Author: Tony O'Regan

Gesture & Contour: The first two sessions will be an overview of the course, which is based on 10 Ways of Seeing and Drawing: Gesture, Contour, Mass, Space, 2D Shape, Figure-Ground, Stepped Tonality, Light-Shadow, Perspective, Composition.

We will ALSO look at using various materials, such as compressed charcoal, conte, and soft pencils, to create interesting marks and effects useful for drawing.

Download Images Resource Binder 1 PDF.

Opening Presentation Videos for Introductory Drawing

CONTOUR MATERIALS AND CONTOUR – Part 1 of 2
Click the play button to start the videos.

CONTOUR MARKERS – Part 2 of 2

CONTOUR – BLIND CONTOUR FACE Exercise Demo

More Videos

Watch these two videos related to these topics discussed in the first session.

TEN WAYS OF SEEING AND DRAWING – Part 1, 30 minutes

TEN WAYS OF SEEING AND DRAWING – Part 2, 11 minutes

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Next Session #2: Gesture & Contour Continued

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Gesture & Contour (continued) – Contour, meaning to draw the lines seen in a subject with enhanced tactile content. This is done by creating the strong belief that you are ‘touching’ the object edges with finger tips or surfaces with flats of fingers. This “intention or belief” is imprinted into the marks and then on to the viewer.  Edges (imagine finger tips touching). These marks are seen as lines; For surfaces (imagine finger flats touching). These become smooth or rough textured surfaces.

Download Images Resource Binder 2 PDF.

Download Images Resource Binder 2B PDF.

Watch this video on Gesture and Contour (1 of 6):

Watch this video on Gesture and Contour (2 of 6):

Watch this video on Gesture and Contour (3 of 6):

Watch this video on Gesture and Contour (4 of 6):

Watch this video on Gesture and Contour (5 of 6):

Watch this video on Gesture and Contour (6 of 6):

Watch this video on Mark-Making and Gesture:

***Mark Making and Gesture Sagrada Familia (Compressed Charcoal) 1-1 {jan 31 2015}

***Watch video:    VIDEO ON LINEWEIGHTS      Lineweights {Nov 2016}

Lineweights matter in ‘communication’ with the viewer. Generally we prefer to look at a ‘line enhanced’ drawing largely because of its communicative power. This video shows a systematic way of enhancing lines.

Lineweight Assignment:  Draw some abstract objects/shapes as in the video. Apply lineweight strategy to enhance object with the 4 types of weights described in the lesson demo: Draw object lines first;  then darken ‘flylines’; next apply  joint lines; and finally apply  textures, such as woodgrain, to some surfaces.

Next Session #3: Mass and Space

3D Mass:   The 3D volumetric ‘heft’ of a Form  – this can be depicted as a ‘wireframe’ scribble but with a feeling of weight. “Section” is an important form-giver for mass. Section is like cutting across a fruit or like the ribs of a boat. All the ‘Ways of Seeing’ interact with each other to reinforce a given image. Even ‘Contour’ edge lines can affect the expression and clarity of a Mass drawing.

Download Images Resource Binder 3 PDF.

This Session focuses on “Space and Form”, or Space-Form,  as important partners in perception.  Recall that it is important how we ‘position our mind’ in seeing and drawing – for contour we learn to believe strongly that we are actually touching the edges and surfaces of the subject; for gesture we imagine we are describing the subject by miming with arm movements;  for  form we can imagine sculpting the subject as if in clay;  for space it is useful to think of space as an actual tangible, moldable substance, like water or smoke vapor surrounding and flowing up against and within the object, for example a sculpted head underwater.  The point of these ‘working metaphors’ is to create both a stronger perception, a strongly expressive drawing, resulting in a strong reception by the viewer.

