Anatomy and Block-Ins

This month I have been really working hard at slowing down and tightening up on my drawing process. My hope and goal is that I'll become faster while at the same time more accurate. Instead of drawing just one drawing for the month I have been drawing a new one every day. The most important part of the drawing happens in the beginning and that is where I am trying to become more systematic. Drawing is actually a lot harder than most people think. It takes a great deal of mental work. I have been emotionally and physically drained at the end of the day because of this specific focus. The idea is to do the same thing (within reason) every time. First you establish a quick gesture of the drawing, then you find the half way point, make sure the heights are proportional to the widths and then start working from the middle of the drawing, focusing on shapes. You push your way outward and then switch over to thinking spatially. I have had to slow down and force myself to focus on not jumping ahead in that process and finding the best solution to discrepancies in my drawing. You don't just change something because it doesn't look right. There could be several changes you could make to solve that one problem, but only one of them will improve the drawing while others will fix parts while creating new ones. It is a huge puzzle that requires a very rational approach. And then you still have to balance being too rational while maintaining a very emotional and creative aesthetic. I had hoped to include some of those one day drawings, but my camera died on me yesterday before I could take a picture.

I have included pictures of my ecorche sculpture. I have really been enjoying my time studying anatomy. Some of the things that I have found helpful are, first studying the anatomy from a book. There is a need to become familiar with the names and an understanding of where the muscles attach and insert. I feel like with that information I can attempt to do a memory drawing. These usually don't turn out very accurate, but it forces me to realize what I know and what I don't. I'll usually correct these with help from my anatomy books. Hopefully I get all this accomplished before I start to sculpt. Sculpting I feel has really helped me take that understanding to the next level. I gain a greater understanding of the mass of the muscles and how they relate to the muscles around them.

I have also included my finished cast painting. I still have not been able to take a decent picture.