58 artistMarch 2020 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
FIGURES IN WATERCOLOUR
time focusing on the shapes. This allows
me to work out themes or motifs that
find their way into finished paintings.
I am able to study, gather and learn,
which helps to keep my skills sharp.
I use my sketchbooks both en plein
air and in the studio to practise and
experiment, often playfully or in
unexpected ways. Sometimes I will
purchase a new and unusual paint
colour and use that to practise figures
over and over, adding an element of
surprise to repetitive shapes (left).
When asked how I achieve movement,
emotion, and attitude through a few
seemingly random brushstrokes, my
standard answer: practice. Lots and lots
of practice.Proportions
The first step in painting an upright
human figure is to work on head
and body proportions. Getting the
proportions right is critical for a
convincing visual. If the proportions
are off, the viewer senses that and
it becomes a distraction. Generally
speaking, the proportion of a human
figure is a total of eight heads high.
The torso should be three heads wide
at the shoulders and four heads high.
Legs should be three to four heads long
(above left).
Some days I practise multiple pages
of human figures just to get into the
rhythm of painting those proportions.
I recommend that before you start
thinking about a painting that includes
human forms you practice and repeat
until the proportions become second
nature to you (left).
Once you’ve practised, it is time to
become your own ethnographer and
observe people in public settings. The
grid exercise (right) is helpful because
if you paint figures from life, they are
going to be moving and it will force you
to paint the shapes quickly. If you don’t
get the proportion or movement right in
grid one, you can try again in grids two,
three and four. This way you will gather
information quickly without getting
bogged down. It helps you to see the
shapes, put them on paper, and stops
you from lingering, which allows your
painting to be fluid and loose.
I will often take three or four boards
with paper grids out with me so that I
can move quickly from board to board.
My sketches include three different
types of media: water-soluble ink, brushHere are examples of my repetitive practice
Start with greys and then add colour. Have fun with this process!t Notice how the gure is proportioned
next to the grid and how I’ve replicated it in
the subsequent gures