A coffee shop was
a great place for my
studies because
it had strong
overhead spot
lights
15
FORM, WEIGHT,
PROPORTION
AND PERSPECTIVE
The only way I can
deal with these four
heavyweights in one
paragraph is with this
exercise. Make someone
lie on the ground with their
knees bent at right angles,
similar to the posture they
achieve when they’re sat
on a chair. Stand closer to
the legs so you can see
the figure receding in
perspective. Compare
this to someone sitting on
a chair. In the two figures,
you’ll be able to compare
parts of the body, in
terms of form, proportion,
perspective and the body’s
response to gravity.13
NATURE OF
MATERIALS
While I was working
on the sets of a film,
I noticed the nature
of walls: how they
reflected light, the way
they age, their weight
distribution, and so on.
The nature of different
materials means that
they offer the artist
a range of exciting
possibilities. Only
when you know how a
material behaves under
different conditions will
you be able to portray
it realistically. Observe
the folds on a leather
jacket and those on
a cotton shirt, or the
sharp highlights on a
metal ball versus those
on a rubber ball.
14
CULTURAL
UNDERPINNINGS
Culture is an all-encompassing
term here. It includes regional,
political, racial or even scientific
culture. If you observe certain
cultural underpinnings of a group
or an individual and document
them, then it’ll help you define
the personality of that group or
individual a little more.Artist insight | Learning through observation