Search form

Life drawing or not?

17 posts / 0 new
Last post
Life drawing or not?

Hello all. Once again I am back for a little bit of advice. :o

It seems that the places I have ended up choosing for school, desire a portfolio. I can understand that, but I do not have one. I hardly have any formal art training at all. After reading countless threads about portfolios and schools, it seems to me that life drawings and still life mean more than anything. So that's the direction I'm headed.

I've already taken the only drawing classes available in my area, from our local community college. As far as still life, I have no problems with finding things around my place to draw, but my problem lies with life drawing. So I have searched the internet for a way to do this when I come across this site, http://www.modelalisa.com .

They offer posed models for 15 Euros each (about 18 bucks) in a .swf format. You can spin the model and change the camera angle and other things. You can download a free sample from their site from the link called "your present" on the left.

My question is this, am I not just basically copying a photograph? Yes it moves and it's "interactive", but it's still 2d right? I read something about people being able to tell it's work from a photograph because of the way the shadows are, or something along those lines. Does that sound correct to you guys/gals?

Any advice is appreciated.

PS. If anyone can help me here with a quick question I would be most grateful. I didn't want to start a new topic. In some of the admission requirements for school, I see they want letters of recommendation. I haven't been to school in about 10 years. I don't have an employer. If I can't use my family to endorse me, who can I use? The only art teacher I had, from my local community college, died about 5 years ago. I really have no contact with any art-type people. I've really been "laying low" for the past couple of years and have no contacts that can write a recommendation. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

I apologize for all the questions.

Regard, dakar

Dakar,

When we all started out, and started thinking of animation as a career, I don't think many of us had formal portfolios to show schools. We had to gather up all of our drawings that we have done in the past that we were proud of, and put a portfolio together. Obviously, if you are considering a career in animation, you must have drawn something in your lifetime, so just find all your stuff and put it together presentably in a nice portfolio. A bit of a tedious job, I know, but it needs to be done.

Life drawing is going to be a large part of your portfolio (or should be). You will need to go and find a college or art school in your area that offers "pay-as-you-go" life drawing seminars/workshops/sessions, and draw your butt off... If you do not have access to such, then sketch photos of people. Get the girly mags (Vogue, Elle, etc. are good, because often the photos can be more "artsy" with the lighting, etc.) and draw the models. You may even want to draw some of the more tastefull photos from a playboy (no, not Hustler, or Penthouse... that is a tad racy). While copying photographs is not the ideal situation, if it is all you can do, you will still learn a bit about anatomy. Try to find photos with cool lighting so that you are drawing/shading muscle tones, etc.

As for web sites, look at http://www.3d.sk, http://www.fineart.sk, http://www.anything3d.com (these sites were kindly passed along to me by fellow members here in the forum). Some are free, others you pay (but less than the site you posted), and have free samples. The best one in my opinion is http://www.3d.sk, and well worth spending the $10/month (USD) for. Draw everything... Do a few pages of just feet, a few of just hands, a few of just portraits, etc. (Make sure your feet and hands, etc. are posed differently from drawing to drawing)

Good luck chief... When are you planning on applying to colleges? For September, 2005? I hope so, as that would give you close to a year to build up your portfolio.

As for your letters of recommendation... I don't know what to tell you there. I would write the schools you are apply for a formal letter if I were you, explaining your situation fully. I am sure they will not care, considering you are not a 18-year-old kid whose parents are forcing him to go to school. As long as your portfolio speaks volumes.

So that is it. I hope I have answered most of your questions. Good luck with your portfolio, mate, as well as acceptance to schools.

Cheers

"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon

well, if your going to make real life art, which is btw really kick as once you can draw it cool and paint it with oil/acrylic :) (not me though, i am color-Blind, i can't paint what so ever :( ).
but there are allot of sites that gives you poses for your modeling, you can browes xxx rates sites, it seems childish, but it gives you a good poses and nude as well all in one, its a good gallery in the end.
but you can also check fashion sites they give allot of model pictures.
or just single gallery per model, there are allot of sites for that.

you can use the internet or pay for a real life model in your local art course.
i'v been in my teecher's class on his own studio for real life nude model.
it was cool buy i dind't felt quite fit in the there at first my time :rolleyes:

Visit my site http://www.animdesk.com

If for some reason you are unable to attend a life drawing class, you shouldn't overlook the most obvious (and cheapest) solution to your situation - family, friends, perfect strangers, and wildlife. All of them are potential models for, at least, a quick "gesture" drawing. I'm sure you can talk a family member or friend to sit still for few minutes for a slightly longer pose to draw.
________
ipad games

If for some reason you are unable to attend a life drawing class, you shouldn't overlook the most obvious (and cheapest) solution to your situation - family, friends, perfect strangers, and wildlife. All of them are potential models for, at least, a quick "gesture" drawing. I'm sure you can talk a family member or friend to sit still for few minutes for a slightly longer pose to draw.

