Anatomy Tune Ups and Workshops Introduction

Anatomy Tune Up June 6 & 7

Three mentoring sessions valued at $150 as a special offer to introduce the Workshops and Tune Ups.

Registration for Anatomy Tune Up June 6 & 7th 2015

 

Workshop $300. (CAN) + HST

Registration Fee  $100. + HST. 

10 Things You Want to Know About Anatomy (or want to remember again)

I've been teaching life drawing to animation students since 1986.  That's a  long time and it gives you a bit of overview of what is essential for a good life drawing. Of course there are a number of things, but of all of them anatomy comes out near the top of the list.

Gesture is No. 1 since without gesture there is no life to the drawing.

Close behind is Anatomy.  And looking back to all my classes and now forward to more workshops I wish to present I came up with this list of the 10 things about anatomy I feel all artists, whether student level or professional of many years should know.

My workshops will either survey the list or focus on any of the 10 points, but in the end, I feel they are all important.

No. 1     Skeleton Skeleton Skeleton. Skeleton matters most

                You don’t have to get the skeletons out of your closet, but you should definitely get them into your drawings.  Skeletons are the basis of structure and the root of form in the body. No skeleton – no real body.  Come see how the skeleton really isn’t that scary to draw.

No. 2     Joints define movement – know the different types

                Bones may be long or short, straight or curved, but it’s what at the ends that matters most.  How they move against each other dictates what the body can do.  Whether it’s a simple hinge or ball and socket, or something a bit more complicated, it all makes simple sense once you understand it. 

No. 3     Pelvis is core – all movement comes from the pelvis

                It’s a funny bone (not Humerus at all) with lots of curves and twists, but in the end whether a gut bucket or propulsion platform, it’s vital for the root of movement from the toes to the finger tips. Come see how it works.

No. 4     Spine is not the back – it is the internal stem

                No, it’s not the back. It’s the tree trunk of posture and balance.  How it bends, twists and turns lets the body be either as stiff as a stick man or as rubbery as contortionists.  Which every way you put all 26 of these little blocks together, they make sense and more importantly, make movement.

No. 5     Muscles as cables – puppetry and balloons

                We think of muscles as chunks of mass filling out the body.  But whether a 90lb weakling or a steroid monster, the muscles are the same: like stretched balloons just waiting to be inflated by movement (or steroids).  It’s the cables that move the bones that make for dynamic characters.  

No. 6     Bone, muscle, tendon & fat.  Landmarks or Confusion.

                The body has a lot of bumps, even the smoothest body.   It can be confusing. And as it moves, so too the bumps. Come learn the difference and to know when and where to make more bumps or take them away.  Learn to make sense of landmarks.

No. 7     Muscle trains – how gesture flows through the body

                Change the direction of your head, and if you’re standing, there’s a train of muscles that go right to your toes.  Muscles never work alone.  Learn how this train relates to the flow of gesture through the body.

No. 8     Muscles run in straight lines unless – 

                Unless of course they have to go over or around something.  That something would be bone or other muscle. These straights and curves give grace of form to a body or make for more dynamic pose.

No. 9     Skeletons don’t differ much – bird, animal or human – they’re almost all the same

                Yup, they’re basically the same.  Birds have arms much like us and cows stand on their finger and toe nails.  We win and we lose a few bones, but we’re very much alike.  

No. 10   Form follows function – carnivore or herbivore or human

                Whether you are chasing after your next meal or you’re the meal running from the chaser, or you’re just the couch potato  munching on a snack watching it all, your form from skeleton to muscles is defined by just that – carnivore, herbivore or gamer.  

Anatomy Masterclass This Summer

Studio Waste Paper Garbage Study.

Response 3 to the challenge: why not study the garbage? Interesting shapes and forms.

Foot studies and whale

I was doing some skeletal studies of the foot and lower leg and it struck me that the bones of  the foot were squid or octopus like in their form and rhythm.  So I stuck in a whale only to realize that it would be a sperm whale and not blue that would go after a squid.  Followed by the realization that neither one would go after an octopus, which the heel resembled more.

I'll stick to the bones.

Pets in my studio

Response to another challenge to post work.  Dated March 29 but done this morning instead of answering Monday morning emails.  6B on cheap paper.  time to bring out the better stuff on the shelves.

Bear Skeleton at Bone Rooms University of Guelph

I was at the Human Anatomy labs and the Bone Rooms/ OVC /University of Guelph with my Humber and Seneca students for the last two days.  After everyone left today I took an hour to do a study of this black bear skeleton for myself.  8B pencil on mat board. 18 x 24 inches approx.

Inuit portraits

I got a call last evening from Zacharaiasie Nappatok, an Inuit friend living in Akulivik in Nunavik, previously known as Norther Quebec.  Our friendshop goes back many years to a time when I was printmaking advisor to the Inuit artists of Povungnituk and regions around the Hudson's and Ungava Bay coasts.

