Sketch Book for the Artist

THE

BODY

Quick Poses

DRAWING QUICK POSES locks your concentration onto

what is most essential, propelling you to make immediate

assessments and trust them. Start each new drawing by

lightly marking the model's height with a loose line in ten

seconds, working from her center to her feet and to her

head. This quick exploratory line does not perfectly

describe shape but expresses a decision about overall flow

of form, balance, and height. Be bold and dive into your

drawing with confidence. Layered lines give depth,

feeling, and energy. Leave first

thoughts in place, and work over

them with further observations.

SEQUENCE OF POSES

Here the model was asked to move every two

minutes. I used a sharp HB pencil and began each

drawing by marking her outline, height, and stance

before honing her balance and expression.

Outline

To outline a figure, work back and forth

across the body. Avoid drawing up one side

and down the other, because it results in

two unrelated sides drifting apart.

Balance

When a model stands upright on both feet,

her center of balance is normally found in

a vertical line beneath her head. To see this,

imagine holding up a plumb line.

Height

This pose leans away into space above our eye

level. To draw this effect, make the upper body

smaller give your model a high waist, and slightly

enlarge her legs and feet.