Expressive Gesture Drawing and Portraiture

Expressive Gesture Drawing and Portraiture

“Thank you so much for taking part in this course and I hope you've enjoyed it. It's now time to work on your project. This could mean finishing the collages you started by completing the course tasks or making a brand-new project! Either way, I strongly suggest you take the time to gather inspiration and make a unique project of your own. Make sure to keep track of your progress with different pictures of each step. It'd be great if you could also explain the choices you've made along the way and tell us if you have any doubts. This will help me guide you better if you need advice. Here are the main steps to follow: Inspiration Take and collect reference pictures of various subject matter. The Self-Portraits Draw 4 black monochromatic self-portraits showcasing the body (face, limbs, and torso). Draw yourself from different angles and vantage points. Try using a pencil or a brush pen with black ink and white chalk pastel for different drawings. Layer with the chalk pastel and play around with things like repetition and pentimento.

People in Motion Make 6 colored drawings of other people (or yourself) in their element, participating in some kind of activity. These drawings may or may not be sequential, and may or may not use the same model/subject matter. Try using a brush pen with acrylic inks, as well as white and colored chalk pastels. Use the basic principles of color and perspective to guide you as you bend the rules. Layer with chalk pastels and don't be afraid of "mistake" marks, as they bring out moments of playfulness and even abstraction. Remember that you want a drawing rich in value and line qualities. I encourage you to repeat drawings from the same or similar reference pictures. This is a great and easy way to incorporate repetition, patterns, rhythm, and capture movement. You also consolidate this image in your memory bank and familiarize yourself with the subject. Quantity leads to quality! Gathering the Drawings Lay these drawings out. Scan them individually. Think about how you want to assemble and compose them into 3 different collages. Edit them in Photoshop. This post-production process includes cropping, color correcting, adjusting the brightness and saturation, cloning, merging, and repeatedly re-arranging the layers. The Collages To finish, come up with 3 different compositions. And that's all! I can't wait to see what you've come up with. You can share your work with us so by clicking on "Create your project". Remember to share both the final result and the steps that have led you to them. It would be great if you showed a picture of each step and added a brief explanation about what you have done in each one. I will be more than happy to answer any of the questions you might have along the way! I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, participate in the forum, comment on others' work, and interact with the community. See you there! ”

Partial transcription of the video

“ Final Project Thank you so much for taking this course. Remember, our style is derived from different artists, different art approaches, and countless practice hours. Mastery comes with doing the action repeatedly over a long period of time instead of waiting for sporadic bursts of inspiration. Likewise, practicing the fundamentals over a long period of time will enable us to confidently bend rules, make playful and creative decisions, and produce expressive drawings that tell a story. I recommend you watch the video lessons over again and do the tasks repeatedly as I have laid out some t...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Expressive Gesture Drawing and Portraiture

• Level: Beginner
• 95% positive reviews (56)
• 2422 students
• 4 units
• 20 lessons (4h 20m)
• 11 downloads

• Category

  Illustration

• Areas

  Drawing, Figure Drawing, Fine Arts, Portrait Drawing