The High Museum in Atlanta offers a course focused on capturing the dynamic energy of the human figure in charcoal. Participants will draw from mannequins and live models, aiming to find the essence of a pose and develop initial sketches into completed figure drawings that convey form and weight.
Week 1: Participants will draw from the shoulder and elbow, making large, light, and loose marks. The week will begin with simple gesture drawings designed to capture the action line, followed by techniques for measuring the height and width of a pose to create an angular silhouette.
Week 2: After warming up with gesture drawings, the focus will shift to using contour lines to develop the angular silhouette into a pose with structure and depth. Participants will practice identifying the large forms of the pelvis, ribcage, and skull, noting their directions and observing the curvature of limbs as they continue to develop their drawings.
Week 3: Instruction will focus on describing the structure of the head, feet, and hands. Participants will learn to recognize light, medium, and dark tones within the figure and practice conveying each shadow shape in a clear and simple manner.
Week 4: The final week will involve integrating skills from previous lessons into a longer-form drawing, allowing participants to showcase their development over the course.
