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.

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.

(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.

(WP9)___TRIBAL HUNTRESS SESSION

Today I organized my first life drawing session for an international game studio.

(KingfoMarket April 24th, 2015)

For this type of events is important to plan your work and study all the details of the session. 

(KingfoMarket April 24th, 2015)

First at all, it is essential to find an attractive topic and design the posing routine of the model.  

(Preliminary session, Sonia April 22th, 2015)

Here is an illustrated posing guide for the model.

(WP8)___ANIMAC 2015

Last weekend The international Animation Festival of Catalonia  ANIMAC was celebrated in Lleida. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the team of organizers because they gave me the opportunity to promote our life drawing group in one of their ELEVATOR PITCH sessions.

As a kind of market, Animac organized this activity with the purpose for schools and companies to be able to present and offer their services to the animation community.

Over three days I was lucky enough to enjoy the screenings, workshops and discussions given by professionals from the industry.

(Mortadelo and BigHero6 lectures by Victor Monigote and Íker J. de los Mozos)

I really liked the talk by Carlos and Jordi Grangel celebrating 25 years of the GRANGEL STUDIO.

(ANIMAC, February 22th-Lleida)

These two international character designers explained their work in different animation productions throughout their long professional career.

(WP7)___PIN UP SKETCHES

Since we created our drawing group, we have done several pin up drawing sessions. It´s a fun activity to socialize and create attractive sketches.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, Evita Mansfield. December 27th, 2013)

Over the following months, we are going to organize more events connected with this topic.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, La viola Vixen, November 20th, 2013)

A career strategy to become a successful professional is to become an expert in a specific area or subject. 

(Dean Yeagle. Comic-Con San Diego 2010)

As I love drawing gorgeous women, I would like to take this passion and turn it into a SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. 
In the new future, I´m going to create a portfolio to promote myself as a PIN UP ILLUSTRATOR.

(WP6)___URBAN SKETCHING

In July of 2013, I saw some enthusiastic sketchers drawing very near the establishment where we used to do our sessions.

An International Urban Sketching Symposium was being celebrated in Barcelona.

During this popular convention, different workshops, panels and lectures were celebrated.
This is the manifesto that Urban sketchers follow:

-We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.
-Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel to.
-Our drawings are a record of time and place.
-We are truthful to the scenes we witness.
-We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.
-We support each other and draw together.
-We share our drawings online.
-We show the world, one drawing at a time.

A few weeks after this event, I visited an exhibition based on the book collection “Carnet de voyage” by Barcelona City Council.
They feature drawings created by different illustrators in their sketchbooks, in pencil, felt tip, pen and watercolour around different streets and neighbourhoods. Outlines of Barcelona on paper that show us many hidden spots, surprising townscapes, unfamiliar features, people of all kinds and, above all, a thousand ways of sketching the city.

(WP5)___PORTRAIT DRAWING SESSIONS

A few years ago, I worked in a studio drawing realistic portraits. The method to create our portraits was very mechanical.


A photo is printed by a mechanical process similar to silk screening to get the basic measurements of the face. By this way, we have the right dimensions of the face and with it, a base for our PENCIL WORK. By this method, the final appearance of the portrait is drawn in few minutes. Although this methodology is very effective and attractive, I prefer other PORTRAIT TECHNIQUES.

Since we created our life drawing group, we have done different PORTRAIT DRAWING SESSIONS.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, April 21th, 2013)

My role as co-organizer was prepare some exercises to draw QUICK PORTRAITS. 
When people arrive at our studio, they go into couples. The aim of the activity is that in several posing routines each of the couple must draw the other. We have two posing routines of 5 minutes to capture the facial characteristics of our partner and create a 10 MINUTE PORTRAIT SKETCH. Everybody is free to develop their own graphic style.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, January 15th, 2014)

The person who becomes a model, sits down in front of the sketcher facing the wall the room. On this wall we project some portrait samples and instructional videos.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, November 13th, 2013)

It´s a way to entertain and teach our models while they pose, so that, they don´t get bored. Even though, most sketchers don´t expect that they will become a model, the feedback has been nothing but positive.

