Not knowing what to draw today, I turned to a 21-Draw class on gesture drawing I had earmarked. The class was not I expected, I was expecting to do quick impressions of people walking or sitting in a cafe. So I looked up what gesture meant in art…
According to Berry Stein, it means capturing movement and direction. That makes sense to me, I think this is the first time I fully understood the term. I spent my customary 10 minutes, maybe 20 drawing from the course…
The first bit was to draw figures in ideal proportions, to be honest, I was tempted to skip this step. But I’m glad I didn’t and instead of finding it tedious like I thought I would, I actually found it relaxing. I approached it as a complete beginner and let go of any expected outcome and just focused on the process.
I was studying.
It’s recommended to repeat the study multiple times, each time you get a little better, repetition is a big part of learning. And as much as I’m a huge advocate for a playful approach to making art, there should also be a time for intentional study.
You’ll have to strike your own balance. The thing is, don’t do it so seriously, don’t set out a 52 week plan, instead, have the materials available and close at hand, and make your time to create.
Use some of that time for studying whenever the urge takes you. Let your interest and curiosity pull you rather than push yourself with a whip or a clock.
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TEN MINUTE ARTIST PROMPT
Do a study
Copy work is part of An art student’s diet.
Here’s why we copy…
to see better
to see how others see
to get a greater awareness of how you
Find a good drawing, copy it, see what you see. If you’re not sure where to start, start with Wikipedia share your studies and what you learned?
