consistently over time, you can see some amazing progress in your drawing, dexterity and overall skill level. Here’s a an example of drawings I did from Feb. 3rd through Feb. 7th, 2009.

If you want to see some dramatic improvement in your head drawing, try this challenge:

Draw a quick sketch every day for 30 days.

If you can’t do 30 days, get out there and draw for a week, or two weeks. But the key is consistency. If you complete the challenge, send me your drawing from Day 1, and the last drawings in the set.

** The first person to complete the challenge will get an original sketch from me! **

Must be a minimum of 7 consecutive days (1 week). If you have Photoshop, arrange them onto a single jpeg image. Good luck, keep drawing and I look forward to seeing your entries.