Alright... so this is the final blog post for the semester. Before I get on with my final thoughts for the class, I'll provide a link to my Portfolio for this class:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49562926@N08/sets/
That said and done, what was my experience in Life Drawing I? I definitely think it was one of the most important drawing classes I've ever taken. Through the knowledge and experience I gained in this class, I have begun to really draw differently. The whole approach to drawing in Life Drawing is different, and its also, in my opinion, one of the best if not the best approach there is.
The most basic fundamental concept that I've gleaned from this class, is the ability to break down something into simple forms, and then build from there. The idea is echoed over and over again in many drawing books and classes, but I think actually having a model and having our professor point out all the planes, lines and guides that we needed to see in order to draw the figure, was just amazing.
It was amazing, and it was very necessary. Along with just the approach to seeing and drawing, I really have learnt some very basic and important things. Like how to hold the drawing tool, how to use it so the line weight and quality is varied and sharp but fresh. Its the little things that no one really points out to you but what you just observe and learn from actually being in a room, 3 days a week and drawing with intense concentration that yields some amazing results.
While I definitely enjoyed drawing in this class, and learning how to simplify things and how the various parts of the body work, I feel like I did not benefit as much from the Manakin. I think the biggest problem with the whole manakin thing is that we had referrences and didn't figure out how to actually place the muscles after our first few times. Discrepancies between the book and Manakin itself didn't help matters. We covered so many muscles that I found myself forgetting most of them.
i'm not saying the Manakin isn't a useful exercise, because it is. I just personally found myself learning more through the actual drawing and practice, rather than putting on muscles. People learn in different ways though, and I'm sure a lot of people found the Manakin exercise to be most beneficial.
Life Drawing I was a very essential class for me, and I hope to take the second class ASAP.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49562926@N08/sets/
That said and done, what was my experience in Life Drawing I? I definitely think it was one of the most important drawing classes I've ever taken. Through the knowledge and experience I gained in this class, I have begun to really draw differently. The whole approach to drawing in Life Drawing is different, and its also, in my opinion, one of the best if not the best approach there is.
The most basic fundamental concept that I've gleaned from this class, is the ability to break down something into simple forms, and then build from there. The idea is echoed over and over again in many drawing books and classes, but I think actually having a model and having our professor point out all the planes, lines and guides that we needed to see in order to draw the figure, was just amazing.
It was amazing, and it was very necessary. Along with just the approach to seeing and drawing, I really have learnt some very basic and important things. Like how to hold the drawing tool, how to use it so the line weight and quality is varied and sharp but fresh. Its the little things that no one really points out to you but what you just observe and learn from actually being in a room, 3 days a week and drawing with intense concentration that yields some amazing results.
While I definitely enjoyed drawing in this class, and learning how to simplify things and how the various parts of the body work, I feel like I did not benefit as much from the Manakin. I think the biggest problem with the whole manakin thing is that we had referrences and didn't figure out how to actually place the muscles after our first few times. Discrepancies between the book and Manakin itself didn't help matters. We covered so many muscles that I found myself forgetting most of them.
i'm not saying the Manakin isn't a useful exercise, because it is. I just personally found myself learning more through the actual drawing and practice, rather than putting on muscles. People learn in different ways though, and I'm sure a lot of people found the Manakin exercise to be most beneficial.
Life Drawing I was a very essential class for me, and I hope to take the second class ASAP.
