Foreshortened poses are a common challenge when drawing the figure. The visual effects of perspective cause the proportions of the body to distort as the figure recedes into space, resulting in a perceived compression, or 'shortening' of longer forms. This change to expected proportions can make it difficult to draw the figure.
Foreshortening typically causes a few specific visual effects. This lesson will look at these, and di...
2021-02-15 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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In a new three-part blog series painter Tim Patrick will take us through some of the ideas that underpin his work in a series of illustrated essays, with a particular focus on attitude rather than technical process. You might also want to watch the ETC interview with artists featured in the exhibition This is Where We Meet, curated by Tim 2021-02-14 10:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Here to remind us of the joys of summer, we have Laura Ryan - the member of the Draw team who wears all of the metaphorical hats - life model, Atelier alumni, Drawing Circus character and tutor. In her day job Laura is an illustrator and heraldic artist and is soon to be writing some articles for the Draw blog, finally putting that Philosophy Degree...
2021-02-12 10:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to week nineteen of our tutored life drawing sessions. This video is a recording of the live webinar aired on 10th February 2021. You can watch it as a one-off, or watch it in order with other videos in the course, putting the exercises into action by drawing from our photo reference and online life classes. You'll find all of the details on the Draw Patreon Navigator 2021-02-10 15:53:39 +0000 UTC
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When drawing, it is easy to get into the habit of just placing the figure on the page without much respect to their surroundings. In this week's lesson, it is time to have a look at creating a bit of context for the figure.
This lesson covers managing the visual space the figure sits in and integrating them into their environment, as well as suggesting ideas about narrative and emphasis. Whilst figure studies for their own sake...
2021-02-08 10:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Now that you have your photographic imagery to work from (check back to pt. 1 for advice on how to find your imagery and pt. 2 for how to prepare it) you’re ready to start drawing, painting or preparing a plate to print. This blog presents a ser...
2021-02-07 22:07:15 +0000 UTC
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We're absolutely delighted to be welcoming so many new people to our online community over the past month. The extra income we're receiving allows us to add a new session to our programme, so I wanted to find out what everybody is after. There are lots of great untutored life classes run by our friends around the UK, so we'd like to add a long head & shoulders portrait pose to the programme - something not unlike...
2021-02-06 10:00:02 +0000 UTC
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The Drawing Circus has always been cyclical Borrowing from the tropes of folklore, literature and mythology the 'Circuses were often metaphors for the rhythms of the artistic process and the recycling, destruction and rebirth inherent in acts of creations.
Prologue marked one such rebirth - it took place in 2012, the year in which we transitioned from The Brighton Life Drawing Sessions to Draw, and dr...
2021-02-05 10:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to week eighteen of our tutored life drawing sessions. This video is a recording of the live webinar aired on the 3rd February 2021. You can watch it as a one-off, or watch it in order with other videos in the course, putting the exercises into action by drawing from our photo reference and online life classes. You'll find all of the details on the Draw Patreon Navigator 2021-02-03 18:31:25 +0000 UTC
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So, you have your photograph to work from, what next? (you don’t? Check back to Part 1. for some tips on gathering reference material).
Before you start drawing directly from your photo reference, check whether there is anything you can do to the photograph itself to make it an easier to tackle or to make it a more engaging or perso...
2021-02-03 17:16:06 +0000 UTC
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Balance in figure drawing usually refers to how weight is distributed through a pose. In particular, this is about whether the figure is stable, or about to fall over. Subtle changes can affect the perception of balance in a figure drawing, and if a pose looks off-balance, it is often quickly noticed by the viewer.
Changes in balance can also convey motion. Any figure that is 'off-balance' will appear to be moving – it is imp...
2021-02-01 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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In the third of our series of online exploring the personal stories of artists we talk to artist Wuon-Gean Ho. These videos have been made possible with your amazing support here on the Patreon - the artists featured are paid for taking part and we make the content free to everybody to watch, so please do share this widely, especially with any aspiring illustrators that you know!
About Wuon-Gean
2021-01-30 09:33:07 +0000 UTC
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The endless mischievous and delinquent Felix Clement aka Captain Clement of pirate sea shanty band The Captain's Beard is the focus of this weeks photoset - a particular treat for anybody illustrating a 17th century bar scene, or trying to remember what it was like actually being in a pub. As a disclaimer the final photos were not on the shot list for the p...
2021-01-29 10:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to week seventeen of our tutored life drawing sessions. This video is a recording of the live webinar aired on the 27th January 2021. You can watch it as a one-off, or watch it in order with other videos in the course, putting the exercises into action by drawing from our photo reference and online life classes. You'll find all of the details on the Draw Patreon Navigator 2021-01-27 16:25:17 +0000 UTC
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Weight is the result of how gravity affects the body, or any other subject. Gravity is always pulling mass down towards the ground – weight can also come from other forces acting on mass, such as muscle tension. Conveying a sense of weight in drawing is challenging because it cannot literally be seen – unlike how ideas such as shape and contour can be – and must be understood through the effects it has on a subject. In turn, dr...
