can someone critique?

30 sek and 2 min gesture drawings:https://imgur.com/a/KoOVih1

Can someone give me advice? My gesture drawings aren't good and I don't know what I'm doing.

Have you tried contour drawing? Blind or semi-blind? I know this may seem against the grain for gestural drawing, but I think contour drawing, from life or photo, can make someone see proportions and line better. It can also increase confidence in mark making, but it takes a lot of practice. Try drawing your shoes, fruit, whatever you have around you. See each sketch as an exercise instead of a finished product. Alternate this kind of exercise with the standard figure drawing practice.

• Nectarine Skin edited this post on October 24, 2021 4:36am.

I don't think the proportion is good. The body ratio of adults is the same as the length of eight heads from head to toe. I think it would be good to draw while considering that ratio. :)

So, icantdrawyet, please don't be so hard on yourself, I think your first gesture drawings are on the right track. Great use of gesture and emotion, indeed.

If I was to point out one issue, it could be that most all of your 2 minute attitude drawings are a bit too hardest, itchy lines and all. Would you like to go for 30 minute custom session of 1 minute pose sketches to warm up your dominant and non-dominant hands? (30 attitude pictures) (Warning: This may be overwhelm you, but I feel that you can do it)

The reason why you can and shall do this is as a result, your line quality will improve fairly quickly with time and attention, not to mention the pairing of forces and forms.

Feelings first, anatomy second

-Eric Goldberg, Disney Hand-Drawn Animator

Hope this has been positively and absolutely encouraging and helpful.

Icantdrawyet,

1. Change how you hold your pencil. Hold it like an artist, not a scribe. Line quality comes from how long you allow your implement to flow out of your hand gracefully. Wrist movement can not do what an elbow does, and an elbow can not do what a shoulder can. You may also want to consider weight training for your arms with drawing in mind. Not many artists do this but the results are pretty cool. Same with your posture and breathing. How we sit or stand while we make stuff influences how well it is made.

2. Place fewer figures on the page—no more than two. You are not wasting paper. You are helping yourself focus on only that figure. When we have more than one on a page, we have to stop and think about composing the page, so it is not messy. Better to just have less so you can learn more.

3. Use larger paper. A3 or bigger. The larger piece will free up your hand to draw more from your elbow or shoulder. Plus, more extensive reports will influence your line quality. You can get A3 sketchbooks if the loose-leaf paper is not your jam.

4. Fine a few books and study. Try the Science and practice of Drawing. It's wordy but quite informative.

5. Practice more with simple shapes. Try drawing perfect 2D Shapes in one stroke of your implement. It is harder than you will realise and if you can do this you can slowly up your game to 3d shapes, Shading and vp's. Yeah, this is a lot more boring, but it is so much more difficult and informative than many think. Yeah, it won't necessarily look good on Instagram, but it will make you a better artist.

If you would like any help or would like to reach out in any way just jot me a line.

All the best,

JCML Fine Art