Dynamic Drawing 1

After expressive watercolor (class not given this semester at Syn Studio), it was time for dynamic drawing. We started with gesture drawings of moving subjects. Tough job... in spite of all the reading I did, Nikolaides among others ... there is a disconnect between hand and brain. The most I was able to master was the use of stick figures because the subjects (ballet dancers from a short clip found on youtube) were moving way to fast. But this is not the idea.

Steps are much easier than that. In fact, there is only one step: put pen to paper and do not lift it until the sketch is complete. Do not draw contour lines. Draw the big shapes. Suggest movement. Easy-peasy.

The first week we had a model - dynamic poses of 3 - 5 min. She chose a sequence of about three movements (lifting a box from the floor and placing it on a shelf, that sort of thing) and repeated it for the duration of the pose.

It took me a good chunk of time only to get over the impulse of drawing the contour lines first and then be stuck there. I used pencil on newsprint, but after a while I switched to woodless graphite. The pencil lines were to thin and pale where the graphite is thicker and it slides easier over the paper. I selected a couple of sketches that represent better the requirements of the exercise.

This course has homework too. Control exercises and pattern to get uses with various tools. More moving subject studies. Doodles. Pentel pocket brush is new to me. I think I will use it to add accents to ink drawings, but maybe with time I will change idea.