We did a little bit of cross contouring this week, and it's slowly becoming easier to recognize the different planes on the body and to draw the contour lines so that it looks like the figure has volume. I still struggle with cross contour lines along the shoulder blades and other areas where there's many different little planes.
I don't feel like I can recognize some of the muscles on the back as quickly as some other people can, but I'll keep studying my mannequin so that I can find them more easily on the model. I'm hoping to do more long poses this upcoming week, which are so great because it makes for some great observations and allows me to constantly modify and improve my drawing.
The muscle building has gotten easier a lot easier this week, probably because I'm more used to how the clay functions and how our mannequins relate to the ones in the books. It's fun to have some knowledge of the different muscles in our body, especially when you have a personal trainer for a mother. As soon as I started working on the muscles for this weekend, she pulled out a bunch of her own books on muscles for me to reference.
I'm excited to begin learning about the pelvis and incorporating it into our drawings. I think my rib cages still need some work, so I'm hoping I can get those up to par by the end of this week.
Megan,
ReplyDeleteI can relate! I know exactly what you mean by your ribs getting too long and/or too skinny. I am glad that you are starting to feel better about your cross contours, I personally feel like they are the hardest obstacle I have been taking on in his class. There is just something that doesn't click.
As far as the muscle deciphering, I hope that didn't discourage you too much. I am completely in the same boat, I forget we are even supposed to be drawing them half the time. (terrible, I know.)
You're very lucky that your mother is a personal trainer, I bet she has a lot of good insight for some things to keep in the back of your head when you are drawing. Also, for those Maniken's considering the book is such a mess.
For what it's worth, I think your rib cages look great! They definitely have life to them.
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeletesorry I haven't been posting any comments lately I am going to catch up on them today and try and stay on top of them for the remaining portion of the semester.
I agree that cross contour lines are difficult to visualize at first but I now at this point in the semester I see why amy has had us think about them. I find in my drawings that it is really helpful to at least think about them in order to correctly draw proportions, especially when the figure is in a foreshorten pose or a strange one that people are generally not doing every day.