Figure drawing by Leonardo da Vinci

Figure drawing is an exercise in drawing the human body in its various shapes and positions. Life drawing refers to the process of drawing the human figure from observation of a live model. Figure drawing is arguably the most difficult subject an artist commonly encounters, and entire classes are dedicated to the subject. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (646x972, 107 KB) Anatomy of a Male Nude (c. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (646x972, 107 KB) Anatomy of a Male Nude (c. ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ... For scale drawings or plans, see Plans (drawings). ... Art modeling involves the posing of a model to as an aid in creating a work of art. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ...

The human figure is one of the most enduring themes in the visual arts, and figure drawing can be applied to portraiture, cartooning and comic book illustration, sculpture, medical illustration, and other fields that use depictions of the human form. Figure drawing can be done very simply, as in gesture drawing, or in more detail, using charcoal, pencil or other drawing tools. If pigment is used, the process may be called figure painting. Self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh A portrait is a painting, photograph, or other artistic representation of a person. ... A cartoonist at work. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Sculptor redirects here. ... A medical illustrator is a professional artist with extensive training in medicine and science who interprets and creates visual material to help record and disseminate medical, biological and related knowledge. ... Venus und Amor, ca. ... Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ... This article is about the handwriting instrument. ... Sitting nude (1993) oil on canvas by Frans Koppelaar Figure painting is a form of the visual arts in which the artist uses a live model as the subject matter of a two-dimensional piece of artwork using paint as the medium. ...

Approaches

Artists take a variety of approaches to drawing the human figure. They may draw from live models, from photographs or other reference material, from skeletal models, or from memory and imagination. Most instruction focuses on the use of models in "life drawing" courses. The use of photographic reference—although common since the development of photography—is often criticized or discouraged for its tendency to produce "flat" images that fail to capture the dynamic aspects of the subject. Drawing from imagination is often lauded for the expressiveness it encourages, and criticized for the inaccuracies introduced by the artist's lack of knowledge or limited memory in visualizing the human figure; the experience of the artist with other methods has a large influence on the effectiveness of this approach. Photography [fÓ™tÉ‘grÓ™fi:],[foÊŠtÉ‘grÓ™fi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or electronic sensor. ...

In developing the image, some artists focus on the shapes created by the interplay of light and dark values on the surfaces of the body. Others take an anatomical approach, beginning by approximating the internal skeleton of the figure, overlaying the internal organs and musculature, and covering those shapes with the skin, and finally (if applicable) clothing; study of human internal anatomy is usually involved in this technique. Another approach is to loosely construct the body out of geometric shapes, e.g., a sphere for the cranium, a cylinder for the torso, etc. then refine those shapes to more closely resemble the human form. For other uses, see Skeleton (disambiguation). ... For other uses of Muscle, see Muscle (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Geometry (disambiguation). ...

For those working without visual reference (or as a means of checking one's work), proportions commonly recommended in figure drawing are:

• An average person is generally 7-and-a-half heads tall (including the head). This can be illustrated to students in the classroom using paper plates to visually demonstrate the length of their bodies.
• An ideal figure, used for an impression of nobility or grace, is drawn at 8 heads tall.
• A heroic figure used in the depiction of gods and superheroes is eight-and-a-half heads tall. Most of the additional length comes from a bigger chest and longer legs.

Note that these proportions are most useful for a standing model. Poses which introduce foreshortening of various body parts will cause them to differ. Foreshortening refers to the visual effect or optical illusion that an object or distance is shorter than it actually is because it is angled toward the viewer. ...

Sitting woman, 17th century figure drawing in black crayon, School of Rembrandt

Image File history File links School_of_Rembrandt_-_Sitting_nude. ... Image File history File links School_of_Rembrandt_-_Sitting_nude. ...

Media

The French Salon in the 19th century recommended the use of Conté crayons, which are sticks of wax, oil and pigment, combined with specially formulated paper. Erasure was not permitted; instead, the artist was expected to describe the figure in light strokes before making darker, more visible marks. Honoré Daumier satirized the bourgeoises scandalized by the Salons Venuses, 1864 The Paris Salon (French: Salon de Paris) is the official art exhibition of the Académie des beaux-arts in Paris, France. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Conté pastels, also known as Conté sticks, are hard artists chalks in a variety of colours. ...

Figure drawing by Lovis Corinth.

