HOW I DRAW

I’m interested in what happens before a drawing becomes a drawing.

When I look at something, or someone, I’m trying to understand the forms that make up their body and what makes them unique in three dimensions.

I’m looking for a sense of solidity in the drawing. That the person or object really sits in space.

I want to be able to see and feel that it could exist.

That comes from understanding form, proportion, position and perspective.

The block gives me the structure. The line starts to describe the person. The finished drawing brings the form to life.

The same approach works when there is more than one figure. Each person has to occupy their own space, while the group has to work as a whole.

The same principles apply to anything with form, weight and a place in space.

The finished drawing is only the last stage. The important work happens before that, when I’m working out the forms, proportions and relationships that make the subject believable.

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