CHAPTER 2BASIC GESTURE
“Structure and gesture” are fancy ways of saying the parts and the relationship between the parts. If you hold on to those two ideas, if you use them to guide the marks you make, you will execute exceptional drawings. If. Just if.
Structure is Idea 1 (see chapter 1). Gesture is Idea 2, which we focus on here.
We started with structure because it’s easier than gesture. Gesture is more fundamental and more important than the simple-yet-characteristic structure we might choose. Gesture is the connection, the relationship between the shapes. Gesture is the lifeline. It keeps our drawings from looking stiff, mechanical, and pieced together. It’s what gives the subject a lively and organic quality. By lively and organic, I simply ...
Get Figure Drawing for Artists now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
