Drawing the human figure from your mind

[Maledict]

I came across this website last year when browsing conceptart.org, and I've been following the video lessons for a while now, I'm up to 136 out of 178. This is really fascinating, and I wanted to share it with all you other prospective artists out there.

http://the-structure-of-man.blogspot.com/

 

[Mephisto]

Thanks for that RS,

I often find that most young artists today are too reliant on digital aids or projectors to pay close attention to muscular/skeletal structure when drawing the human figure. These seem to be fairly high quality lesson plans that would be valuable, not only to beginning artists, but to experienced artists looking for a decent refresher.

Although I don't frown upon using tools like projectors, figure animation software (i.e. Poser) or digital photography as much as most traditional artists might, I think it's important for anyone interested in the realistic depiction of the human figure to know how human muscles and bones interact.

I think anyone will admit that these lesson plans are definitely much easier than digging up and dissecting corpses to learn anatomy.

 

[Pardalis]

These seem to be fairly high quality lesson plans that would be valuable, not only to beginning artists, but to experienced artists looking for a decent refresher.

I think so too. Sometimes when you draw often and under pressure, you kind of find your own shortcuts to draw the human being, it becomes your style but it also can become a trap sometimes, especially when you're faced with an angle or posture you are not used to.

It's always important to come back to the basics of the human skeleton and muscle structure every now and then. These lessons seem perfect for both illustrators who go for the realistic look and the 'cartoon' look, because when you draw different kinds of people (fat people, short people, female, etc), and even when you exagerate them like in cartoons, the proportions change of course but the basic structure remains, there's a logic to it you have to understand. When you have that understood well, you can draw anything.

 

[Mephisto]

Looking again at the OP title, I believe it might be much more difficult to draw the human figure from someone else's mind.

 

[Andúril]

I often find that most young artists today are too reliant on digital aids or projectors to pay close attention to muscular/skeletal structure when drawing the human figure.

Only a small fraction of artists are technically really good. The rest of them use "if you can't draw but still want to play artist, call it as a new art style" -methods to silence criticists.

 

[Maledict]

Only a small fraction of artists are technically really good. The rest of them use "if you can't draw but still want to play artist, call it as a new art style" -methods to silence criticists.

Oh god, this is SO true. I learned this when I stumbled apon the horror that is modern art in the sewer that is the New Tate in London

 

[Mephisto]

Only a small fraction of artists are technically really good. The rest of them use "if you can't draw but still want to play artist, call it as a new art style" -methods to silence criticists.

I agree, Anduril. Drawing is the most basic art skill anyone can acquire. It is the base from which non-objective art should spring and no amount of splashing, dripping, spitting or blowing paint on a canvas can excuse some of the crap being sold (and bought) on the market today.

I'm almost positive that even Jackson Pollack knew how to draw before becoming "Jack the Dripper."

 

[Pardalis]

Picasso was a very good illustrator though.

 

[Orangutan]

Thanks. I've been looking for something like this.

 

[Odin]

I'm on lesson 15 now and searched the title using google to find how other people are using this (do you just watch the videos, draw along or actually learn all the formula?) and this thread came up on the first page of results! Clearly paranormal interference.

 

[boojum]

Those who liked the site in the OP may also be interested in http://drawingthemotmot.wordpress.com. It's a blog about scientific illustration.

 

[coalesce]

Picasso was a very good illustrator though.

In my opinion, that's what made his later work so groundbreaking. Since he had a firm grasp of the rules, he knew how and why to break them. I don't think his earlier work gets enough attention. That early work is so important because without that early foundation, I don't think he would have become the artist he did.

Michael