A popular modern technique is the use of a charcoal stick, prepared from special vines, and a rougher form of paper. The charcoal adheres loosely to the paper, allowing very easy erasure, but the final drawing can be preserved using a spray-on "fixative" to keep the charcoal from rubbing off. Harder compressed charcoal can produce a more deliberate and precise effect, and gradated tones can be produced by smudging with the fingers or with a cylindrical paper tool called a stump. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Self-portrait with skeleton, 1896. ... Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ... A stump is a cylindrical drawing tool, tapered at the ends and usually made of rolled paper, used by artists to smudge or blend marks made with charcoal, Conté crayon, pencil or other drawing media. ...

Graphite pencil is also commonly used for figure drawing. For this purpose artists' pencils are sold in various formulations, ranging from 9B (very soft) to 1B (medium soft), and from 1H (medium hard) to 9H (very hard). Like charcoal, it can be erased and manipulated using a stump.

Ink is another popular medium. The artist will often start with graphite pencil to sketch or outline the drawing, then the final line work is done with a pen or brush, with permanent ink. The ink may be diluted with water to produce gradations, a technique called ink wash. The pencil marks may be erased after the ink is applied, or left in place with the dark inks overpowering them.

Some artists draw directly in ink without the preparation of a pencil sketch, preferring the spontaneity of this approach despite the fact that it limits the ability to correct mistakes. Matisse is an artist known to have worked in this way. Matisse redirects here. ...

A favored method of Watteau and other 17th and 18th century artists of the Baroque and Rococo era was to start with a colored ground of tone halfway between white and black, and to add shade in black and highlights in white, using pen and ink or "crayon". Jean-Antoine Watteau (October 10, 1684 - July 18, 1721) was a French Rococo painter. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... For other uses, see Baroque (disambiguation). ... A style of 18th century French art and interior design, Rococo style rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings. ...

Studio instruction

Figure drawing instruction is an element of most Fine Art and Illustration programs. In a typical figure drawing studio classroom, the students sit around a model either in a semi-circle or a full circle. No two students have exactly the same view, thus their drawing will reflect the perspective of the artist's unique location relative to the model. The model often poses on a stand, so students can more easily find an unobstructed view. Depending on the type of pose, furniture and/or props may be used. These are typically included in the drawing, to the extent that they are visible to the artist; backgrounds, however, are commonly ignored unless the objective is to learn about placement of figures in an environment. Individual models are most common, but multiple models may be used in more advanced classes. Many studios are equipped to allow a variety of lighting arrangements. Fine art refers to arts that are concerned with beauty or which appealed to taste (SOED 1991). ... Illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith. ...

Nude study, Annibale Carracci.

When taught at the college level, figure drawing models are often (but not always) totally nude (aside from small jewelry or other inconspicuous items). While posing, the model is usually requested to remain perfectly still. Because of the difficulty of doing this for an extended period of time, periodic breaks for the model to rest and/or stretch are usually included in longer sessions and for more difficult poses. As a warm up for both artists and model, the model may be requested to make a series of brief poses in rapid succession, as an exercise for the students to learn to capture the essence of poses quickly (see Gesture drawing). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Self-portrait, (Uffizi) Annibale Carracci (November 3, 1560 - July 15, 1609) was an Italian Baroque painter. ... The word nude may refer to: The state of nudity. ... Venus und Amor, ca. ...

Since the purpose of figure drawing classes is to learn how to draw humans of all kinds, male and female models of all ages, shapes, and ethnicities are usually sought, rather than selecting only beautiful models or those with "ideal" figures. Some instructors specifically seek to avoid the sort of models preferred by fashion photographers, seeking more "realistic" examples and to avoid any implication of sexual objectification. Instructors may also favor models of particular body types based on the unique contours or surface textures they provide. The variety of models hired may be limited by the need for them to hold a pose for extended periods (eliminating restless children and frail older persons), and concerns of modesty and legality when models pose nude (restricting the use of minors). Vitruvian Man, by Leonardo da Vinci. ...

See also

• Drawing
• Figure painting
• Model (art)
• Nudity
• Sculpture

For scale drawings or plans, see Plans (drawings). ... Sitting nude (1993) oil on canvas by Frans Koppelaar Figure painting is a form of the visual arts in which the artist uses a live model as the subject matter of a two-dimensional piece of artwork using paint as the medium. ... Art modeling involves the posing of a model to as an aid in creating a work of art. ... Nude redirects here. ... Sculptor redirects here. ...

Literature

• Brigitte Tast Modell Gehen (1992), ISBN 3-88842-601-4

External links

• Database of Figure Drawing Open Sessions in North America