How to Draw the Human Figure

When an artist comes to drawing a human figure the challenge they comes across is to try and see the whole figure as its own shape. This is because our experience from looking at our bodies in the past tells us that the human figure is made up of various parts, we need to scrap this thinking and start looking at the whole body as one form. For example we might enjoy taking the time to draw the eyes of a subject, but we might not be so interested in drawing the hair of the subject. If we choose to draw in this fashion the end result will not look congruent because parts of the picture will be delivered with less effort. So, how do we get away from this drawing style? What you need to do is treat your subject like they are made up of various forms and forget that they are a living and breathing person. When you take this step back from your subject and look at it in this light, it will be really surprising how much less importance you place on the individual details. This will make your drawings more congruent. You are just getting started so do not worry too much about getting your drawing perfect, they might not look like the subject at this stage but with some practice you will start to get the hang of it and develop your own style in the way you work. If you have redrawn your sketch of form so many times that you are unable to see what the drawing is anymore, that is ok. It is much better to learn this way rather than producing a drawing that was sketched once but has been poorly observed and is out of proportion. What really matters is what YOU learn as you attempt more drawings; if you take this one bit of knowledge from this article then you will develop as an artist more quickly and build up a portfolio of great drawings in no time. To get better at drawing the form of a figure it is good practice to set you a short time frame to draw the figure quickly. It is recommended by teachers of art to make rapid drawing step by step with a short time limit. Set yourself a limit of 15 minutes, 10 minutes and even 5 minutes for each sketch. Concentrate on getting the form of the subject. When you begin drawing you should look for an overall shape that will contain most of your subject. For example your subject might make the form of a square so draw a square or a rectangle that will fit around your subject. Doing this will make it much easier for you to fill the form of the subject. After exploring the main shape of your subject you will find you have made it much easier for yourself to draw the figure while not paying too much attention o the individual parts of the subject.

Oil Painting Lesson – Tips & Techniques

 If you want to learn how to oil paint and not sure how to begin, the following article will prove to be quite helpful in your pursuit to become a good painter.

Before you read on, you will have to try and forget everything you ever learned about oil painting and look at your painting from a new perspective. A recent art class I attended, taught by a master painter, has completely changed the way I approach oil painting and has opened up many new creative doors for me. I hope it will do the same for you. 

START WITH A CONCEPT

Up until just recently, I was a very frustrated oil painter. I have 10 or so incomplete paintings collecting dust in the corner of my small studio. I would attempt to complete these 10 or so paintings over and over again, until finally I had to take a step back and try and understand what I was doing wrong.

The reason I lost interest and was unable to complete these paintings was because I did not have a concept in mind before I started. I would start haphazardly painting without a clear vision of what I really wanted to accomplish with my oil painting techniques.

Concepts are methods for solving problems in a painting. I bet you never saw painting as being a series of problems. Neither did I , but this way of thinking really does make learning how to oil paint more interesting.

What do you want your painting to be about?

Instead of thinking: “My painting is about trees in a field”, start thinking in terms of , “My painting is about the light that falls on the trees in a field”.

When you have a blueprint or roadmap in mind before you start painting, there is no room for diversion. You must stick to your plan. 

MASTER YOUR BRUSH

A very important aspect of oil painting is learning how to control your brush. Without good brush control and technique, your effectiveness as a painter is truly limited.

Make sure you have the best possible brushes you can afford. While it is possible to save money on paint and canvas, one should never work with cheap brushes. In my experience, cheaper brushes are simply not worth it. The biggest issue with cheap brushes is with the hairs falling off and becoming embedded in your painting. It is quite annoying.

One of the biggest mistakes artists make, me included, is not reloading the paint brush enough. I am not sure if this is an act of laziness or fear of wasting paint. Whatever the reason may be, make sure you always have enough paint on your brush so that there is always a layer of paint between your brush and the canvas. Do not try and scrub the paint into the canvas. Paint your strokes and leave them be. Don’t over work your brushstrokes.

MASSING

One great way to get the main ideas of an oil painting down is with a technique called Massing. Massing is about seeing your subject as a whole and not concentrating on all of the fine details.

For instance, lets say you subject is a pineapple. Instead of trying to get down all the various textures and details on your pineapple, think in terms of “planes” of light and shadow.

Add in those planes first and then later on you can put in all of your finer details.

COLOR

Nothing in my opinion, can confuse a painter more, then working with color. I know one of my weaknesses in the beginning was working with too many colors in the same painting which resulted in a muddy nightmare.

