Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Drawing tutorial 03 - Subdividing in Planes

Last week, I simplified volumes using oval shapes, sanding everything down and smoothing it all. Today is plane time! (QUI la versione in italiano)
Is it possible to subdivide an object into several planar layers? I think it is and that it makes for a good exercise in analyzing volumes and the way light hits surfaces and bounces off them according to their position. It is no easy feat though, the mind tends to compose organic forms using curved three dimensional volumes and not planes (another strange mental process also explained in the book: "Drawing on the right side of the brain" by Betty Edwards)

In this video, I analyze the reference image and I mentally
divide it into layers helping myself with the angles the planes form in relation to each other.To facilitate the whole process, you should start approximate the figure's volumes with rough and large planes.
Eventually, you will be able to work on finer and finer details, subdividing volumes in smaller and smaller planes and thus different spatial orientations.

This is where I start to outline what could be seen as a "foot shaped box" and then I use more and more planes to give the figure finer details leading to a more defined volume.
 The final shape is more defined also thanks to the light now shining on some the planes and the resulting shadows the cast. The light of the composition can help you better analyze the various shades of color across the bright areas and the shadowed ones and use them as chromatic samples to divide the planes with. I think it is better if we see this in the next tutorials.
The following two works, which I love very much, were made by Picasso and they both represent a goat made of planes and lines in 2D and 3D versions.



Drawing tutorial 01 - Tutorial disegno 01
Drawing tutorial 02 - Tutorial disegno 02

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