1: Think of the figure as if it had a big sheet covering the whole thing.

What shape would that take on? That's the big shape you need to start with.

2 - Inner Curves.

Once you have established your envelope you can begin to look inward.

Looking for the inner line that will run through the middle. This inner curve does not reveal it self very easily. You need to look for it and dig it out. It runs through all living things.

3 - Inny and Outy.

All things living things have an outward line. Everything starts out as a molecule and grows from there. As we grow and get bigger the molecules expand in an outward motion.

If it’s inward line it denotes weakness or sickness as if something is now on its way out and dying. Good old Walt Disney sure knew this.

Scar was evil and sick (Inny lines) Mufasa was the king. Strong and brave. (Outy lines)

Queen. Evil, bad mean… Inny lines.

Snow White… Hero, pure, Outty lines.

Looks like they go in…

A Closer look say’s they are all outty lines.

On the left… One bad inny line.

On the right, fixed with four good outty lines.

Same shape but a stronger read.

We still maintain our linear perspective…

Looks like inny lines…

Upon further examination….

Outty lines! Clouds are almost always made with outward lines.

Carl rungs was always outty lines.

4 - The line begins before the line begins.

The fullness of the gesture.

See how the colours flow in this Tom Thompson painting just like muscular flow in the body.

5 - One Side, So Does The Other.

Emile Gruppe trees

6 - Asymmetry.

A lot of what makes gesture is the relationship between the two sides of the forms. For example, the squash side versus the stretch side on the torso. It’s that tension between the stretched out smoother side and then the sharp angle change on the squash side. Those two sides play off against each other and it creates a lot of visual interest. If they were symmetrical it would be way less gestural. Very often people will make the head a bit big and make the hips and legs too small, and that seems to undermine the gesture. You don’t need total accuracy – the key is just to be wrong in the right direction.

7 - Surface Lines

The next ingredient is surface lines. Sometimes called cross contour lines or wrapping lines. Often a gestural curve is a big long curve that runs down the form. This will show you the gesture but if you add some surface lines you can really show the mass of the the figure.

Just as the figures above, the red lines show the gesture go the tree. The blue lines show the way the brush marks show the contour of the trunk.

8 - Tension vs Passive.

Squash side vs. stretch side.

Tension tends to be inny cramped areas with lots going on. Bent arms and legs. Pinched torso. Neck tilted. More often than not they can be darker in value. Passive area’s are smoother and less busy. Longer and more flowey. Arms or legs stretched out. Long curve of the back side.

Sometimes your not in charge of model poses so you get what you get. If you are in charge then somethings to think about… Along with trying not to have 50/50 light and shade, something else to think about is your active squashy side and the passive stretchy side. The active side being more active and busy, has more visual weight than the passive side. Be carful not to make these the same weight. Squishy goes a long way.

Chancey Ryder trees.

Note the dark squishy pensive side and the outward open on the left side. Just like the drawing above, this is gesture drawing in paint.

9 - Fast lines & Slow lines

The Breaking of The Pinched Surface Areas Tend to Be Darker.

Good place for lots of value transition. You can place background colour in hi tension places. Lines tend not to break here.

Longer smoother lines (like a strait away on a race track) tend get up to speed and go at a rapid pace. As you eye will always travel along a line these long lines are called fast lines. They can sometimes need a break to slow the eye down. Long soft lines like these are a great place to break the surface and have the figure become part of the background.

Left side is barely broken but the right side being a long fast line is broken allowing the figure to penetrate the background.

Look at the angled horizon line and how, near the tree it has been broken to slow the line down and let the sky move into the middle ground.

10 - Practice.

Practice will make you more confident good drawing is born out of confidence. Even if you not confident in what you’re drawing you need to put your marks down with the confidence of a six year old with a cape. What ever is in your head will come out the hand. If you thinking timidly then you marks with be hesitant and sketchy at best.

That’s all for this month kiddies,

Stay arty,

Doug.