Seeing the human form through the prism of abstraction
In 2018 I started attending life drawing sessions, aiming to capture the intricate gestures of the human body. As a result of my experiences I wrote the below article at the time.
Nearly 5 years later, having conducted research, experimented with a range of media and acquired different tastes for my sources of inspiration I am glad to be revisiting my own words and adding commentary.
In 2018 I said:
A great way to challenge and teach yourself
If you have felt the urge to create and improve your artistic skills but doing so in the isolation of your room doesn’t feel appealing…be sure there are loads of people who feel the same way. After spending a few months working on my own, I eventually found something that worked very well for me and boosted my motivation.
Joining a tutored Life Drawing class provides you with the opportunity to meet like-minded people and improve your drawing skills. Interacting with artists of various levels is probably the biggest benefit. The amount of information you can pick up by simply walking around the class and observing other people’s work is incredible. There is a wealth of different techniques, media and styles. Literally a treasure for experimentation and self-improvement.
Drawing the human body is a challenging task you will need to accomplish in class.
- Coordinating hands, eyes and brain will be your first challenge. New media, new techniques and the complexity of human body structure will test your ability to use all your senses to achieve a good outcome on your paper.
- Observing effectively something you think you know very well is difficult. You only realise how tricky capturing the pose is, when you need to put it on paper. During the class your second challenge will be to draw what you actually see and not what you think you know!
- Finally, during a life drawing session time is limited. Your model will get tired and you will get tired too! Good luck finishing your work on time!
The first classes can be frustrating because of the above; the satisfaction of improvement though is worth the pain. Facing these challenges gave me a goal and motivation to continue studying and practicing art. It can take a while to get up to speed but trust me, once you get a grasp then the experience is very rewarding.
After a number of life drawing sessions I feel I have a better understanding of human anatomy. If you feel you need some extra motivation for your art…do join Life Drawing sessions! I recommend it; I am sure you will find it interesting and helpful!
In 2023 I think:
I am still very much of the opinion that life drawing is a challenging and highly rewarding experience. Having a supportive tutor, a kind cohort and an experienced model can really help those on their first steps.
After having explored the notion of abstraction, I found that life drawing can be much more than a coordination exercise for hands, eyes and mind. The fluidity of the human body and its organic posture can be a fantastic stimulus for work that defies the ordinary and delves into a more subconscious response to the scene taking place on the other side of the easel.
Although my painting currently draws inspiration from architecture, graphic and product design, the human form is an everlasting source of ideas.
Fine art and design 