Final Portfolio

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Taking Life-drawing over the last couple months has taught me many things. I have learned the importance of understanding the human shape and form, I have learned to combine what I know and what I see to complete drawings, and most importantly I have learned how to accurately draw the human body.

As the semester came to an end I began to see changes in my drawings. In the beginning of the class I had a hard time drawing only what we told to draw. I always wanted to get ahead of myself and just draw the whole form. However, as the semester continued, I learned to draw a lot slower and only focus on what we were learning at the time. I think my biggest weakness when drawing was the speed. I drew way too fast at the start of the class, but then I really tried hard to slow down and get all the proportions and placements accurate. I think my biggest strength when drawing is my delicate style and precision. A lot of my drawings look very clean and meticulous.  My style of drawing definitely developed throughout the semester as we began to draw to my complicated forms.

Using the manikin definitely helped when trying to draw the human body. Spending hours forming each of the muscles in the body forced me to remember how those muscles look, act, and work with each other. Therefore, when I was drawing in class I would draw a part of the body and quickly remember where those muscles where on my manikin. This helped me to give my drawings dimension and form where it needed it.

I think what I will use the most from this class was the act of looking and understanding. Not only were we told to draw what we see, but we were also taught what goes on underneath the body. Knowing that helped me understand how to draw the forms every better.

Week Thirteen: Face/Full body

Well, it was our last full week of class and it was packed full of new information. Monday we began by working on the face. We started a drawing of the model's face that was to be completed over the course of the next two classes. Altogether, it would be about a three hour drawing. So, after learning how to draw the eyes, nose, and lips, Monday was the day we began to put it all together. I found this to be very challenging. I needed a lot of placement adjustments, but after Amy's help I got everything in it proper place. The lips were the most difficult for me.
Wednesday we continued our drawings of the face. I had the eyes, nose, and lips in the correct place, so Wednesday I began to darken lines, and draw contour lines to show depth and form. I wasn't completely satisfied with my drawing, but I think I have a much better understanding of the facial features.

Friday we out everything together. I had a lot of fun with this because I have been waiting to draw the entire figure for so long. I was pretty satisfied with my drawing in the end. Below is my drawing from friday which I believe we are continuing to work on during Monday's class.

Week Twelve: Skull/nose/eyes

This week was a short week. Monday we had no class because of Spring Holiday. Wednesday we started lessons on drawing the nose. Amy only did a short lecture of drawing the planes of the nose in order to give us more time to draw. We were told to pair up and take turns drawing each other's noses. Each of us had to complete a 20 minute drawing. It was a little difficult because there are actually a lot of planes involved in drawing the nose. However, I feel I understood the nose by the time I finished my drawing.
After completing our drawings of the nose, Amy did another short lecture on drawing the eyes. By the tip she finished explaining the eyes, we only had enough time left in class for one person to complete a drawing. So, I wasn't able to draw my partner's eyes.
The week before we spent a whole class period drawing the skull. To the right is a drawing from the previous week of the profile of the skull. I actually really enjoyed drawing the skull. We got a lot of class time to complete it, so I took my time, got a few pointers from Amy, and just enjoyed drawing. Parts of it were a little complicated, but I think it turned out well.
Below is a drawing from Wednesday of the nose. When thinking of the nose in terms of planes, it was much easier to draw I think. In my first drawing on the top the angle was a little too exaggerated so I drew a second one which I think turned out much better. 

Week Eleven: Hands

This week we worked on the hands. Monday, we began drawing right away and completed several gesture drawings, once again, focusing on drawing the entire form in only a short segment. I am getting a lot better at this task. In almost every one of my gestures I was able to draw the whole body. Its getting a lot easier to complete the form in only 30 seconds or so.
Wednesday we had a lecture on the bones of the hands. We were also assigned the muscles of the hand to complete on our manikins by Friday. On Wednesday, we had several different drawing stations set up around the room. In one area, our model posed her hands for students to draw, in two other areas, skeletal hands were staged on black sheets for students to also draw. We were instructed complete both an hour drawing of the model's hand, and an hour drawing of the skeletal hand. I decided to draw the skeleton's hand on Wednesday.