Of the many drawings and paintings I did of that region I thought I would  post a few.

Inuit hunter from Inukjuak, Regrettably I forgot his name

Zacharaiasie Nappatok. Artist and freind Povungnituk

Kanayook, manager of the Printshop

Abraham Neahok, Artist Povugnituk

Luccasie Tookaluk.  Artist Povungnituk

Markusi Qualingo, Hunter Povungnituk

Moses Tuktuk, Povungnituk

Paulusi Novalinga, Hunter Extraordinaire Povugnituk

Thomassie Irqumiak, Artist and son of Juanisaluk Irqumiak

Watching Tangled

This morning I took the opportunity to sketch my granddaughter as she watched Tangled. Having a 4 and half year old hold still is an impossibility so this opportunity was wonderful.  It was interrupted only by the cat moving into my lap and finally my own attention being diverted to the piece too.

 

The first sketch stared out as some warm up circles and lines and quickly became the sketch below.  I thought of removing them in Photoshop but if that is how a drawing develops, then so it should stay.

 

There were many more sketches that stayed as loose gestures as Viv moved restlessly as the show developed.  I need to be even quicker.

From Freeze to Breeze and back to 1996

I haven't been drawing for myself for a few days (no excuses) but feel bad I didn't post. I will return tonight or tomorrow.

In the meantime because of the freezing weather we're feeling this week (-31C in the wind) I dug out some sketches I did while on a trip to the islands of Antigua &  Monserrat in '96. 

Enjoy the warmth!

Day 3 No's 2 & 3 Pizza Guy and Speed River - Both Freezing

 

It's -11C outside, -21C if you factor in the brisk wind, so that would make  it a perfect day to go out and sketch - if you live in Inuvik.  But considering I once use to do exactly that when I worked in Povunituk, today wasn't so bad after all....until I got out there. 

For sketch 3 I decided to clip the sketch book to a piece of foam core, grab my pencil and go sketch the Speed River that flows through Guelph.  I've posed what I got done before my fingers went numb.  Strangely it wasn't my drawing hand but the hand holding the board. Freezing fingers or not, it was a great experience and makes me appreciate all the artist who brave the cold to capture that singular winter beauty.

On the way to the river I sketched this Pizza delivery man having a quick cold smoke before he headed off on a delivery.  It was only a moment but made me wonder why a smoke could be so important to freeze your butt off.  And then I went drawing.  Addictions are addictions. Nothing more can be said.

Day 3 #1 Bird Feeders Outside My Door

 

First sketch today are the bird feeders outside my door.  Perhaps should be really titled Ginko in snow since I'm fascinated by the patters of the tree.  But then there's the patterns in the snow. So it's just a lot of what I find outside my door today. nothing more.

Day 2 drawing#3 My (overlooked) Feet

Something often overlooked mainly because I look over them are my feet. When looking for the last thing to draw tonight I was a bit perplexed as to what to draw. So I sat down with Umberto Ecco's book on Beauty looking for a work of art to study.  I was taken by the fine modeling of flesh that David and Ingres managed in their works, only to look over the book and see my feet. So, why not.

Tonight it's not the prettiest feet or the finest modeling, but they are mine and as I said, too often overlooked.

Day 2 #2 Bronze Rabbit Sketches

We have a small bronze rabbit that I bought in Halifax years ago. He sits by a door mostly unnoticed. I decided to sketch him today and found he has rather an evil stare that I'd never noticed.  Not sure if I feel comfortable with him anymore. One never knows what happens in the dark.

However since he reminds me so much of the beautiful statue that sits in a park in St. John's NFL  dedicated to the young girl who lost her life in a boat tragedy, he gets to stick around.

apologies for the terrible colour.

Day 2 of Drawing Challenge Sketch #1 Cat Asleep

 This will probably be my quickest entry.  I barely got started and the phone rang. Stupidly I went to answer and when I got back moments later the cat had shifted.  So this one will stay as the quick doodle of sleeping cat (in my chair of course).

Challenge Day 1 #3 of 3 Pippa Asleep

Last drawing of the day. Almost didn't but found our dog happily snoozing on my side of the bed.  'Had to be the final sketch of the day.  Ah, a dog's life!  Make good subjects too. 

The picture, I should add, is somewhat unfinished. Just as I stopped the cat hopped up on the bed and curled up nose to nose with the dog. I guess I could have added him too, but that can wait for another day. I'm sure it will be repeated.

Day 1 sketch #2 Variation on a sheep's skull - Alien Bug

I purposely drew this skull vertically.  When I moved it around in my hands I was struck how much it looked like an alien bug.  Perhaps for my last drawing of the day I'll explore this. 


Two done, (at least) one to go.

Drawing Challenge #1 of 3 / 5 days

Clive Powsey invited me into the 3 drawings per day over 5 days challenge.

This is my first.  Early morning wobbly finger sketch of my back entrance from the top of the stairs.  It also responds to my desire to draw the view through the windows of my house.  Not great but a start.