How accurately did you depict the overall proportions of the figure?
Proportions of standing and lying figure look ok. One of the sitting figures (sketch 2) is also ok, but the first sketch and the worked out drawing of the sitting figure are not accurate for proportion. The upper part of the body is too large. There’s also a strange pose of the head in that drawing, it looks like pressed backwards. This may have to do with the physical strain I experienced while drawing.
Did you try to imagine the sitter’s skeleton and muscles? Did this help you to convey the figure’s structure and form?
No, I didn’t think about skeleton or muscles, but I tried to find the directional axes, for example of the spine and through the shoulders. Searching for axes helped in getting the perspective correctly in most of the drawings.
Some personal reflections on this project
As usual I felt negatively about the results of my efforts, seeing just the errors and what didn’t work and realizing how I wasn’t able to produce pleasant drawings. But taking a bit of distance, I recognize some progress in my drawings because I’m beginning to fill a page and the mark making is getting a bit bolder. The drawings also have more contrast and begin to include some very dark and some very light tones. This is an improvement over earlier work where I did not get further than some timid lines and light grey tones.
There’s also a glimpse of progress in how I depict faces. Still not much resemblance with me, but a little more skill in producing facial expressions. Needs more practice…
I didn’t feel very comfortable with this project and often thought that I’m trying to run before I can even stand, let alone walk. I’m also not very comfortable with the strict schedule the instructions impose. I think the course is too fast paced for me, not giving enough opportunity to develop a topic into something personally meaningful. It certainly is something personal. After all, it’s me who doesn’t stick to a project and develop it further to see some progress. Instead I hurry on… maybe the real progress comes much later when I select my own tasks and projects. I’m quite sure that I will do follow up work on much of the topics that came up in the course materials. Currently I feel as if I had nothing worth mounting on A1 cardboard and presenting for assessment. Really need to develop my own voice and style in drawing. Feel quite embarrassed by what I’m currently producing.