FOCUS ON THE NUDE

While in Art School the Figure never came easily for me.

It still doesn't.

But for two of my students,

one past and one present,

 they nail it like the champs they are.

We start with 9th grader Madison Plotkin,

one of the most artistically talented students I've ever had the pleasure to teach;

first in the Art Wheel in her 7th grade year,

then in Beginning 2-D Art last year.

Sadly she couldn't fit in my 2nd level 2-D class this year

(she had to start her Foreign Language)

so after school I recommended the Ryman Arts Program for High Schoolers.

It's an art program connected to USC with an extension campus in Fullerton

which is only about 15 minutes away from our school.

I've sent several of my students there over the years and they have given it great reviews.

Madison is loving it as well.  

She just recently started and is already doing amazing work like you see here.

This was her very first exposure to a live, almost nude model;

a highly uncomfortable situation for a high school freshman I'm sure.

What is so remarkable about this work 

is that not only was she required to draw it on a large scale,

but then she had to completely cover the drawing with Colored Pencil!

I was flabbergasted when she showed me this piece and told me about it.

It's incredibly done Madison and I'm so very proud of you.

What patience and time this must have taken!

And next we have 2018 Alumni Sarah Oh with one of her first live figures,

completely nude in black & white Charcoal.

For any of you out there who have had to be in a Figure Drawing class,

it's one thing to draw from a picture but quite another to work from the real thing.

I think that was part of my problem when I was in college.

It was pretty uncomfortable and I don't think I ever got past that.

So bravo Sarah for dealing with this young man in this 3/4 view.

Three quarter view is the most difficult view to work from

as it is when drawing a 3/4 head portrait.

You've got part of the body and head that is coming at you and is closer than the other parts,

 so you are dealing with foreshortening and perspective.

Also,

for most people,

hands are more easy to draw then feet because we practice hands so much while learning to draw.

What's really challenging is getting the head, hands and feet proportional to the body

as well as getting the arms and legs the right length.

Basically,

it's all hard.

Ha!

Did you know that the average human body is 7 1/2 heads high

compared to a baby that is 3 heads high?

A fun fact.