| When you are learning how to draw the human | | | | Try drawing 3 blocks all facing the same direction and |
| figure, it helps bring your drawing to life when you | | | | see how flat the drawing looks. |
| use gesture correctly. People's gestures are very | | | | Now draw the head and hips facing the same way |
| dynamic and showing their gestures are key when | | | | and the rib cage facing a different direction. Notice |
| draw the human figure. | | | | how dynamic and round the gesture feels once you |
| Imagine for a moment that the body is 3 blocks; one | | | | have drawn it with those angles. |
| block for the skull; one block for the rib cage and | | | | A really good example of this principle is |
| one block for the hips. These blocks can be | | | | Michelangelo's "David". There are no two points on |
| positioned any way you want and then once the | | | | this figure that are parallel, for example, shoulders, |
| gesture is established, the arms and legs have very | | | | hips, hands, feet, etc. The head, chest and hips are |
| few options left for them to be placed in... In other | | | | facing slightly different directions in this sculpture. |
| words, once you find your gesture, your drawing is | | | | Creating a good "S" curve is the first step in any |
| almost done. | | | | drawing or sculpture. All of your anatomy will be |
| In a drawing with good gesture, you should be able | | | | subservient to the gesture. For example, if your |
| to draw a line down the center of your figure. | | | | gesture indicates one hip lower than another, then |
| That line should twist with the angle of the shoulders, | | | | one leg is going to be straight and one has to be |
| hips and skull, so that the line has an "S" shaped | | | | bent. |
| curve to it. Once the 3 blocks are positioned so that | | | | The bottom line with gesture is, if you start a |
| the "S" is established, the next step is to be | | | | drawing with the "S" shaped curve, you have a good |
| concerned with the direction the 3 blocks are facing. | | | | base to start a figure from. |
| The 3 blocks should not be facing the same direction. | | | | |