The Aging Body

The aging body in life drawing offers us an important opportunity to make us aware of issues concerning identity and representation but also offers us the chance to see and draw the effects of gravity on the nude figure. Gravity forces objects downwards; acting through the centre of gravity. When the position of the centre of gravity and the figure are observed the body’s equilibrium can be considered. That is the equal balance between the force of gravity and the power of the body to withstand this force by holding its self in positions.

Although the force of gravity does not affect the internal structure of the body, its affects can be seen on the soft tissues of the outer body. In the older figure the changes are perhaps most obvious; the loose skin that compresses or expands with positions the nude figure is in. This offers the artist an important opportunity to draw the figure, showing the changes to the body when laying down, bent over, laying on one side, or standing upright, as the soft tissues are easily observed in how they support another part of the body they are in contact with.

As we age time leaves its mark on our soft human bodies, the wrinkles, lines, scars and marks each a symbol of a life well lived. Yet when we speak of the aging body in art and the mass media it is still shockingly under-represented.

Arguably this absence of the aging body in mainstream culture is to create a distance between the defining characteristics of old age; grey hair; sagging, wrinkled skin; age spots; and a translucent complexion, with the undiminished youthful symbol of beauty.

Of course this transformation from youthful existence to old age is not optional, the passage of time happens to us all, so why is it largely invisible in art? Is it to disqualify the changes we see as problems we would rather not lay our gaze upon? Is it because we perceive age as being absent from sexuality? If we look to art history the youthful figure is depicted as a sexual existence full of opportunity and fully abled, whereas when an old person is finally depicted in art it is often to serve as a metaphorical symbol of time, mortality or wisdom. Life drawing is more than just a depiction of the nude figure, it challenges our perceptions of beauty, by enabling us the view another person in their most vulnerable state and therefore questions our own identity.

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Tonal Drawing Technique in Life Drawin

Tonal Drawing

When we look around our environment, to the objects that make up the space we are in, we see the world by perceiving colour and tone. Tone, also commonly referred to as value, determines how light or dark we recognise something to be. Understanding the properties of value perception, although not extremely difficult, is immensely important for all drawings, whether you aim to create a realistic or abstract depiction of your subject. This is because a wide range of tones will turn a mediocre drawing in to a vibrant one.

It is for this reason figure drawing presents the artist with a complex arrangement of tones that need to be selectively interpreted into drawn marks. However it takes practice and lots of it in order to judge accurately how light or dark a relative value/tone is. One way to develop our understanding of tone is to begin by categorising the values we see; looking for the lightest of lights, the mid tones, and the darkest of darks. The beginner artist may wish to practice observing value on a still life object, this will allow the artist to observe how light shifts, casting shadows and bounces off of a form. However you may find you will have more success with this exercise if you have one primary light source; allowing you to properly control the value.

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Drapery Technique in Life Drawing

We are always looking at how we can present new challenges for the artists that attend our Life Drawing workshops in Manchester, and it was with this in mind that we used draping on our model Andy. If you have never drawn the nude figure while partially covered with drapery, then I would highly recommend giving it a try, this is because it provides opportunities for studying aspects of volume. For anyone unsure, when we talk about volume we are referring to the surface area within a space; the exhibition of height, width and depth, resulting in an implied three-dimensional shape.

Drapery adds so much to life drawing, as it is an ideal tool for accentuating the shape of the human figure. If we look to the sculptures of ancient Greece and Rome, in a paradoxical way it actually enhances the nudity of the model by minimising some areas and accentuating others. And it is in this way draping can also be used as a compositional tool; helping the artist when arranging the placement of the visual elements that make up the pose. When there is draping on the model the artist will consider the following: the direction of the folds and the shadows they produce; how the body underneath supports part of the fabric; how the fabric may billow out or adapt to the figure; and the way gravity influences how the fabric falls towards the ground.

When arranging the study of the draped figure, we considered how the fabric weight, and density determines the quality and direction of the folds, while also allowing us to ‘see’ the anatomical figure underneath. It is for this reason we choose a light flowing fabric, allowing the forms of the nude body to ‘show through’ to an a extent. We also considered the placement of the fabric, placing it so it only partially covered the body, enabling the anatomical regions to be easily recognised by the artists.

Bee Creative Life Drawing in Manchester

In December we launched Bee Creative Studio to great success, we held two life drawing workshops at Bar21 in Northern Quarter. Both workshops were well attended and we received some great feedback. During our workshops we were excited to hear that there were people in attendance enjoying life drawing for the first time as well as some more experienced artists to figure drawing.

Some questions that did crop up with those that were new to the practice of drawing from the nude figure was why is it important, and is it figure drawing or life drawing? Firstly like many artist we use the terms life drawing and figure drawing interchangeably when referring to drawing from the human nude. Secondly, as humans it is only natural that drawing from the figure should play an important role as a subject matter, due the essential role it plays in art education; making each artist aware of how the muscles in the body work, how it operates in the spaces it occupies, composition and special awareness.

At Bee Creative Studio we understand drawing from the nude human figure is fundamental to developing your skills as an artist to accurately see shape while observing human emotion and gesture. We see drawing from life as underpinning the practice of all serious arts, as drawing from life enables you to capture the world and body as it really is. Life drawing means studying forms, proportions, perspectives and shading, movement weight, balance and tension.

The more you draw from the human figure you will begin to observe how the model holds their body; where they are putting weight on some muscles as they balance while positioning other muscles to hold a certain pose and over time you will use these skills in all your art work.

If you have never tired life drawing or you are a beginner, why not join our next workshop date in January. We are holding our workshops on 14th , 21st, 28th in January . Feel free to check out our upcoming dates for more details.