Anatomy Workshop Volume 2

In this lecture, the second title in a series on human anatomy as it relates to figurative art, figure painter and instructor Charles Hu expands on the structure and proportion principals discussed in his first lecture, translating them into a live figure drawing studio environment. Charles begins this lecture by discussing the principals of shading and light to describe three dimensional forms, as he will be demonstrating shading techniques later in the lecture. Here, Charles discusses topics like the difference between core shadow and cast shadow, direct light versus bounced light, and how to find the ‘true’ color or value of a form under complex lighting conditions. He then moves on to drawing the figure from a live model in a studio environment. He begins by laying in the figure, employing the principals covered in his first lecture, identifying the key structural landmarks on the live model, then demonstrating some new techniques to help maintain correct proportions under real world drawing conditions. He proceeds to do ‘lay-ins’ for the figure in a standing position from the front, a seated figure, and lastly the standing figure from the back to illustrate how to draw the same figure from various angles and different poses. The final phase is to shade and refine one of the drawings to take it to a more finished state. Charles begins by blocking in the cast shadows and then the core shadows on the figure, then refines the shading to include bounced light and highlights by pulling those areas back out with an eraser. The finishing stage involves adding more detail back into the shadows, and pulling out some final areas of bounce light. Suitable for all artists interested in developing their understanding of the figure, Charles Hu masterfully explores this complex subject while providing a clear and methodical workflow.