For a while now, I’ve been trying to ease my way from studying just the human face and portraiture to also studying the human form. I know its not the “adult” thing to say but I’ll say it anyway. It’s pretty darned difficult to concentrate on the various shapes that make up the human figure when the naked model standing before you makes you want to keep your eyes glued firmly to the ceiling. What happens when after the drawing session is over and the model starts a friendly conversation with you? Even though you’re looking him square in the eye all you can think about is the weird birthmark on his left buttock. And how you don’t know this guy’s name but you know that he has a weird birthmark on his left buttock. I tell you what you do. Plaster a rigid smile on your face that probably looks more like the face you made when you stumped your toe on the kitchen table leg, nod your head politely over and over like a weirdo and side-step your way slowly away from him until you can turn and run for the door. It’s just plain awkward!
Hell, even the photo version of artistically posed nude models makes me blush…I’m old fashioned that way. It just seems like way too much information when you don’t even know the person. I know I need to get over it. So that means I’ll have to concentrate on slowly trying to draw the whole person. Even below the sternum. Oy vey!
The drawing above is my first attempt at drawing someone below the neck. Which doesn’t sound like much but it was a milestone for me. Sorry for the darkness of the photo, by the way. The first few images may be like this until I can get my camera’s exposure to cooperate. Which would mean less fiddling in my photo editing software later on.
On a happy note, tomorrow starts the first day of Inktober. Which I’ve been wanting to participate in for the last 2 years but never did. This also means I get to take a break from figure studies even though I’ve only just begun it. Is it a cop out? Yes. Yes it is. This year, I’ll be working from the Inktober prompts as much as possible but I probably will add portraits or figures into the mix. As long as it doesn’t make me want to pull my hair out. Wish me luck! …or don’t…really it’s up to you.