Hehehehe... Try asking Mom to disrobe for a drawing or two. Just kidding. Clothed is good too... LOL

Cheers

"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon

And of course... just go in the streets and draw people .. walking , sitting , waiting for the bus
One of the things a lot of beginners don't realise when they are suggested that .. you, know, maybe you should draw from life".. is that , it's not just a way to learn about anatomy .. but , more important , to learn about OBSERVING!!
once you start sketching, you look at things you wouldn't normally , and it stays with you even when you put the pencil down.. which is also why it helps you when you animate.. becuase you remeneber how it feels, itmoves, it flows..
Anatomy could actually be looked up in books...
but , real observations, real models are all about how YOU look at them..

you know the saying..
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder???
well.. I think the guy that coined that must've been a sketch guy too!

P.

Hello.

If there are no schools around...try the local art associations...most will offer some sort of drop in session work in figure drawing.

If as Wade said your Mom won't pose try the family cat or dog. ..though I find that cats can be tough to disrobe.

Thanks.

Forgot to mention that if you are drawing strangers on the street, be careful not to stare too long or too intensely at them. They may take offense and do you bodily harm.... then again, your family and friends may also want to do you bodily harm after they see your sketches of them.:D
________
ZR550B

AHAHAHAAH
very true Brad, very true!!!
lol
P.

Forgot to mention that if you are drawing strangers on the street, be careful not to stare too long or too intensely at them. They may take offense and do you bodily harm

you can always 'charge' them for 10 bucks lol.
'i drew you, now pay!!" :D

Visit my site http://www.animdesk.com

Hey I was wondering if any of you knew how to become a life drawing model? I was thinking of just going to the local art schools and asking, but it would be less embarassing to find out the information I need online. So if anyone has done this, or knows how to do it, I'd appreciate some advice. Thanks!

At a lot of the places I went to, they had flyers up in student congregation areas.

Hey everyone.... you guys are nuts :p Thanks for all the awesome responses.

A few things, at the moment I live on my own. I was in a fairly bad accident a few years back (I'm 27 now) which sort of made me put my life into perspective. Right now, I don't have the opportunity to visit any art classes, with the closest being 45 minutes away from me :( I do have one friend that might pose... but it's a guy... I think I would rather try to disrobe a cat.. :D He's not an art-type at all. I'll see what my parents say the next time they visit.

From what you AWN'ers (non-gender based title ;) ) have been saying, I guess that pictures aren't the best way to go, but they will suffice for now. I really don't want to get denied admission because they tell me I copied a photograph though. Can people really tell? I don't have an eye for that sort of thing yet, but I imagine many of you do? Is it absolutely imperitive that I find a live model? There's a cat I can draw... I guess I can step outside and just draw everything I see?

I've actually discussed drawing "Playboy-type" nude photos with a friend of mine and wasn't sure if that would work or not, thanks for the input.

Wade K.: Yes, I'm applying for Fall 2005. However, two of the schools have a January portfolio deadline, which is the reason I'm in a hurry. I have alot to do in 6 months. I'm checking out those sites right now, thanks for the links and warm wishes.

Regards, dakar

Dakar... Copying Photos is not that bad. It will not get you denied admission. I mean, when we are going to a life drawing session, we are in fact copying what we see in front of us as well. It is not that different. Granted, your model can hold a pose for much longer than mine... Hehehe. If I don't understand something with My model though, as I cannot make it out, I can get up and take a look from another angle. You, unfortunately, cannot.

However... Copy photos, if that is all you have available to you. It would not make me look any differently at you as an applicant. If you can draw, you can draw. You will get the life drawing classes in school, in which you WILL be drawing live models ANYWAYS.

Cheers man. NO GET TO WORK!!!! (and go buy some nudey mags) ;)

"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon

Last summer I drove 40 minutes to the nearest college once a week just to draw nekkid peoples, but damn if I don't just love to draw nekkid peoples. It is so critical to animation/modeling, that I can't think of a metaphor that is adequate to emphasize life drawing's importance. I've seen animation programs that require 8 semesters of it! So, if I were you, I would check out some books on amazon, anatomy for the artist, the figure in motion, et cetera et cetara.

I agree with wade..
once you get to school you'll have plenty of live drawing classes....
Nevertheless...
a cat is a difficult one to draw , especially when itis awake!
lol
AND a very good practice
also..
you might want to post some stuff so people on AWN can give you feedback!!

P.

If I don't understand something with My model though, as I cannot make it out, I can get up and take a look from another angle. You, unfortunately, cannot.

Just wanted to point out the site I first posted. Their nude models come in a semi-3d, 360° format. It comes in a Flash file (SWF) and you can completely rotate the model, move the camera angle vertically and even add grid lines.

Not trying to plug the site of course, but I did wonder if people ever actually got up to look at the other side of the model. In my community college art classes, no one ever did. I thought the purpose of having the model being able to rotate was that so you could draw it from many different angles, more 'bang for your buck' so to speak. I guess that's why I'm the one asking questions :D

Regards.