LIFE DRAWING FOR CHILDREN

Last summer I did several life drawing sessions in some primary schools. 

It was very fun to work with children and discover their love for drawing. 

As I would like to offer this special service to different schools of my city, 

I spoke with some friends to offered to their children a free session in my house. They gave me the authority to take some photos and use them to promote this new activity. 

They felt very enthusiastic by the activity and created very interesing sketches. Most of them responded well to their changing roles and enjoyed to acting up as a pirate. 

At the beginning, I spent some minutes to teach them how to pose. Just a few guidelines. About drawing, I gave them totally freedom to express themself.

MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU

 Remembering a STAR WARS DRAWING SESSION.

                                (AnimationFX Studio, Model; Júlia Agut)

And here some quick sketches of the session. 

MASTER´S DEGREE IN CONCEPT ART

Last December I began as a DRAWING TEACHER in LCI, a school that offers different courses in digital marketing, Graphic design, photography and animation. I work with a group of young people who are studying a MASTER´S DEGREE IN CONCEPT ART.

A good concept art program needs a solid education in LIFE DRAWING SKILLS. It is essential if you want to prepare a professional portfolio.

(December 10th, 2018, SEEWAY. Model; Sasha)

The opportunity to work with life models is a great helpful to develop your OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS and create appealing CHARACTER DESIGNS. 

Learning directly from life is one of the best discipline to become a great CONCEPT ARTIST. 

NATURE and REAL LIFE are an interesting inspirational source that we shouldn´t understimate. On this digital era, academic programs has also to promote traditional techniques and foundation studies.
Them are the base of a STRONG EDUCATION.

CHRISTMAS DRAWING SESSION

Last Thursday we did a special session in a new studio. 

(AnimationFX Studio, Tammy Von Sweet. December 22th 2016, Barcelona)

 It was our first session in this place. 

(AnimationFX Studio, Tammy Von Sweet. December 22th 2016, Barcelona)

 We hope people will be more confortable.

PSYLOCKE DRAWING SESSION___2

The following days I will upload all the photos and sketches done after my my last publication. It was before the summer. 

(AnimationFX Studio, Alicia Migueles. June 14th 2016, Barcelona)

On July we did a SUPERHERO DRAWING SESSION with one of our most regular models. 

She created a new performance for her Psylocke´s routine. 

All these thumbnails are 5 minute sketches. I spent 3 minutes sketching from the model and after, I spent about two minutes adding the costume, hair and some colour touches.

BELLY DANCE DRAWING SESSION

Today I will post a new entrance after a long time. Over the next few weeks, I will publish some past drawing events that I couldn´t publish. At the same time, I´m going to show new material connected with future sessions.  
Last Thursday we did an interesting dance posing routine.

(AnimationFX Studio, Sara Martínez. June 25th 2016, Barcelona)

The model normally dance Tribal Fusion Belly Dance.

(AnimationFX Studio, Sara Martínez. June 25th 2016, Barcelona)

It is a modern Western form of belly dance which was created by fusing American Tribal Style belly dance and American Cabaret belly dance. 

Artists frequently incorporate elements from Popping, Hip Hop, 'Egyptian' or 'Cabaret' belly dance, as well as movement principles from traditional forms such as Flamenco, Kathak, Odissi, and other folkloric and classical dance styles.

PIN UP INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL___03

Last Thursday we did a special Christmas drawing event.  

(AnimationFX Studio, Rosita Rose December 17th 2015, Barcelona)

Here are some quick sketches that I done in the preliminary session. 

All these thumbnails will be the visual documentation that I will use to inspire some cartoon sketches. 

Here are some cartoon studies drawn from my life sketches.

Even though I can caricaturize the female body directly from the life, I prefer this method. It helps me to show the differences between a realistic and a caricaturistic interpretation of the same model.

CHARACTER DRAWING SESSIONS

The last few months I organized several character drawing sessions but I hadn´t had time to publish something connected with them. Here are some pics.

(AnimationFX Studio, Alicia Migueles November 12th 2015, Barcelona)

(AnimationFX Studio, Rosita Rose November 30th 2015, Barcelona)

(AnimationFX Studio, Júlia Agut December 17th 2015, Barcelona)

MALE ANATOMICAL STUDIES___02

Here are examples of two different sessions with the same male model.

(AnimationFX Studio, David, Sep 24th, Oct 9th 2015, Barcelona)

All these quick sketches try to capture the human form with an effective linear graphic style.