On Friday I drew from the model's hand. It was helpful because we had two models that day so I had good hand positions to choose from. It was difficult at first to draw the hand.  I think this is because it is such a small area with so much detail; it's easy to get lost. However, as I continued to draw it came easier to me. I did two different poses. To the left are pictures of my skeletal drawing and the drawing of the model's hand.

Week Ten: Muscles of the Arm Continued

This week we continued to work on the muscles of the arm. On Monday we began the class with gesture drawings. Amy did a short demo on drawing the entire figure in only 30 seconds. A lot of the class (including me) was struggling with this concept so Amy did a front view and side view example of what our gesture drawings should look like. It was nice to be reminded of what was important in a good gesture drawing. Amy reminded us that adding more motion to our arms would give our drawings a lot more energy. She also reminded us that getting the proportions and placements correct was not as important as completing the whole figure in the allowed time.
On Monday, besides gestures and long poses, we also were assigned more muscles in the arm to build on our manikin. Then on Wednesday we drew gestures for the first half of class, and drew a long pose for the second half. While students were drawing, Amy went around and checked everyone's manikins to make sure they were done correctly. There were only a couple minor problems with mine that I fixed pretty easily. On Wednesday were assigned more muscles since we didn't have class on Friday due to Mid Program Review. It was 8 muscles that began in the hand and extended into the arm. After completing my muscles this is what my manikin looks like:

Week Nine: Muscles of the Arm

This week we continued to work on the muscles of the back and the clavicle. However, we also added the muscles that make up the armpit, along with a couple muscles on the arm. During Monday's class we took a break from drawing and worked with clay the whole class period. These were the muscles that made up the back and clavicles. I enjoyed working with the clay. It always helps me understand the way the muscles are positioned and what their purpose is.
Wednesday we drew the entire two hours of class. We started by doing several gesture poses, putting everything we've learned so far together. I mentioned in my last post that drawing all the things we've learned was a little difficult for me to do in 30 seconds. However, this week it was a lot easier. I was able to include all everything in almost every one of my drawings.
After completing many 30 second, 1 minute, 2 minute, and 3 minute gesture drawings, we then continued to do an hour long drawing. The drawing below is my finished drawing. I was pretty pleased with how mine turned out. We were told to include the muscles that made up the armpit. The view at which I drew my drawing, gave me a very good idea of exactly what those muscles were doing. I was able to see them clearly enough to include them in my drawing.

Week Eight: Shoulder Girdle

This week we began to work on the shoulder blades. We started off on Monday by working on the shoulder girdle which includes: the Teres Minor, the Infraspinatus, the Supraspinatus, and the Teres Major. We sat through lecture for the first half of class, then drew the last half of class. We were told to put everything together, adding the should blades and collar bone last. At first we started off with 30 second poses, which was kinda frustrating. I found a little difficult at first to include everything we have learned so far into my drawing in just 30 seconds. However, as class progressed I drew faster and was able to finish my drawings.
Wednesday we continued to concentrate on the shoulder blades. Wednesday was helpful because we were able to an hour long pose. This helped me focus on the shoulders and the collar bones. It was helpful also because Amy was able to walk around and help us work on getting everything just right. I did a coulpe things wrong, but overall my drawing was pretty accurate.
The image to the right is one that I found on a professional artist's Life drawing Blog. I though the image was particularly interesting because of the side-by-side comparison.  The drawing on the right shows the skeletal structure of the woman, including her shoulder blades. I thought this image was a good example of what the should blades are doing when the arms are held behind the back.

Week Seven: FEET

This week we began by working with clay during Monday's class. We worked on building the Extensor Halluas Longus, the Exentsor Digitorum Longus, the Peroneus Tertius, and the Peroneus Brevis. Then, towards the middle of the week we began to work on the muscles of the foot: the Abductor Digiti Minimi and the Extensor Digitorum Brevis.

