Figure Sketches Critique

Drawings by Emma, an Anatomy Master Class student

I would like to submit two drawings for critique that I made from life. Although they are sketches they each took me three hours to finish. Foreshortening can be tricky when applied in figure drawing.

Yours sincerely,
Emma

Feedback from Vladimir London, an art tutor

Dear Emma,

Thank you for your drawings. They are very good, great job!

The biggest improvement you can make is to apply pencil strokes along the contours of forms when rendering tonal values, while following the principles of constructive drawing. Tonal rendering should be an integral part of constructive drawing and should help reveal the three-dimensional structure of the figure. Developing this skill will also help you deal more confidently with foreshortening.

There are also a number of smaller points that could be improved, such as relative proportions, construction, and anatomy. For example, in your drawing of the standing figure, the distance from the 10th rib to the top of the pelvis is too large. The proportions of the hands and feet in relation to the head are also slightly off, the axes of the legs are not fully convincing, and the anatomy of some of the joints could be more accurate.

Please do not worry, none of these issues is major, and they do not significantly detract from your artworks. However, there are many things a proficient artist needs to know in order to draw portraits and figures skilfully. Above all, it is essential to understand the principles of constructive drawing, which form the foundation of strong drawing skills.

The difficulties you are experiencing in figurative drawing often come from gaps in skills that are first developed by drawing much simpler forms. For example, the chair on which the model is sitting has incorrect perspective and construction. I understand that the chair was not the main subject of your drawing, but a proficient artist would still construct it correctly, even if it were only a secondary element. If there are difficulties in depicting a simple three-dimensional form, such as a rectangular prism in perspective, similar problems are likely to appear when drawing much more complex subjects such as figures and portraits.

If you feel that you need to strengthen your understanding of constructive drawing, I would like to invite you to take personal tutoring in the Life Drawing Academy personal tutoring course.

Once again, thank you for sharing your drawings.

Kind regards,
Vladimir London