2021-01-25 10:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Over the last 10 months we’ve been developing a photo library of over 1200 portrait, life and clothed poses, with more images added every Friday. We figured it was high time we put together a short series to help you make best use of that photo reference, so this week we’re starting at the beginning – how to source your imagery. However you prefer to source your reference, we’ve included ideas below to help you broaden the sc...
2021-01-24 19:59:31 +0000 UTC
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As we have had a flurry of new supporters this months I figured it was time to re-introduce ourselves! We set up this Patreon to provide work for our tutors & models during the pandemic and to create a platform for us to all to connect through drawing. We're really happy to have received such generous support and this month we reached our funding goal of £6000 per month - meeting our monthly running costs for the first time sinc...
2021-01-23 12:27:41 +0000 UTC
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After graduating from a Printmaking Degree at Brighton university last year, Ellie has returned home to the West Country, but thankfully can still join us regularly at online life classes! Ellie was a Wednesday night life drawing regular in the old world, modelling for both Draw and the Drawing Circus, where she played both forest spirit and clown in sepa...
2021-01-22 10:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to week sixteen of our tutored life drawing sessions. This video is a recording of the live webinar aired on the 20th January 2021. You can watch it as a one-off, or watch it in order with other videos in the course, putting the exercises into action by drawing from our photo reference and online life classes. You'll find all of the details on the Draw Patreon Navigator 2021-01-20 14:54:44 +0000 UTC
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Form is the expression of three dimensional structure through drawing. This covers multiple different ideas that can include volumes – three dimensional shapes and spaces – as well as their relationships to each other, or an observer, such as orientation and placement.
The focus of this lesson will be on drawing observed forms, through drawing volumes, and creating cross-contour marks to describe them. However, ideas about ...
2021-01-18 10:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Immie only had a year or so of life modelling at Draw before the pandemic, when she headed up to London to study art. She has always bought a natural confidence and creativity to her poses and has a knack for looking back at you with an artist's steady gaze. You'll find Immie's portrait set further back in our archive - here is her wonderfully varied life ...
2021-01-15 10:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to week fifteen of our tutored life drawing sessions. This video is a recording of the live webinar aired on the 13th January 2021. You can watch it as a one-off, or watch it in order with other videos in the course, putting the exercises into action by drawing from our photo reference and online life classes. You'll find all of the details on the Draw Patreon Navigator 2021-01-13 14:34:18 +0000 UTC
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As poses get longer, you will have more opportunity to add information to our drawings. In this blog, we'll focus on short poses of five to fifteen minutes long. This allows plenty of time to record the initial gesture, and from there it is important to be mindful of how information is added.
It is easy to get carried away with a drawing and forget the big ideas supporting it. Knitting the fundamental properties of a gesture, s...
2021-01-11 10:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Naomi defies pigeon-holing - she is a model, aerial performer, poet (and when I first met her, was working as a professional fairy). She has been the second Drawing Circus aerialist called Naomi and played the metaphorical spark of inspiration at our last big event, more than a year ago now. You can find more of Naomi's work here and you can support her creat...
2021-01-08 10:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to week fourteen of our tutored life drawing sessions. This video is a recording of the live webinar aired on the 6th January 2021. You can watch it as a one-off, or watch it in order with other videos in the course, putting the exercises into action by drawing from our photo reference and online life classes. You'll find all of the details on the Draw Patreon Navigator 2021-01-06 15:25:51 +0000 UTC
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After a short Christmas break our tutored blogs are back! You can find all of the previous 13 blogs linked to on our navigator here and a whole load of other drawing blogs here. If you are following Wednesday tutored webinars (open to lif...
2021-01-04 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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The second of our live ETC interview series is now posted and ready to watch (or re-watch for those that joined and asked questions). These videos have been made possible with your amazing support here on the Patreon - the artists featured are paid for taking part and we make the content free to everybody to watch, so please do share this widely, especially with any aspiring illustrators that you know!
About Peter
2021-01-02 14:00:00 +0000 UTC
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As we usher in the new year I have been looking back fondly at all of the times when we could pack together in a hot theatre for grand Drawing Circus tableaus, remembering the buzzing drawing events with the Drawchestra riffing raucous from the stage and sketchers packed shoulder to shoulder. Here is the final instalment of the Grand Drawing Circus photoset - a collection of black and white images from Nicholas Brekespear to inspire ...
2021-01-01 10:32:23 +0000 UTC
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As a wee little Christmas present we're sharing this set of photo-reference of the inimitable Francesca Cluney, Ringmistress of the Drawing Circus, the first Draw model and rapunzel-esuqe queen of Brighton life modelling.
Have a Very Merry day,
Jake
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Use the 2020-12-25 15:00:04 +0000 UTC
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I was torn about whether to post on Christmas Day, but it's a Friday and we're nothing if not dedicated to our commitment to bring your drawing material all year round. However you celebrate this time of the year, I hope you're having a wonderful, warm, cosy day.
Warmest wishes,
Jake
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Use the 2020-12-25 14:01:01 +0000 UTC
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