On Wednesday's class we starting drawing just the feet. We did so in a very primitive way. We were told only to draw the planes of the feet, the top, front, and side planes. I struggled with this approach a little bit. At first it was hard for me to figure out which plane was which. The drawing on the left was one that I thought was fairly accurate. On the right foot in the drawing the top plane is not visible. On the left foot however, all planes are visible although only a small portion of the front plane is.
I am writing this blog before our Friday's class because of my Spring Break Plans, so hopefully in tomorrow's class I get some more practice on this approach towards the feet. As I did more drawings, I did begin to understand the technique. So, I am hoping after tomorrow's session I will have complete confidence in drawing the feet in any position.

Midterm Portfolio: Reflection

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This week instead of a normal post on reflection from the past week, I am reflecting on the first half of the semester. Midterm Portfolio...hard to believe its already here! This semester has seemed to just fly by. I feel like I have learned so much about the human body. However, I know there is still a lot left to learn.
Above I have posted the link to my flicker account in which I have posted several photos of my manikin and 10 drawings from class. Overall, I am very proud of my drawings and feel I have come along way. The reason I took this class is because drawing is something I enjoy very much, especially the human form. So, naturally I enjoy this class very much, probably the most out of all my classes this semester. For two hours I can block out any thoughts, worries, or stress I have going on in my head, and just focus on my drawing. I love the feeling I get after I produce a drawing I'm happy with, that feeling of accomplishment that consumes all my thoughts. Drawing takes me into a different world where I feel comfortable and relaxed, but also challenged and focused. In this class, I get to experience this every time I attend.
I did struggle with a couple of things at the beginning of the semester. At first I was frustrated with just drawing just the spine. I hated spending 45 minutes drawing only to draw one line. But, as time went on I began to understand the reason we spent so much time on the curves of the spine. Learning how to get the angles right builds the foundation for a good drawing of the human form. It's the backbone of the whole process. I also struggled sometimes with certain angles of the hips. When the model was turned at a quarter angle towards me, I always got confused at exactly what those bones were doing. This obstacle was also overcome as the semester went on. With a little help from Amy, I began getting those angles correct.
All in all, the first half of the semester has gone very well. I am satisfied with the drawings I have produced so far, I moved through some of the areas I was struggling in, and I get a lot of enjoyment out of the class.


This is a drawing for the most recent class period. Finally, we got to put everything we've learned together into one drawing.  Drawing the model from almost straight-on was a little difficult, but I got through it.

Week Five: Hamstrings

This week during class, we focused on the Hamstrings. Monday, we worked on building the muscles with clay to learn the shape and form of the hamstrings. Then, Wednesday we drew for the entire class, putting everything together that we have learned so far; the spine, the rib cage, the pelvic bones, the thigh muscles, and the hamstrings. I really enjoyed being able to draw this much of the body. Its definitely refreshing to draw this much compared to the beginning of the semester when we were just allowed to draw the spine.
The drawing on the top left was a 10 minute pose from Wednesday's class. It was really nice to have a pose from the back. The curve of the spine was very recognizable, which made placing all the rest of the bones easier. The drawing on the right was a lot more difficult for me. The model was at an angle that made drawing the pelvic bones a lot more challenging. Since she was not at a straight side view, but slightly turned, I had to draw two planes of the pelvic bones. At first I didn't even realize that I had to do this, but after getting help from Amy, I was able to understand exactly what those bones were doing. After I was able to understand this, everything else fell into place; the sacrum, the rib cage, and the then the thigh muscles.

Week Four: Quads and Adductors

This week we spent time concentrating on the glutes, hips, and thigh muscles. In addition to drawing the egg shape of the rib cage and the curve of the spine, this week we added the hip bones and the thigh muscles.
During the beginning of class, our warm ups consisted of 30 second poses, 1 minute, 2 minute, and 3 minute poses. During those quick gesture drawings we were told to focus just on the rib cage, the hip bones, and the spine.

To the left in the top photo are just a couple of my gesture drawings from Friday's class. I had a little trouble visualizing the glutes and the hip bones from the back of the model. However, after a demonstration, I understood a lot better. The poses this week were all very interesting and unique, making the gesture drawings interesting and unique also.

