Which is mightier, Pencil or Pixel?

Recently I completed a figure drawing class. Here are some of my closing thoughts on the experience..

My experience in the figure drawing class was definitely a beneficial one. In my role as a graphic designer I often come across situations where I will be called on to manipulate a photo or create a likeness of a person digitally. I may not use the actual drawing skills learned from my experience as much as the understanding of proportions and anatomy. Learning how the figure reacts in different positions and poses has helped me develop a greater appreciation to perspective and anatomy. Principles such as foreshortening and accurate perspective become as important in the digital realm as they are in traditional drawing.

As a drawer, I have made great progress. I did not consider myself a traditional artist before entering this class, but I have made substantial gains in this area. Crude figure drawings such as I made in the beginning stages show exactly how much progress I have made when compared with works created only a few weeks later.

Week 1	Week 3

Understanding not only the anatomy, but how our anatomy shapes the light that is reflected off of it is a huge advancement. Seeing the limbs as shapes with various shapes on them allows us to see how light reacts to them. This has allowed me to go from drawing the body as a series of connected lines, to drawing as a combination of interacting shapes. I look forward to the drawing experience as a hobby and believe it will further my skills as a digital artist.

No one man should have all that Power!

This years annual Battle Royale is off to a whopping start. And I am still in it!!