Drawing from Life - Figure Drawing and the Homeschool

Sketch of Claire Novak - January 2004
Copyright 2004
Jill Novak
All Rights Reserved.

    What does it take to draw the human figure? Practice. Norman Rockwell never stopped practicing. Even when he was painting Post covers he attended sketching classes for the figure. You might ask, “Where can I practice?” My answer is, “At home!” No matter how small or large a family you have, there is someone at home that you can draw from life.
    When I attended art school in the late 1970's, I took several life drawing classes (I’ve loved drawing the figure since I was a child). Before we did a detailed study of the figure we would spend time warming up with different drawing exercises that greatly improved our ability to draw. I want to share some of them with you so that you can implement them in your homeschool art classes. These exercises are like the scales that a pianist practices to increase is agility at the keyboard. At first they may seem worthless because the result may not even look like what you are drawing. But I promise over time your drawing ability will improve because you're training your eye to “see.”
     Remember, when it comes to drawing the process is more important than the product. Take your time and enjoy the process! There really is no right or wrong, good or bad result. Rome was not built in a day, and good drawing skills don’t develop over night, but week by week you will see improvement if you put your pencil to paper and draw from life!  

Blind contour drawing - Don't look at your paper at all, but follow the contour or line of whatever you are drawing and move you pencil or pen along the paper without lifting it up. Remember do not lift your pencil off the paper! You can take as much time as you want doing this exercise. The point of it is to train your eye to "see.". When you move from point to point lift up lightly on your pencil but don't take it off the paper.

Partially blind contour drawing – Follow the exercise above, but occasionally peek at you paper for line placement. If you find yourself slowing down too much, you’re probably drawing. Go back to looking mostly at the subject and not your paper.    

You can view some examples of this kind of drawing on my website at http://www.giftoffamilywriting.com/figuredrawing.htm

2:38 AM - Jul. 31, 2005 - post comment

Thank you for these wise words

"Remember, when it comes to drawing the process is more important than the product. Take your time and enjoy the process! There really is no right or wrong, good or bad result."

I am constantly saying this about everything ... there is value in the process! Don't be so quick to get to the product. I have only recently been able to let go of the perfectionist pursuit of the product. I have only recently given myself the permission to make mistakes ... and to see what comes of those mistakes. I gained the most freedom from watching Trading Spaces and the designer, Frank, would say, "there are no mistakes!" I realized that in art, in writing, in music, in decorating, in SO many things ... there are no mistakes. We just take the process and learn from it.

Thank your for an encouraging blog!

Cynthia

gracefuljourney - 9:01 PM - Jul. 31, 2005

Yes,

What artist was it that said, "No day without a line"?
Same holds true for writing. ~warm smile~
Thank you, Jill!
Always blessed by looking through your windowpane,
Ann V. HolyExperience

Anonymous - 9:04 PM - Aug. 1, 2005

Beautiful

Wow - that's beautiful. Did you draw this without looking at the paper, too?

-Stephanie
http://thedailyvegetable.com

Anonymous - 4:55 PM - Aug. 5, 2005

I remember....

I remember loving this exercise in art class! Thanks for the reminder! I am going to try to do it with my kids once we start school. I will post our art when we are done.
Blessings! ~Beckie

(By the way, your picture is amazing!)

LittleEblingsAcademy - 4:01 PM - Aug. 8, 2005

Fly on the Wall: TAG!

Would love to have a peek into your day!

You have to tell what your day TODAY was like...really! Not what you wish it'd been like or what you'd planned for it to be like, but how it really turned out. Be sure to title it "Fly on the Wall" so we can look for those blogs. Tag about five or so friends and we can all have fun being a fly on the wall of someone else's homeschool for a day.

gracefuljourney - 9:53 PM - Aug. 8, 2005

loving your blog

I am pretty new here and have been slowly reading your blog backwards after reading a few of your most recent posts. Just thought I should tell you how much I am enjoying it. Every post. I am suggesting my daughter read it as well. She has always been very interested in art. Um, me, well when I got put into art in 7th grade for an elective. I went off the deep end and cried to the people in the office, who sent me to the teacher (who could excuse me from taking the class.) She ended up making me feel a LITTLE better and forcing me to take the class, which I really enjoyed. I was really surprised at what I could do. Haven't done much since then, but I have encouraged it in my kids. I understand that the process is the thing. I am glad they can start young.

Edited by brandyb on Aug. 10, 2005 at 8:18 AM

- 8:17 AM - Aug. 10, 2005

Jill....

I pray you are out sketching His beauty and wonder. Tasha would be smiling. I am sure He is. Come tell us about it all soon.
Warmly,
Ann V. HolyExperience

HolyExperience - 8:34 PM - Aug. 13, 2005

Supplies?

Jill, Would you let us know what pencils, paints, etc. you use for these sketches? I get overwhelmed at the art store!

Lori Seaborg

KeepingtheHome - 5:53 PM - Aug. 15, 2005

FREE CHICKENS!

HI Mrs.Novak,
we're giving away free chickens, 3 of em, please let me or my mom know if you want them, and thanks for commenting on my blog, i really am happy, Thank you,
RyAnN

RedHeadRyann - 7:19 PM - Aug. 15, 2005

Very lovely work Jill!

How you're inspiring me, fanning my flame, if you will. I discovered such a freedom in drawing through doing blind contour, and partially blind contour drawings in my years of studying art in college. My instructor would time us even, we'd have to do blind contour figure drawings, one after another, in 5 min., and then 1 min. increments. And what a great teacher you are. I agree with you 100% that there is no wrong way to draw, just start doing it (I'm preaching to myself here, who's got to get back in the saddle, my hubby even says so!). I love the way Mona Brookes presents this idea in her book, Drawing with Children... that every one can learn to draw, just as they learn other skills. I need to spend more time drawing with my kids, and am making this a top priority! Thanks for sharing. ;o)
Oh, and I'm tagging you too!
"You have to tell what your day TODAY was like...really! Not what you wish it'd been like or what you'd planned for it to be like, but how it really turned out. Be sure to title it "Fly on the Wall" so we can look for those blogs. Tag about five or so friends and we can all have fun being a fly on the wall of someone else's homeschool for a day.

Beth - 12:02 AM - Aug. 25, 2005

Thanks for sharing these tips.

For so many years, I felt that you were either born with the gift of being able to draw or not. I'm finally realizing most people, even the great artists, were taught. I'm dabbling with a nature journal and practicing "copying" other peoples line drawings and I'm really enjoying the process. Thanks for the added encouragement.

takingthechallenge - 9:55 AM - Sep. 29, 2005

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