Exercise One: Gesture Drawing

What you need: pencil, newsprint paper, timer, black and white watercolor paints, narrow and wide soft bristle brushes, clean jar, water, watercolor paper, drawing board or lap desk, masking tape, paper towels, palette, and a model.

Time Limit: 30 to 60 seconds

Lesson: Learn to capture the “gesture” or “pose” of the model

Materials: pencil, newsprint paper

Project: This is an exercise used in drawing classes to help students loosen up but it can also be used to help us learn to draw the human body in motion. Think of the human body as a series of imperfect shapes: circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles first.

Set the timer for thirty seconds. Pose the model in a relaxed sitting position first. The purpose of the lesson is to capture a gesture that suggests movement. Draw the whole figure and draw as quickly as possible. Keep your eyes on the model, not the paper. When the 30 seconds are up, stop. Repeat this process with the model in a standing pose for another 30 seconds. Create other poses for the model: bending down, climbing the stairs, turning the head, carrying books, etc. Practice by drawing many sketches quickly and be sure to keep your eyes on the model, not the paper at all times.

Your drawings won’t be perfect but they will suggest movement.