Feedback for Beginner, 10min Figure Drawings

Hello! I am sort of a beginner and am not really sure where to start with figure drawings. I think I am pretty good at copying stuff down but I end up taking a long time worrying about details. I would really appreciate any comments or suggestions on my work. Thank you so much for checking it out!! :)

Also... any suggestions for paper, pencils, or charcoal would be great! I'm sure anything works but I'm just curious if anyone has any preferences!

- Zoe

*warning: contains nudity*

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11YiazTHs78qM7Cxh6vu8M6c33UQoZuuO/view?usp=sharing

• Z Drawing edited this post on March 12, 2021 4:54pm.

Hello, Drawing, just asked for permission tonight.

I shared it with you, sorry I'm just starting so I wasn't too sure how to share it so that people can see it...

I think this link might work... Hopefully lol.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11YiazTHs78qM7Cxh6vu8M6c33UQoZuuO/view?usp=sharing

These drawings have great immediacy and expression. They feel direct and confident in establishing movement and the shading is dynamic. It feels like you are working with light on form and not just coloring in, which is great. I think you are right that you are overthinking the details. The joints and various muscle groups feel overworked and not nessesery correct, making some of the transitions feel odd. I would recommend drawing from anatomy books as an exercise to learn skeletal and muscular structures, so you don't have to think about and are just able to see and record anatomy. Meanwhile just add less detail when you are not sure. Draw what you see when you squint so you don't get caught up in all the little transitions of light and shadow in the anatomy but stick to more major masses you can observe. Squinting simplifies the form and makes it easier to descifer from observation.

Mariamar, thank you so much for your feedback!! I will definitely use this when I practice, I never thought about squinting to see things simplified. I also appreciate the tip on the anatomy!

I think you are pretty good but you could learn more by going for a more structural approach rather than using shading to show form immediately to avoid the vague cloudy effect of the woman's legs.
Try to break down forms into planes, front/back, sides, top/bottom this will help you shade more effectively too