Day 16 - volumes

So here it is. The 2ND part of the exercise showing basic shapes being used over top the gesture drawings from the last day. This is the 2ND stage that I usually go through -but done here exclusively to demonstrate the concept.

This second stage is designed to help starting artists, or those re-learning to draw (like me) to clearly see/visualize volume in the drawings. Using basic shapes gives 3 dimensional form to the drawings over top which the design details can be done in stage 3.

One of the benefits of doing this stage is seeing how the forms of the body connect to each other. For example - in many of the drawings I was able to show how the arm connected to the side of the rib cage (box form). Practicing basic forms like cylinders also helps with perspective since its much easier to work out perspective issues with basic forms than more complex anatomy. One area that I kind of fluffed off was the feet. I either left the forms as basic 2d shapes or did 3d shapes that weren't satisfying. I will work on correcting this by focusing a bit more as I move forward on future drawings.


I had an interesting conversation with a friend recently about this stage with the conclusion that this stage is probably the least important of the 3 stages in the long run. Master artists should be able to visualize the volume in their drawing and apply it directly to the forms in a more organic way. An artist that has mastered drawing should be able to move from stage 1 to stage 3 directly, while incorporating this second stage invisibly.

As such, it's important to realize that using boxes and cylinders is not something you will have to do long term -but it is hugely important early on in an artist's learning since it provides a clear and simplified structure over top which the final drawing can be made.

Tomorrow, back to doing comic pages.