3 Figure Drawing Examples
August 11, 2021 18:32 BSTTo further my knowledge of the human anatomy I did some figure drawing recently. See below the results – a profile study, a front view, and a study of the muscles of the back. They are based on a Roman bas-relief of Antinous – the lover of Emperor Hadrian, and another Roman sculpture. Classical models are simplified (in a good way), so you really have to fill-in the gaps using your own knowledge of anatomy.
The tools I used are graphite pencil, and Faber-Castel watercolour pencils; There is also a bit of the Caran d’Ache watercolour pencils, which are like… the best pencils on Earth… for a price! But the reason why I like watercolour pencils is they allow me to make a drawing and then go over with a brush to loosen up, make it more painterly.
Like my teacher used to say, my figure drawings are very “inventive”. Is this a good thing? I guess so, to some extend… observation is also important. But anatomy is all about the structure – and sometimes you don’t see it. From my point of view, the following equation applies: observation + anatomy = drawing. You know its there, there are bones and muscles under the skin. So you draw both what you know and what you see. I tend to put a lot of emphasis on the “what you know”, especially in the profile figure drawing above.
The reference for the back study was not a classical model, but actually a vintage photo of a bodybuilder. There is clear information about muscles in bodybuilder photos, so I highly recommend to find and use such reference.
I’m based in Dundee, there are watercolour pencils and other shiny things in our local iArtSupplies, check them out on Instagram. Previously, I did some digital portraits in an impressionist style so have a look.