Designed for students aged 14–18 (UK Key Stages 4–5 / Years 10–13), but adaptable for other ages.
Learning objectives
To capture different poses in various gestural ways.
To gain confidence working with a life model.
To challenge your natural style of drawing.
Learning outcomes
Several life drawings done with different techniques.
One sustained life drawing filled with a variety of mark making.
You will need
Charcoal
Paper
Eraser
Otis BleaseAfter Gauguin
Rosie TuffLife room drawing (3)
Exercise 1
Position your model in a static pose. Step beside your easel so you can still draw but cannot see the paper. Create a life drawing without looking at the paper. Explore how the gestures feel. You may be surprised by the result.
Exercise 2
Allow the model to change pose. Now you will draw the model with your non-dominant hand. You can look at your page but you must not be tempted to change hands. Perhaps the lack of control will create more exciting marks.
Exercise 3
Draw a new pose with one continuous line. This line must not come off the page. Consider how the mark making is changing. Has the way you are observing the figure changed?
Exercise 4
Take a piece of charcoal in each hand and draw the model with both hands simultaneously. This may cause issues in co ordination, try to sustain the practise as long as you can.
Reflect on which excersises have felt natural and which more challenging, has any approach surpsised you?
Exercise 5
For the final exercise position the model for a longer pose. Allow yourself to be totally free to explore whatever marks with whichever hands you with in this pose. Consider the negative and positive shapes you are depicting. Try to incorporate both continuous and broken lines. A variety of mark making will make for a more interesting image. To make it a sustained drawing you may want to use your eraser to find the exact marks you desire.