The photo on the bottom is a drawing from about a 45 minute pose. Again, in this exercise, we were told to draw just the ribs, the spine, and the hips. However, we were also allowed to add the abdominal muscles, as well as some of the thigh muscles. The biggest thing I struggled with after getting the proportions and the angle of the spine correct, was drawing slow. I tend to draw too fast, then I have too much time left.

Week Three: Ribs, Abdominals and Glutes

This week we moved from the spinal column down to the ribs and the ab muscles.  I was extremely anxious to move on from the spine. Although I learned a lot from studying the spine, I enjoyed drawing something new. During this week, each day we were instructed to draw the the spine along with the egg shape of the rib cage. Then, as the week drew to a close, we were instructed to draw the ab muscles in addition to the spine and the rib cage.
After this week,  I really am beginning to see the body as many different muscles forming one shape instead of seeing the body as one large mass. Its helpful to be able to observe and study the human form. Having the model right in front of me, constantly changing shape and from keeps me focused and in artistic shape.

Our assignment our this weekend was to build the glute muscles on our mannequin. These muscles included: the gluteus medius, the tensor fasciae latae, and the gluteus maximus. At this point my mannequin has the muscles of the spine, the abdominal muscles and the glute muscles. Now with the glute muscles added to my skeleton, the mannequin looks like this: 

Week Two: Line and form/ Spinal Column

This week in Life Drawing we began an in depth study of the spinal column. But before we began the study of the spinal column, we singled out one body part and drew contour lines to form the shape of the body part. At first I had a little trouble with this task. This was because we had to draw very slowly and concentrate on just one body part instead of the whole figure. Although I struggled with this at first, I began to understand the importance of this assignment. It helped me understand the curvature of the form and learn where the bumps and indents are located.
After a couple sessions of these contour drawings, we began to study the spinal column. To learn the ways that the spine moves, we drew just the line of the spine on the model. We did this repeatedly for a number of different poses. Drawing just the line of the spinal column got a little tiring, however I did begin to understand how the spine moves and the curves it made through the different poses. After drawing the spine so many times, I am very ready and excited to move on to other parts of the body.

Our assignment over the weekend was to form the muscles around the spine out of clay on our plastic mannequins. These muscles included: the spinals (cervicis and capitas), Longissimus (capitals, cervicis, and thoracis), and Iliocostalis (cervicis and thoracis). I enjoyed building these muscles out of clay and learned a lot about the anatomy of the spine. Over the next couple of weeks we will be building the muscles around the mannequin, muscle by muscle until we have completed all the muscles in the body. At this point my mannequin looks like this:

Week One: Introduction

My name is Lindsay Rupprecht. I have a major in art with a concentration in Graphic Design and a minor in business. I'm from Milwaukee, WI and I am a sophomore at UW Stout. I have taken two drawing classes prior to this class: Drawing One and Drawing Two. I enjoyed both very much. I consider drawing to be one of my strong points as well as one of my hobbies. I chose to take Life Drawing because I enjoy drawing the human form. I find it extremely interesting as well as challenging, which is what I look for in a college-level class. I also went to a couple of open life-drawing sessions in high school and it sparked my interest. I am very excited about this class and expect to learn a lot.
A couple of previous projects from last year and last semester that I am most proud of include: Fashion without Fabric and my group game design. Last year, spring semester of 2010,  I participated in Fashion without Fabric: a fashion show in which art students design outfits made out of anything but fabric. The theme for the show was Heroes v. Villains. So, my partner and I chose to design a costume for a caffeine hero. The name of our hero was Chloe Cappuccino. The costume was made completely out of coffee filters that we dyed with coffee. The necklace was made out of coffee beans and the gloves were made out of coffee cups.



Another  project I enjoyed is my game design from last semester. The project was a group project of four people. The goal of the project was to come up with an idea for a game, then design game pieces, instructions, and a board for the game. We decided as a group to design a form of laser tag called, "Sector Protector". The game included 8 vests (with timers) made out of plastic, 8 goggles, and 8 shooters made out of pvc pipes.