earlier this month, I went to the Corcoran gallery for their free Saturdays figure drawing sessions. I was really excited to go because they presented a unique challenge: clothing
charcoal, 08/2010
i have drawn clothed models before, in an illustration class, and where to begin is always hard. With a nude model, I start with a section of intersecting lines and try to draw out from there. However, because the lines in fabric can fade away as the cloth is stretched or ends, I have to start with outlining and it is tough to feel confident starting that way; everything looks too big and flat.
other images:
another issue with clothing, is creating shape. You really have to create a lot of depth to show the underlying shape on a clothed model. Things like creases, fabric folds and shadows become very important when sketching clothing and this is especially true in monochromatic (ie. black) or plain clothes, otherwise your sketch could turn into a flat blob.
it was a nice change of pace to revisit clothed models again and I am very happy with how these sketches came out. I can’t wait until the next figure drawing session at the Corcoran on Sept. 4th (12-3pm).
learn more about the Free Saturday Program at the Corcoran gallery.
Indexed under: black & white, charcoal, female, figure, museum, washington dc
