The subject was the human figure and we are grateful that one
of our members works with models for his illustrations. A model dressed in Egyptian
attire posed for 15 minute segments and allowed us to do croquis or quick sketches. This
was done for an hour and a half while Dan Fione facilitated the session and
monitored our progress. As he walked the room he provided helpful tips and
spoke about the need to sketch and draw each day.
He mentioned that each drawing is a building block to the
next "finished" piece. As an illustrator he draws the figure to
continue to learn and at the same time work out the way a figure would be when
foreshortened. That is how a figure would be seen in perspective.
In addition several books were mentioned to help artists to
understand and learn anatomy to make your drawings or paintings more lifelike. Some
of these books can be found in local libraries. Here are some of the titles:
"A Handbook of Anatomy for Art
Students" by Arthur Thomson,
this book has been around since 1896 and is still used today. The copy that was
shown last night was a reprint of the 5th edition published in 1929. Several
copies can be found at Amazon also search in Google Books for a pdf.
Another
one is "Anatomy for Artists"
by Reginald Marsh, this is primarily prints and diagrams showing the human
figure in many different positions but is helpful when you don't have a model.
Also "The Figure - The Classic Approach to
Drawing & Construction" by Walt Reed, this book add additional
information on the construction of the head and the hand. Showing each in
different positions.
Measuring and proportions were mentioned several times
throughout the evening. But most of all everyone learned and at the same time
had fun doing it. Even those that did not bring art supplies, there were
pencils and paper provided. The main
theme mentioned was that you need to observe and sketch or draw every day but
have fun doing it.
Hope to see you at a meeting in the future.
For more about the North Penn Arts Alliance please visit us
at www.northpennarts.org
Encouraging Artists and Arts Enthusiasts to Learn, Grow, Network, and Create in a Supportive Environment.
To see more of Dan Fione's work please visit: www.danfione.com