The first posing routine was composed by the typical aesthetic poses of a nude session. The model used some ropes to help him to create a more dynamic effect. 

The second one was composed with dramatic poses. He designed a simple sword routine.  

PIN UP INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL___02

Two weeks ago we did a drawing session with a model dressed like a cowgirl. We also enjoyed the music of some western movies. It was fun to draw while listening to different pieces of Ennio Morricone.

(AnimationFX Studio, Alicia Migueles October 1th 2015, Barcelona)

(AnimationFX Studio, Alicia Migueles October 1th 2015, Barcelona)

Here are some quick sketches of 3 minutes.

I have not added any final touch. When I draw from life, I normally try to create a mimetic or realistic representation of the model. In this case I exaggerated some proportions.  

By the other hand, Here are different spontaneous sketches who were drawn from my mind. 

All these samples will help me to explain how to draw PIN UP THUMBNAILS. 

VINTAGE LINGERIE SESSION

Some weeks ago we did an interesting pin up drawing session with an expert model dressed with sexy lingerie.

(AnimationFX Studio, Ana September 17th 2015, Barcelona)

(AnimationFX Studio, Ana September 17th 2015, Barcelona)

 I only drew a few sketches during the modeling training session. 

(3 minute sketches)

Sometimes, when the session begins, I can´t draw as much as I'd like to. I always have to measure time and be available to assist people who have a problem or need something.

PIN UP INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL___01

Last Monday I did a modeling training session with a cosplay model to prepare the instructional material for a future PIN UP DRAWING WORKSHOP. 

(Alicia Migueles, August 10th 2015, Barcelona)

Here are some quick sketches of 3 minutes. These LIFE SKETCHES are only to capture the general appearance of the model and develop my quick sketching skills.

I have not added any final touch. 

All these thumbnails will be the base for some cartoon studies.

MALE ANATOMICAL STUDIES___01

Yesterday we did our first male drawing session from a long time ago.

(ANIMATIONFX STUDIO, Roberto, August 6th 2015, Barcelona)

Here there are some quick sketches. 

I used a normal black pencil to differentiate them from a cartoon style.

The following days, I´m going to develop some tutorials on drawing the male figure from an anatomical approach.

ANATOMY DRAWING SESSION

Last Thursday, I organized my second life drawing session for the international game company KING. Some of its employees who work in the studio from Barcelona had the opportunity to enjoy a nude performance with one of our expert models.
 

(ANIMATIONFX STUDIO, Constanza, July 16th 2015, Barcelona)

It was an ANALYTICAL DRAWING SESSION created to study the basic structure the female body and develop interesting Anatomy sketches.

We began with a warm up exercise (several poses of 1 minute) and we continued with poses of 3 and 5 minutes. 

Some of these sketches were drawn while the model was preparing her posing routine. 

PIN UP TRAINING SESSION

Two weeks ago I did a modeling training session with a friend who is interested in life modelling. It was her first experience and we created a vintage posing routine inspired by some Gil Elvgren´s illustrations.
 

She only did poses of 3 minutes. This posing exercise helps her to understand how to create appealing poses and how long she can hold the same position.

I like drawing realistic sketches because it´s an excellent analytical exercise to study gesture and anatomy.

Understanding figure fundamentals is essential to develop a successful CARTOON PIN UP STYLE. 

(WP10)___LIFE IS THE BEST SCHOOL

I know the best of animation is the quality to caricaturize shapes and movements. However, I feel a special attraction for animated techniques with a realistic conception. When I was child a I was fascinated by the animated series "TARZAN, LORD OF THE JUNGLE".

As some sequences were animated with rotoscope technique, the scene of the man of apes running was incredible. Ha, ha I was only a child and very easily impressed.

"FIRE & ICE" directed by Ralph Bakshi was another influential animated piece in my adolescence. The rotoscope technique was the base of all the animation work.

Actually, It´s not my favourite film but I used it to copy some photograms. It´s a great visual reference to study dynamic poses. Director, performers and animators created an interesting interpretation of the Frazetta´s universe.  

Even though, all these animation productions use photo references to work, I prefer to develop the ability to draw the human figure from my mind. From my point of view a great animator has to be able to draw from his mind. 

With this article, I want to emphasize the importance of developing human realistic studies.

This working discipline gives the student the skills needed  to create more convincing and credible human figures and helps to design more appealing interpretations of the reality. A solid knowledge of the visual reference is very useful to learn to caricaturize it.