Figure Drawing

Last night's figure. I'm not sure what's going on here, but there's something just a little off with the lean of his body. I kept checking and rechecking the angles, and they seemed to be okay, so I don't know exactly what's going on--maybe it's the placement of the feet? Next time I'm really going to try to not get too caught up in the measuring and details and all that. Those techniques are really useful and my drawings have improved in terms of relative proportion. But I think I tend to lose sight of evaluating the whole figure at once when I'm thinking too much about all the measurements. Finding the balance is tricky, because they definitely do help in things like, well, my tendency to oversize heads ;) 

The instructor is telling me to use the plumb line for placement of the head to the feet, then get rid of it. I'll give that a try next time, which probably means I will flounder for a bit, but that's okay. Also, I like to overemphasize angle relationships, and tend to see them as more obvious than they really are. So, straighter lines next time around.

I'm also going to try to be a little more positive about all this. I have the gift (and curse) of a high level of self awareness, and if I'm not careful, I can end up being a little overly critical of my efforts. There's no use stressing myself out over this stuff, and it certainly doesn't make my work any better. So, here's to happy drawing :)

Also, I really liked this post I saw from @sadievaleri I saw on Instagram this morning. It went along with my line of thinking this morning. And I always love to see glimpses others' artistic processes. I'm a very visual learner :)

"This is how I teach straight line block in to beginners: Students alternate blocking in a Bargue plate for one hour, then they block in a small object for 1 hour. Repeat.
When blocking in a 3-dimensional object they use the 4-step method I developed. They start each step from the beginning, and they grow more confident as they repeat the shapes they just solved.
No reliance on tools, minimal measuring techniques used only occasionally. Measuring techniques have a finite degree of accuracy, whereas developing an intuitive sensitivity to shape and tilt is a skill that can be sharpened and refined every week/month/year for a lifetime. I plan to be a better draughtsman every year for the rest of my life, and I try to set my students on the same path. It's a very steep learning curve the first year, but the accuracy and confidence attained though diligent practice is a priceless skill."