Finding the Gesture in a Drawing

Instructor Jon deMartin works with a student during a long pose.

Our Wednesday evening figure drawing class taught by Jon deMartin gives students an opportunity to work on drawing both short poses as well as a long pose during each class. This long pose lasts four weeks. On occasion, the same model will be scheduled for two months. Continuing students may then have an opportunity to work on their drawing for eight weeks.

The main focus for each class is on the long pose. The last quarter of each class is for short poses and allows students to process and apply concepts they've learned while working on the long pose. These short poses start with one minute and end with twenty minutes.

I spoke with Jon to gain some insight into the process he teaches:

"When we begin a drawing, we start with the action of the pose.

• Try to look at one line that can abbreviate the pose. If you had one line to draw, what would you draw?
• After that, start looking at the scale of the head and if the head looks right. 
• Then look for lines of contrast, the shoulders and the hips. Usually there's one side of the figure that's active, the other side is passive. And it's that duality that gives contrast and dynamics to a pose.
• We then have the opportunity of time to embellish the drawing from that point. We start looking at structure, the structure of form and then modeling the form with values.

Jon demo's modeling

Most of the mistakes are made in the first few seconds of drawing. Movement is the life of the drawing. Look at the initial movement or moment the model inspired you and try to retain that same impression throughout the entire drawing, from start to finish. Keep that initial spark or idea.

All levels are welcome. It's not so much about the outcome but about the process of learning. Drawing is the acquirement of knowledge and the product is the result of a good process."

The next session of Jon's figure drawing class begins next Wednesday on October 3rd at 6:30pm in our North Studio. To sign up for this or any of our other classes, send me an email.