Reflections of an Artist

Drawing the Figure Improves Your Painting

Figure Drawing

In previous posts, I have talked about the importance of drawing to improve your painting and thought that I would again mention how wonderful it its to go to a life figure drawing group. This exercise is invaluable in teaching proportion, improving observation, handling perspective and understanding shape relationships. I have been absent for a while from my Tuesday group but recently decided to make an attempt. I struggled until the final pose. I realized that I was not drawing with straight lines but instead was attempting to render the curves, well, with curves. I know it sounds counter intuitive but as soon as I switched my thinking to straight lines, my drawing improved dramatically.

Here is a closeup of the head and shoulders where you can easily see the angles I used to draw this figure. I don't understand the science behind this but I think that the eye exaggerates the curves and softens the sharp edges. Even when a point is apparent where the angles meet, the eye still rounds that point into a curve. The figure looks a lot better and more accurate with these angles than with curved lines. The use of straight lines to make curves is one of the principles of academic art and should be taught in every first year art class. This method is also transferable to your painting as well. The use of angles and straight lines will always render the subject more accurately than the use of curved lines. Try it and see what you think.