Drawing the Human Figure chapter 12
Light the Model.
This example shows the best lighting
situation for a beginner. Remember
that light reveals form. When drawing
the human figure, the same princi-
ples that were discussed in Chapter
5 also apply here. The only difference
is that there is a lot more information
in the human figure to absorb. You
may want to study a book on
anatomy for artists, to view the skele-
ton and muscles of the body. This
will lead you to a greater under-
standing of the internal mechanisms
of the human form. The more you
draw, the more you will increase
your understanding.Here the model’s back is lit by day-
light. As noted in Chapter 3, this is a
soft light. The form of the back is lit
very evenly. A knowledge of anatomy
greatly helps in this situation, and
remember to imagine the back as
part of a cube, which will help you to
impart the illusion of solidity with
this type of lighting. However, the
more you practice at drawing a form
like this, the more successful you
will be.Consider this lighting situation, in
which there are numerous sources of
light. Notice how difficult it becomes
to draw the form, as compared to
the previous example. The different
sources of light flatten out the form
because there is no definite pattern
of light and shadow. (See Chapter 5
for more information on light and
shadow.) Of course, it is still possible
to draw this figure, but in order to do
so, you have to rely more on a men-
tal awareness of the planes of the
body to draw the form in three
dimensions. In this situation, the
light may confuse you, instead of
helping you.Note:It is a good idea to keep the first drawings you do, and then compare them with the drawings you are doing 6 months or more later.