Drawing the Human Figure chapter 12
This is a relaxed, peaceful pose. The gesture has been
emphasized in this example, not through line or tone, but
mainly by composition. The emphasis is on the head, which
is framed in two ways.
The arms make a “V” shape formed by the line drawn along
the bottom of the left arm, and the line drawn along the top
of the right arm, which is outlined in the example. The head
becomes framed in the widest area of the “V” shape. The
back and side of the body form another “V” shape, with the
head situated in the open end of the “V.” There is a repeti-
tion of direction, which guides the viewer’s gaze to what the
artist felt was the most important aspect of this sketch, the
sense of peacefulness contained in the position of the head
and the expression of the face.
You can use compositional devices like this within your work
to emphasize what you feel is important in your drawing.
Often this will happen quite naturally, and you will uncon-
sciously accentuate what attracted you to the subject in the
beginning. The more you draw, the more this will happen. If
you consciously add elements to make your point under-
stood, these elements can become obvious and too
mechanical looking. Therefore, it is important that these ele-
ments be subtle, so that the viewer is not always aware of
how you are directing their gaze. This sense of mystery will
involve the viewer in the work, and make them return to the
work again and again.
As stated earlier, draw often and these compositional
devices will become apparent without you forcing them into
position. This compositional device of the open-ended “V”
leads the viewer to a calm, serene face, which is the only
detailed part of the drawing. This reinforces the aim of the
drawing—to suggest a sense of calm and peace. Accordingly,
all of the features of the face are softly drawn, with the
exception of the curved, darker lines to suggest the closed
eyelids, and the downward, darker accents at the corners of
the lips to suggest the muscles relaxing around the mouth.
Darkened lines are kept for use as a framing device and for
emphasis. The softness of the shading underlines the sense
of tranquility and comfort.
At Rest, by J. S. Robinson