Life Drawing Midterm Reflection

In life drawing there is a strong focus on muscle and bone structures within the body as well as important visible landmarks on the body. This has really helped me draw more realistically through correct perspective and proportion. I always wanted to take an anatomy class, so I have found this information both interesting and useful. I might not remember every name for each part of the body, but even learning the basic shapes and functions of certain forms have improved my drawings. Learning about the spine alone has allowed me to exaggerate the natural curves of the body’s core, for a more dynamic drawing.

In my relief printmaking class there is an advanced student who is creating a gallery installment about the body and aging. She made hundreds of egg shaped papier-mâché forms, which the class immediately recognized as an abstract representation of the female figure. I find it interesting that she successfully used an egg shape to imply the human figure and in life drawing we use the same shape to reach similar goals. We use the egg shape of the rib cage to show body position, give depth and check proportion in our drawing.

I hope to continue learning about key features of the human body and new drawing techniques and tips, to further improve my drawings. I also enjoy spending the time we have in class learning from experience. By spending most of our time each week actually drawing and getting individual tips, I feel like we are getting most out of the class.

Here is the URL to my midterm portfolio:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwrosenberg/