So what is gesture drawing? How do we do it, and why does it even matter?
Maybe one of the most famous painters who ever lived, Rembrandt, said that gesture is the, "Single most important element in drawing." Ferrell said if we can draw or painter better than Rembrandt then we don't have to use it.
Great, but what is it? A gesture drawing can be defined as the laying in of the action, form, and pose of a model/figure. but it's more than that. Gesture is the life, energy, and movement in a picture. It helps the audience anticipate momentum, and helps the artist symbolize it.
Gesture creates energy! A few lines can make a big difference. The car without the lines looks like it has no momentum.
Just as athlete risks injury by not stretching, you gamble with wrecking your drawing by not warming up properly. Gesture is an excellent way to warm up for the big game.
A great way to start is to find how the weight is centered on the figure. Everything has a center line or a spine. The mass or weight of the object is centered around this spine. Even jelly fish have a center line.
See how the weight or mass build off the center line.
The spine or center line can indicate the line of action of a character or object.
Gesture in the right place can add expression and humor. So now we know the why we need it then how do we do it? Write the following steps down.
Next class we gesture draw!
