Find the Gesture of the Pose:
Quick Sketches (continued)
The direction of movement in this sketch is captured with few details. The artist has simplified the pattern of light and
shadow to convey a figure about to stride forward. Shadow and light have been used here to describe the form, but line has
been used mostly to describe and accentuate this sense of movement. The only line drawn to describe the back is a short,
dark line that pronounces the curve of the back as the figure steps forward, its darkness accentuating this movement. The
small accent for the elbow on the right arm provides just enough detail to let the viewer understand that the arm is bent
toward the back of the body, which emphasizes that the figure is leaning to the left and moving her weight forward onto the
left leg.
The sense of capturing an unfinished movement is very strong in this sketch. Look at the line to the left on the back. This
does not describe form but makes a lovely sense of tension when juxtaposed with the curved, broken line describing the
outer side of the right arm and the right leg. This point of tension holds the movement of the figure in check, so that she will
always seem to be about to stride forward. Techniques like these give a sense of timelessness to art, because the action is
never completed.
Figure Study in Motion,by Dean Fisher