Course Highlights


Drawing Gestures

Every person has a particular way of walking, sitting, posing and representing oneself physically. These marks are known as gestures. If you can capture the essential gesture of the pose by defining the telling angles and directions of the body, the energy of the whole figure is naturally implied.

Keep in mind that a sketch should not simply represent the gesture of a figure in isolation but demonstrate the interaction of the figure with the surrounding space. One does not need to draw the background in detail but it must be roughly sketched in some form to show the context and assist in rendering the gesture of the model. For instance the chair, bed, or street could be demonstrative of the circumstances. Even a simple background such as a wall, drawn with dark lines would help to ground the figure while further defining its profile.

Other pages of interest

Drawing gestures
Gesture sketches
Foreshortening
Drawing clothing
Nude figures with conte crayon

 

 

Course Navigation

More resources