LE SSON 1

G E S T U R E D R A W IN G

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W h at Is Gest u r e
D r aw in g ?
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G e s tu re d ra w in g is a n a rtis tic e xe rc is e in w h ic h a n
a rtis t m a k e s q u ic k , s im p lifie d s k e tc h e s of a s u b je c t,
ofte n a live h u m a n m od e l. G e s tu re d ra w in g is
typ ic a lly tim e d , ta k in g b e tw e e n 15 s e c on d s a n d 30
m in u te s for e a c h s k e tc h . Th e p u rp os e of g e s tu re
d ra w in g is to h e lp a rtis ts foc u s on th e e s s e n c e of th e
p os e ra th e r th a n s m a ll d e ta ils , p rioritizin g flow a n d
m ove m e n t to q u ic k ly c a p tu re th e s u b je c t a s a w h ole
a n d a void a re s u lt th a t look s s tiff or ou t of p rop ortion .

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 ◦ 1. Pap er : G e s tu re d ra w in g is typ ic a lly d on e in s k e tc h b ook s on
in e xp e n s ive pa p er, lik e n e w s prin t, w h ic h a llow s a rtis ts to
m a k e q u ic k g e s tu re d ra w in g s w ith ou t s p e n d in g a lot of
m on e y p er s h e e t. A rtis ts m a y c h oos e d iffe re n t m a teria ls
d e p e n d in g on th e ir a rt form s, su c h a s w a te rc olor pa p er or
p a in tin g c a n va s .
◦ 2. D r aw in g t ool: Tra d ition a lly, g e s tu re d ra w in g is d on e w ith a
3 Elem en t s s oft g ra p h ite p e n c il to e n c ou ra g e loos e , e xp re s s ive lin e s ,
th ou g h a rtis ts m a y u s e oth er u te n s ils a s w e ll, in c lu d in g
of Gest u re c h a rc oa l, pe n a n d in k , c h a lk , p a s te ls , or e ve n pa in t a n d
b ru s h e s .
D raw in g ◦ 3. M od el: Th e m os t tra d ition a l g e s tu re d ra w in g u s e s live
h u m a n m od e ls , w h o p os e n u d e in m a n y p os ition s to a llow
s tu d e n ts to le a rn h ow to c a p tu re th e ir e s s en c e q u ic k ly a n d
g a in a b e tter u n d ers ta n d in g of h u m a n a n a tom y. O th e r
g e s tu re d ra w in g s u b je c ts c a n in c lu d e live a n im a ls, live
la n d s c a p e s , or s till-life ob je c ts . M a n y on lin e g e s tu re d ra w in g
tu toria l vid e os fe a tu re h u m a n s u b je c ts in va riou s p os e s if you
c a n ’t fin d a n in -p e rs on m od e l.

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Gest u re D raw in g Tip s

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 G e s tu re d ra w in g is a ll a b ou t c a p tu rin g
th e fe e lin g of m ove m e n t a n d flu id ity—
p a s s u p s h ort, s k e tc h y, s tra ig h t lin e s in
fa vor of lon g , flu id s trok e s , u s in g th e
1. Keep m otion of you r w h ole a rm (ra th e r th a n
y ou r lin es ju s t you r w ris t) to e m p h a s ize th e lin e of
f lu id . a c tion in you r s u b je c t’s s p in e a n d lim b s .
S om e a rtis ts re c om m e n d th in k in g of a
g e s tu re d ra w in g a s a flu id s tic k fig u re in
w h ic h you c a p tu re th e s p in e a n d lim b s in
s im p le , m e a n in g fu l g e s tu re lin e s .

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 B e g in n in g a rtis ts m a y g e t c a u g h t u p
tryin g to re n d e r on e s p e c ific p a rt of th e ir
s u b je c t in p re c is e d e ta il—for e xa m p le ,
tryin g to g e t th e c h in ju s t rig h t a n d
m is s in g ou t on c a p tu rin g th e re s t of th e
2. Forg et p os e . G e s tu re d ra w in g a im s to h e lp you
t h e d et ails. s e e th e b ig p ic tu re , forg oin g d e ta ile d
lin e s u n til th e g is t of th e s u b je c t is on
th e p a g e .