I never really took the time to understand how colors interact with one another.

Here are some great tips to keep in mind while working with color in your paintings:

- If you add white to another color, it will make that color cooler and more opaque.

- Instead of adding white to a color to make it brighter, try adding more color instead.

- Don’t be afraid to use black. Many teachers recommend staying away from black, but I beg to differ. Did you know you can get some very nice greens by mixing ivory black with certain blues and yellows?

Becoming A Tattoo Artist

If you really enjoy the art behind tattoos, then perhaps you will want to consider becoming a tattoo artist and making a living out of it. A great tattoo artist can make a pretty comfortable living out of their trade, but not everyone is cut out to do this job. There is a huge investment in time and money required to become a successful tattoo artist. The one thing that every aspiring tattoo artist needs is artistic talent. If you cannot draw then the life of a tattoo artist is not one for you. Those who are talented enough, or think they can be will need to hone their talent by taking some fine art painting techniques classes, and spend a lot of time practicing. When you think that you have progressed far enough as an artist you will then want to build yourself a portfolio of work. You will use this portfolio to try to secure an apprenticeship with an experienced tattoo artist. Apprenticeships can be free, or can cost a few thousand dollars; it all depends on the person who is training you. Make sure that you work out a contract that suits both of you and clearly states what the mentor will provide, and for how long. The person who chooses to apprentice you should take an active interest in your journey to become a fully qualified tattoo artist. It can take quite a while to find the right apprentice, but you shouldn’t rush your decision as it will affect the rest of your life. The right mentor can make the difference between you becoming a good tattoo artist, or a great one. If the tattoo artist you are considering has mentored other apprentices, see if you can talk to them about their experience. Of course, you will not be paid during your apprenticeship, so you will also need a regular job to support yourself, unless you are lucky enough to have some other source of funds. Meanwhile your teacher will show you how to clean equipment, operate a tattoo machine, and how to apply a tattoo. Over a period of several months or even years you will become an expert tattoo artist. When the time is right your teacher will decide that you have learned all that you can, and that you are ready to become a true tattoo artist. Depending on the contract you signed with your mentor, you may be required to continue working there for a period of time, or you may be able to go off on your own. You may be interested in opening your own tattoo shop, or you can find another parlor that will take you on. Being a tattoo artist requires devotion and a willingness to continually learn new painting techniques. It can take from 1-5 years to train to become a tattoo artist, so you will want to make sure that you are ready to undertake this commitment before you begin.

Elegant Art Humour: TITIAN’S LAST SUPPER AND EL MUDO.

Palomino says that when Titian’s famous painting techniques of the Last Supper arrived at the Escurial, it was found too large to fit the panel in the refectory, where it was designed to hang. The king, Philip II., proposed to cut it to the proper size. El Mudo (the dumb painter), who was present, to prevent the mutilation of so capital a work, made earnest signs of intercession with the king, to be permitted to copy it, offering to do it in the space of six months. The king expressed some hesitation, on account of the length of time required for the work, and was proceeding to put his design in execution, when El Mudo repeated his supplications in behalf of his favorite old master techniques with more fervency than ever, offering to complete the copy in less time than he at first demanded, tendering at the same time his head as the punishment if he failed. The offer was not accepted, and execution was performed on Titian, accompanied with the most distressing attitudes and distortions of El Mudo.

Elegant Art Humour: FUSELI’S SOJOURN IN ITALY.

No sooner had Fuseli formed the resolution of devoting his talents to paintings realistic, in 1770, than he determined to visit Rome. He resided in Italy eight years, and studied with great assiduity the pictures in the numerous galleries, particularly the productions of Michael Angelo, who’s fine and bold imagination, and the lofty grandeur of his works, were most congenial to his taste. It was a story which he loved to tell in after life, how he lay on his back day after day, and week after week, with upturned and wondering eyes, musing on the splendid ceiling of the Sistine chapel—on the unattainable grandeur of the great Florentine. During his residence abroad, he made notes and criticisms on everything he met with that was excellent, much of which he subsequently embodied in his lectures before the Royal Academy. His talents, acquirements, and his great conversational powers made his society courted; and he formed some valuable acquaintances at Rome, particularly among the English nobility and gentry, who flocked there for amusement, and who heralded his fame at home. He also sent some of his choice painting techniques, illustrating Shakespeare and Milton, to the annual exhibitions of the Royal Academy. In 1778, he left Italy and returned to England, passing through Switzerland and his native city.