Description
In this phase we will be exploring one of my favorite subjects, the figure quick sketch. It is an amazing skill to execute these to their highest level, and takes years of diligent practice to really feel comfortable navigating the human form in such a short period of time. I have done this exercise consistently over the past 25 years and still love it. I do not say all this to discourage you but rather to hopefully paint a realistic picture so you are not so hard on yourself. The ones in this phase are very complex so do the best you can to copy them. It may take several goes at them and more time but try to understand one or two things each time you try them. You will be developing superior dexterity, design knowledge, cultivating calligraphy, strengthening you visual memory and much more. This method will serve you well for storyboarding,animation,comic and conceptual design work, and anything else that relies on figure invention. Practice this discipline religiously once or so a week along with your other studies. Good luck and remember the abstraction from the first phase.
Materials
- Charcoal pencils (get quite a few to start with) Conte1710: B (gold with black shaft)
- Single-edged razor blades (1 box)
- Sanding pad (small wood handle with sheets of sandpaper on it.)
- Kneaded eraser
- Pad of 18″x24″ SMOOTH Newsprint (recommended brands: Pro-Art)
- Clipboard (a standard board that will hold an 18″x24″ pad.)
- Pad of 18″x24″ tracing paper
Note: Do not leave Newsprint in warm places, or where the sun will hit it (i.e. car, window, etc.). It will warp and wrinkle! Also, you’ll want to get a small cigar sized box for supplies to be transported in.
