Sketchbook Assignment: Figure from a Magazine

Okay, we haven't had a sketchbook assignment in a while. But, because everyone is doing such great drawings of mannequins in class, I thought it would be good practice for you to apply your knowledge of proportion, foreshortening, and observational skills to a real person.

Find a magazine (Sports Illustrated, fashion magazines, comic book, etc.) that show the entire figure in action. Carefully cut out that figure (should be at least 3-4" tall) and neatly glue it into one page of your sketchbook. On the facing page, redraw the figure in pencil, but increase the scale of the figure so that it fills, and goes off the page!

Here's what I'm looking for when grading:
1) Observation. Did you look at the magazine image carefully when drawing, or did you make it up?
2) Proportion. Even though your drawing might not look exactly like this person, their body part should be proportional.
3) 45 minutes of observation at least. Include details of clothes, hands, and feet, and some of the environment the figure is in.
4) Show different line qualities, include shading!
5) Your final figure drawing should be big enough to touch at least 3 sides of your page!
6) NO TRACING!!!

*FOR A CHALLENGE (5 points extra!) Choose a FORESHORTENED pose (See Alberto's drawing above) to draw!
*For even more of a challenge, draw an additional figure interacting with the first

This sketchbook drawing is worth a 40 point homework grade.

Figure in Action

For our next unit in class we'll be learning how to draw the human figure. Using proportion and observation, we will find relationships between the many parts of the human form in order to draw them more accurately.

We will be drawing wooden mannequins, that have average proportional measurements of real figures. Over the next couple days, begin to think about a simple action that you could illustrate with 5 distinct poses of the mannequin. For our final project, we will combine the 5 sketches into one design that illustrates the locomotion of the body, (see example above!

See the slideshow below for action ideas!


Here's the final painting criteria and gradesheet. This is a 25 point class grade!
Figure in Motion Painting Criteria

Publish at Scribd or explore others: