MIDTERM!

I feel that I have learned a lot this semester in life drawing. I thought I knew how to draw the body in proportion before this course, however after learning the proportions in terms of the rib cage and the pelvis, I realized I was making the torso of the body way too long. I also learned how to map out different skeletal and muscle structures on the body while drawing the model. I think my strengths so far this semester are drawing the spinal column and the location of the ribs in comparison to the pelvis. However, I do think that I can improve on drawing the model from different angles/views. I am starting to get better at doing foreshortening, but I feel that I can still improve even more.
I would like to get better at drawing foreshortening, along with different angles the model is in comparison to me. I also need to try to draw with thinner or lighter lines. I tend to always draw really dark, and then when I need to go back and fix my drawings, or make sure they are in proportion, the lines are often too dark to erase or get rid of them. By the end of the semester I would also like to get better at building the manikin. I have been working hard to make it, as close to the book as possible, however, I am never quite sure if they are completely right or the right size. Many times I feel like I make the muscles too small or too big. I would like to go over the muscles more in class to make sure the ones I have done are correct, so I am not building over muscles that are incorrect. I do realize that several muscles have to be assigned at a time in order to finish them all, yet I feel that when there are only about 5 muscles assigned at a time, I can spend more time and make sure they are created better and in proportion.
I feel that life drawing has really helped me to draw things with depth and in proportion. I will use these skills in all of art classes, whether it be to map out a design/picture or to fully render a drawing.

http://s880.photobucket.com/albums/ac8/debrouxs/

This week was a shortened week due to Advisement day. So by the time we actually had to draw again, i felt out of practice. After doing a couple 30 second gesture drawings of the girl model, I began to get back in the groove. What I liked about this class period was that we had longer time amounts to draw the model, and really focus on the whole body and detail. I find the 30 second poses good for becoming comfortable with the subject matter at the beginning of class, but I find it hard to really get much of anything drawn. I like the 5 minute up to 45 minute poses the best. I also liked the variety of views the girl model was able to give us this week. However, I found it hard to draw some of the views depending on the angle. When she is straight on or sitting down, sometimes I find it hard to figure out the placement of the pelvis or rib cage, or have troubles with the foreshortening. This week, I felt as if I got a little better hold on foreshortening when Amy and Josh walked around the class and pointed out different markers or ways to check your drawings to make sure they are in proportion. I feel that the figures I draw are slowing becoming more and more in proportion each week, with learning all the different skeletal and muscular structures that make up the body.

The Pelvis

This week we spent Tuesday watching a video on the pelvis bones and glut muscles. It contained a lot of information and was somewhat interesting. Since it was an older video it was a little dry and I had a hard time seeing what he was drawing, but I learned a lot about how to draw the pelvis. I thought it was good that we got to practice drawing the model that same day because we got practice doing what we just learned and it broke up the class period. I learn better when the class is segmented because it keeps my attention better. Even though the video taught me a lot about how to draw the pelvis, I think I prefer having lectures. I can then ask questions if something is unclear and I like how Amy draws it out as she explains it because that is how I learn best.
I enjoyed drawing the model on Thursday as well. We hadn't drawn a girl model in a while, so it was nice to get some variety. I liked how she gave several poses because it really helped me to practice drawing what we had learned during Tuesdays class. It took me a while to warm up, but after doing the 30 second poses for a while, I was able to get back into it again and found that my drawings improved a great deal. I think learning about the muscles and bones is really paying off because my drawings are improving and I am able to make sure the body is proprotionate to everything.

The Abdominals

This last week we learned about about the ribs along with the abdominal muscles. I had never realized that there were four different muscles that make up the abdominals. I had thought that there were only two. The ribs were also very interesting to learn about. Now that we talked about how to draw the sternum and how to draw the ribs from the front and side view, it is a lot easier to draw the models. I have a better idea of how long the abdominal and rib cage so be, helping me keep the body in better proportion. I was confused or wondering about one thing though, I had thought that men had one less rib than females, however, we were told that everyone has twelve ribs. So is it a myth or is it true?
Drawing the model this week felt a little like starting over. It felt like a long time since i had drawn since we missed a week and half of drawing. After the the first couple drawings for 30 seconds, I began to get back in the groove. Some of the poses were hard to draw because of the angle or how he was standing. But after practicing, I got better, and began to understand to draw the rib cage, spine, and sternum, along with the spinal column that we learned a couple weeks ago.