Gesture Drawing 4 - Integrating techniques and a bit of Andy...

This exercise of drawing the crumpled newspaper in a wastepaper container in charcoal was supposed to combine the aspects of the previous exercises in gesture drawing with a bit more detail. The time limit was around 10 to 20 minutes so as not to get bogged down in detail, to still maintain the energy and dynamic visual effects of a gesture drawing. It was challenging drawing the folds in the paper and getting the shading correct, but I felt fairly bold with the drawing and think I achieved a good balance of spontaneous gestural lines and more controlled detail in the newspaper print. I'm happy with the three dimensionality of the form and with the way I've used the space and the overall outcome of this subject matter. I'm definitely getting more familiar with to how to use the charcoal to achieve the visual effects I want.

The drawing on the right is an exercise I did a few years ago from the book "keys to drawing" by Bert Dodson about using a combination of free hand and controlled hand in drawing. This drawing illustrates the different modes used and how you switch between the modes. Usually this process is unconscious.

This is Andy Warhol's "Campbell's soup can and dollar bills" 1962 in pencil. It is a good example of the integration of quick gestural drawing in the upper half, with the careful placement of the forms and the more accurate details of the wad of notes and dollar bills.

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A gestural drawing of my friend's fish. Just for fun...

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