Introduction to Life Drawing with Hester Berry

By Hester Berry

Why draw the human figure?

Drawing is an intuitive and prehistoric way of communicating. Today we draw from a very early age and then many of us leave it behind. Drawing transcends language barriers; it is often the best way to describe imagery and it provides a means for us to express ourselves creatively.

The human figure is the most familiar subject matter to us and we automatically relate to it, being used to regularly seeing our own and other peoples’ faces and bodies. It provides a perfectly constructed collection of shapes for practicing techniques, observation, and experimenting with different materials. A landscape may still be recognizable as such despite embellishments and mistakes, but the human figure allows less margin for error, and so it is a perfect motif for measuring success and improvement.

'Five Stetches' by Hester Berry
‘Five Stretches’ by Hester Berry in watercolour

 


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