Male figure drawing

Charcoal figure drawing - Helen Davison

It’s been quite a while since we had a male model for figure drawing, and it was a welcome change to consider the difference in musculature. I am generally pleased with this drawing, although less pleased with the position I took in the room as I think the pose was more interesting from other angles.

I had an even light across the figure and a not very dramatic mid-tone backdrop (with awkwardly placed shadow), so for me the challenge was to bring out the form in a way that didn’t seem flat. I also had some tricky foreshortening to contend with on the hands, back arm and front leg. Sometimes, when you look at the actual live model, areas of foreshortening don’t look right, so making these areas look believable in a drawing can be quite a task. I think I did OK, and while not artistically a great composition, as an exercise it gave me plenty to practise.