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 For best results with gesture drawing, use a
human model, animal, or object. Life drawing
allows artists to practice translating a 3D
3. D raw object into their 2D drawing medium. The
gesture drawing experience can help you
f rom lif e. decide which details are essential to capture
and which to omit.

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 Since gesture drawings are usually done as
quick sketches for a drawing exercise or
4 . Leave warm-up, avoid spending time erasing your
mistakes during a quick drawing class or
t h e eraser session. Instead, use the time to make new
b eh in d . lines on top of old ones or start a new drawing
while keeping any previous mistakes in mind.

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 In d ivid u a l g e s tu re d ra w in g s c a n ra n g e from
5. Exp erim 15 s e c on d s to 30 m in u te s —p ra c tic in g w ith
en t w it h s e ve ra l d iffe re n t tim e lim its c a n h e lp you
len g t h s of g e t a fe e l for th e le ve l of d e ta il e a c h lim it
a llow s a n d offe r va lu a b le le s s on s in
t im e.
c a p tu rin g a m om e n t a s q u ic k ly a s p os s ib le .

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How t o Pract ice
Gest u re D raw in g

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 W h e n you ’re firs t s ta rtin g ou t, fin d a
1. Fin d a q u ie t loc a tion w h e re you c a n foc u s on
you r s u b je c t w ith ou t g e ttin g d is tra c te d .
d ist ract ion - (If you ’re m ore e xp e rie n c e d w ith g e s tu re
f ree sp ace. d ra w in g , try fre e form g e s tu re d ra w in g in
m ore p u b lic p la c e s , lik e p a rk s or zoos .)

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 F or b e s t re s u lts w ith g e s tu re d ra w in g , u s e a live
m od e l, w h e th e r a h u m a n m od e l, a n im a l, or ob je c t.
S e t y ou r m od e l u p in a w e ll-lit s p ot in fron t of you r
2. Set u p w ork a re a . If you ’re w ork in g w ith a h u m a n m od el,
d is c u s s a fe w p os e s you w a n t to try d ra w in g or h a ve
y ou r th e m b ra in s torm th eir ow n p os e s —n ote w h e th e r
th e y s e le c t lon g e r p os e s or q u ic k , s h orte r p os e s .
m od el.

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 Individual gesture drawings can range from 15
seconds to half an hour—decide on the length
3. Ch oose a of your drawing session, how many poses you
t im e lim it . want to draw, and how much you want to be
challenged.

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 Once the timer starts, make each gesture
drawing within the time limit, emphasizing
smooth, fluid lines and movement rather than
small, rigid details. Your first few drawings
may be stiff, which is acceptable—many
4 . Sk et ch artists use the first gesture drawings as a
warm-up for their hands, wrist, and arm
y ou r muscles. Pay attention to your process of
g est u re drawing poses and try to avoid focusing too
much on a small detail or part of the body—
d raw in g s. instead, try to capture the gestural essence of
each pose within the time allotted. If you keep
practicing, your gesture drawing skills will
develop.

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 A fte r a g e s tu re d ra w in g s e s s ion , s tu d y you r
fin is h e d d ra w in g s a n d id e n tify w h ic h on e s
you th in k you d id w e ll a n d h ow you c a n
5. Tak e a im p rove for th e n e xt s e s s ion . A re th e re
look at t h e p a rtic u la r p os e s or lin e s of a c tion th a t fe e l
f in ish ed m ore n a tu ra l to you ? A re th e re b od y p a rts
th a t you s tru g g le to c a p tu re w e ll? A re th e re
p rod u ct .
fu tu re p os e s th a t c ou ld b e e s p e c ia lly u s e fu l
to p ra c tic e d ra w in g ? N ote you r th ou g h ts
for fu tu re s e s s ion s .

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 Th e Fou r St ep
Ap p roach t o Gest u re
D raw in g

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 D ra w a L in e F rom Th e H e a d To
Th e F e e t. W e c a n firs t id e n tify
STE P O NE a lin e from th e h e a d to th e fe e t
of th e s u b je c t a n d d ra w it
q u ic k ly.

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 D ra w a L in e F or Th e W a is t
a n d S h ou ld e rs .
STE P TW O

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STE P TH R E E Draw a "Stick Figure"

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 Develop The Form.
STE P FO UR

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