F I G U R E // D R A W I N G S

Here are some contour drawings of figures I did using the negative space tool on posemaniacs. While it is no substitute for using a living model, it's useful for someone with limited time and resources. It's also very handy to use as a tool for reference. However, if you're looking to make actual figurative artwork, I'd recommend shelling out the $15 it would cost you to sit in on an actual life drawing session.

In my own work, I think I'm going to start making a distinction between my "life drawings" and my "figure drawings". My life drawings will be more for my own aesthetic and creative endevours, while my figure drawings will be done to master technique and demonstrate understanding of how the figure moves. The reason for this is while stuff like this:

Adrian Ghenie

Euan Uglow

Kenichi Hoshine

 ...is what really inspires me to paint the figure, the animation industry requires a separate but related skill set. One that shows understanding of form and perspective in motion and gesture more than a "fine art" perspective of the subject matter.

Glen Keane

Which makes a lot of sense in the context of a studio setting: a unified and consensus idea of what should be ideal means there is less ambiguity and more productivity. The reason why this is the chosen ideal is because this kind of drawing involvement creates more visually appealing shapes and forms which are a) easier to animate and b) easier to understand. A museum or a gallery is a great place to sit and think about the artwork, but for the television and film industry, it needs to be straightforward or else you'll loose the audience's interest. It's a different involvement than what I'm used to, but one I am open to. It's just something I'll have to keep in mind when I set out to do life drawing or figure drawing. But I digress, just used some crappy contour drawings as an excuse to talk about life drawing & figurative artwork.