Alright, so I buckled down for a serious practice session today. Been meaning to get back to fundamentals, you know? The kind of stuff that really tests you. Decided to focus on capturing the human form, raw, no frills. It’s one of those things – looks simple until you try to nail it. And man, it was a session alright.
Getting Started
Pulled out my usual gear. Some trusty charcoal sticks, a big old pad of cheap paper – ’cause you burn through it fast when you’re really working. And a good eraser, my best friend sometimes. Mentally, I was trying to be open, not to get too hung up on making pretty pictures. The goal was learning, pure and simple. Or so I told myself.
First few attempts? Let’s just say they weren’t going on the fridge door. Felt clumsy. Like my hand forgot how to talk to my brain. You stare at the subject, you think you see it, but then what comes out on paper is… something else. It’s a bit of a punch to the gut, honestly.
The Grind
We went through a bunch of different poses. Some quick ones, trying to just get the gesture, the energy. Those are a whirlwind. You barely have time to think, just react. Then some longer ones, where you can really dig in. And that’s where the real struggle begins for me sometimes.
- Getting proportions right when things are foreshortened? Nightmare.
- Making the figure look like it actually has weight, not just floating? Tough.
- Those subtle shifts in the torso, or the way a shoulder blade moves. So much to see.
I remember one particular pose, the model was kind of twisting, and I just… I redrew this one section, like, five times. Erase, try again. Still not quite there. You start to doubt your eyes. It’s frustrating, no doubt about it. You see these master artists, their work looks so effortless. But then you do a session like this, and you realize it’s hours and hours of this kind of battle.
Little Wins and Realizations
But it wasn’t all misery and charcoal dust. There were moments. A line that just worked. A shadow that suddenly made a form pop. Those little clicks, they keep you going. That’s the good stuff.
I really tried to focus on looking, not just assuming. You know how you think an arm looks, so you draw your symbol for an arm? Yeah, trying to break that. Actually seeing the shapes, the light, the negative space. It’s hard to switch off that auto-pilot. I also realized I’ve been totally neglecting how light actually describes form. It’s not just about outlines. The way light wraps around, creates soft and hard edges… that’s where the magic is.
Wrapping Up
By the end, I was pretty beat. Mentally drained, mostly. But in a good way, you know? Like after a really hard workout. My sketchbook pages were a mess of smudges and corrections, but that’s what practice looks like, right? Not a gallery opening.
Looking back at the scribbles now, yeah, a lot of it is still clunky. But I can see a few moments where I think I got a tiny bit closer. It’s humbling, for sure. Reminds you that there’s always, always more to learn. And that’s kinda why I do it, I guess. This stuff doesn’t come easy. You gotta put in the time, wrestle with it. But yeah, good session. Will definitely be doing more of this. Got to.
