The Drawing Club

(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook

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001-144_41057.indd 28 24/4/14 6:45 pm (Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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28 The Drawing Club

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Drawing in a shape

I observe people in figure-drawing workshops almost every

day. Most focus on the positive space—drawing the model. They

might be looking specifically at form, proportion, or likeness.

These are good things to consider. But you can also approach

a drawing as a composition with the figure as it relates to the

page. In this case, you will not only look at the positive space

occupied by the model in your drawing but the negative space

surrounding the model. Proportions, angles, and likeness might

change to better occupy the compositional space. Balancing

the positive and negative space will help you create a well-

composed drawing.

My model for this drawing was a fashion model who is very

tall. I had a stack of cut paper next to me of all different sizes.

I randomly grabbed a long piece of paper and readjusted her

proportions to fit it. I designed her onto the page to balance her

relationship to the negative space around her. Notice how the

top of the page crops her head, while her foot touches the bot-

tom of the page. This created more interesting negative-space

shapes around her.

The end result is a drawing not about perfect proportions but

a drawing that is designed into a compositional space. Design

decisions were made to best suit the relationship of the figure

to the four sides of the page. So, basically, I made a tall model

even taller, and it feels right on the page.

Fashion, ink and watercolor on bond paper,

Bob Kato

Balancing the positive and negative

space will help you create a well-

composed drawing.

Ballet Dancer, The Circus Ringmaster, Samurai and

The Hunchback, colored pencil and marker on

colored paper, Will Martinez

Learning design isn’t just about doing what someone tells you to do. It is also about

being in the right place with an open mind.

When you look at the

drawings in this chapter,

you can safely assume that

the artists were not just

copying what was there;

they were deliberately

designing a message.

ExEr C isE:

Change up your paper shape to practice proportions.

Try designing your drawing into a shape. Cut pieces of

paper into different-proportioned rectangles—or draw random

rectangles in your sketchbook or on scrap paper. Use a different

rectangular shape for each drawing and design your subject into

that space. If the proportions change, it’s okay. Cropping

is okay too, but try limiting your cropping to one or two sides

of the shape at first. This will keep most or all of the figure in

your design.

Evaluate your drawing as a composition. The goal is that the

positive space of the figure and the negative spaces surrounding

it should feel equally important.

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29

(Text)

Ballet Dancer, The Circus Ringmaster, Samurai and

The Hunchback, colored pencil and marker on

colored paper, Will Martinez

Chapter 2: Why Is 2-D Design So Important?

Learning design isn’t just about doing what someone tells you to do. It is also about

being in the right place with an open mind.

When you look at the

drawings in this chapter,

you can safely assume that

the artists were not just

copying what was there;

they were deliberately

designing a message.

ExEr C isE:

Change up your paper shape to practice proportions.

Try designing your drawing into a shape. Cut pieces of

paper into different-proportioned rectangles—or draw random

rectangles in your sketchbook or on scrap paper. Use a different

rectangular shape for each drawing and design your subject into

that space. If the proportions change, it’s okay. Cropping

is okay too, but try limiting your cropping to one or two sides

of the shape at first. This will keep most or all of the figure in

your design.

Evaluate your drawing as a composition. The goal is that the

positive space of the figure and the negative spaces surrounding

it should feel equally important.

(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook

#175 Dtp:204 Page:29

001-144_41057 2.indd 29 24/4/14 7:28 pm