An exercise in figure drawing: mass and tone

To obligate the student to see and draw masses and tones, avoiding initial delineation of outline (flat, “cut-out” style) and thinking rather in terms of dimensional space, volumes and haptic (tactile, muscular) responses and textural elements, I use a transparent black cloth veiling the model. A light behind the veil will throw into relief the articulations of planes of the figure (according to the illustrations below). Not being able to see precise contours obligates the aspiring artist to approach form and shading in a different spirit, with a new strategy and concept.





photos by Marcelo Lima (c) 2005