SESSION  3  – Intro Drawing Presentation – Space Form –  Color and Tonality – Emily (1 of 5)  {July 14 2020}

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SESSION  3  – Intro Drawing Presentation – Space Form – Skull and Man Who Wasn’t There Overview – Emily (2 of 5) {July 14 2020}

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SESSION  3  – Intro Drawing Presentation – Space Form –  Sculptural Dwg. and Skull – Emily (3 of 5)  {July 14 2020}

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SESSION  3  – Intro Drawing Presentation — Space Form – Nine Peppers – Emily (4 of 5)  {July 14 2020}

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SESSION  3  – Intro Drawing Presentation – Space Form – Five Pineapples – Emily (5 of 5)  {July 14 2020}

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Video:    Mass Drawing – Al Arab, Moma, Fall Wtr-1

3D Space:   Space is an important 3D entity. – It’s  not just the negative emptiness between positive Volumes-Forms. Think of a subject immersed in water, or smoke. Draw the water as if you were waving your hands and touching, encountering the subject and pausing the medium where it stops against the subject. The sum total of stoppages implies the form, making it seem to rise from the page, almost like a hologram . The water metaphor helps. Positive Form and negative Space are equal partners in 3D perception. The concept of drawing the space to depict the form is a little strange at first, but improves your overall perception and strengthens a drawing.

Video:   Tony’s Demo Of Spacehead-1

3d Mass-Space Assignment: Wire frame any object such as a boat or bowl of fruit…try to do a space drawing of same. Hint – Select an object that has clear obvious ‘spaces’ such as a rhododendron vs a daisy.

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Gesture:  Like the miming gestures one might make with the hands and arms when describing the lines of action in a subject, for example, a vase of flowers or a building. Gestures are perceived ‘lines of force’ , also called ‘lines of life’ or ‘lines of energy’ Whatever the term we use, they make things expressive in important ways. They can be very much more expressive by using certain mediums, such as compressed charcoal sticks, which allow for dynamic hard, soft and edge control. Softer mediums, including water-based materials, can also be paired with various papers making them great for shading and value studies.

Gesture Assignment:   Find 3 objects with some detail, but not too fussy nor too simple. Example – an old worn boot or shoe. Flowers in a vase, crumpled clothing or bag. Create gesture drawings of each – try to do each one of the images several times, to enhance your understanding of gesture.

Video:    Gesture Sagrada Familia

Next Session #4: Space: Form & 2D Shapes

Download Images Resource Binder 4 PDF.

SESSION 4  –  Space-Form and 2D Shapes Figure-Ground (1 of 7) {July 21 2020}

SESSION 4  –  Space-Form and 2D Shapes Figure-Ground (2 of 7) {July 21 2020}

SESSION 4  –  Space-Form and 2D Shapes Figure-Ground (3 of 7) {July 21 2020}

SESSION 4  –  Space-Form and 2D Shapes Figure-Ground (4 of 7) {July 21 2020}

SESSION 4  –  Space-Form and 2D Shapes Figure-Ground (5 of 7) {July 21 2020}

SESSION 4  –  Space-Form and 2D Shapes Figure-Ground (6 of 7) {July 21 2020}

SESSION 4  –  Space-Form and 2D Shapes Figure-Ground (7 of 7) {July 21 2020}

Mass Drawing – Al Arab, Moma, Fall Wtr-1 {DATE}

3D Mass:   The 3D volumetric ‘heft’ of a Form  – this can be depicted as a ‘wireframe’ scribble but with a feeling of weight. “Section” is an important form-giver for mass. Section is like cutting across a fruit or like the ribs of a boat. All the ‘Ways of Seeing’ interact with each other to reinforce a given image. Even ‘Contour’ edge lines can affect the expression and clarity of a Mass drawing.

3D Space:   Space is an important 3D entity. – It’s  not just the negative emptiness between positive Volumes-Forms. Think of a subject immersed in water, or smoke. Draw the water as if you were waving your hands and touching, encountering the subject and pausing the medium where it stops against the subject. The sum total of stoppages implies the form, making it seem to rise from the page, almost like a hologram . The water metaphor helps. Positive Form and negative Space are equal partners in 3D perception. The concept of drawing the space to depict the form is a little strange at first, but improves your overall perception and strengthens a drawing.

Tony’s Demo Of Spacehead-1 {DATE}

3d Mass-Space Assignment: Wire frame any object such as a boat or bowl of fruit…try to do a space drawing of same. Hint – Select an object that has clear obvious ‘spaces’ such as a rhododendron vs a daisy.

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Next Session #5: Tonal Design Concept

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