(WP4)___POSING GUIDE

We normally organize life drawing sessions and we contact with expert models who work for different art schools and academies. The following days, I would like to contact with different performers (acrobats, dancers, actors, pin up models, etc) interested in LIFE MODELLING. As most of them don´t know the working process of a life drawing session, I want to create a modeling training program to teach them basic requirements and skills to create a life posing routine. 
As I want to organize successful life drawing sessions, I have written a conceptual map which will help me to study important POSING CONCEPTS. It will be useful to lead my MODELING TRAINING SESSIONS.

HOW TO BECOME A LIFE  MODEL

How to train a life model.
A professional training program. A professional service.

Important professional skills.

ACTING SKILLS. Creating posing routines.

MEMORY SKILLS. Memorizing posing routines. 

PHYSICAL SKILLS. Holding poses.

MOTION CAPTURE SKILLS. Copying poses.

Theoretical and practical modeling exercises.
What we talk about when we talk about LIFE MODELLING. 

VISUAL PERFORMANCE. Aesthetic poses.  NUDE MODEL.
DRAMA PERFORMANCE. Dramatic poses. COSPLAY MODEL.

EROTIC PERFORMANCE. Sensual poses. PIN UP MODEL.

(ANIMATIONFX STUDIO, Marina, December 4th, 2014)

Most common posing routines. Timing. 
GESTURE POSES. 30 seconds, 1 and 2 minutes.  
SHORT POSES. 3, 5, 10 minutes. 
LONG POSES. More than 10 minutes. 

(ANIMATIONFX STUDIO, Nina Gretchen Dec 12th 2014, Barcelona)

Promoting quick sketching. QUICK SKETCHES.  
Most common poses. Posing code.
1_Standing poses.

2_Seated poses.
3_Crouching poses. 
4_Kneeling poses.
5_Semi-reclining poses.
6_Reclining poses.
7_Extreme poses. 

(ANIMATIONFX STUDIO, Magda, December 19th, 2014)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
F.A.Q about how to pose. How to create a POSING ROUTINE.  
A choreographed or spontaneous posing routine.  
How to use props.
How to hold poses. 
How to create ATTRACTIVE POSES and KEY POSES with your whole body.  
Male, female posing.
Dynamic and static posing. 
Gesture studies. Important gesture concepts; 
Rhythm, balance, wheight, force, energy, etc.
How to use body language to express emotions. 
How to create attractive silhouettes. Positive and negative spaces. 
How to inspire the viewer. An inspirational model, posing routine. 
A difficult pose for the model.
A difficult pose for the sketcher. 

(WP3)___FIGURE DRAWING CONCEPTS

In our social drawing group, we normally do casual and non-instructional FREE STYLE SESSIONS. Our members, who have different levels, draw without any specific instruction or guideline. We just offer a place where sketchers can draw and meet people.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, February 4th, 2013)

Nowadays, I would like to prepare some professional TRAINING PROGRAMS for sketchers who enjoy with THE STUDY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

I sometimes write CONCEPTUAL MAPS. These written pieces are very useful for exploring concepts and terms connected to a specific subject. It allows me to VISUALIZE ideas, problems and solutions around a specific question. As I have to enhance my communciative skills, I have written some spontaneous sentences which will help me to study key TEACHING  CONCEPTS.  
   
FIGURE CONCEPTUAL STUDIES  

Promoting myself as a FIGURE DRAWING TEACHER. 
Professional identity. Defining my teaching style.
Teaching studies. Teaching goals. Teaching philosophy.

The four pillars of my teaching method.
-DEMONSTRATING. Figure sketch demonstrations.
-MOTIVATING. Creating an inspirational environment.
Organizing MASTERCLASS sessions. Demonstration sessions. 
Teaching by example. MASTER. 
Figure drawing skills. 
Inspirational material.   
-EXPLAINING. Written and oral explanations. 
-COACHING. Designing practical exercises.
Organizing TRAINING sessions. Instructional sessions. 
Teaching giving instructions. INSTRUCTOR. 
Communicative skills. 
Instructional material. Books and videos. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Teaching FIGURE DRAWING TECHNIQUES.
How to draw the human figure
Teaching QUICK SKETCHING TECHNIQUES.
How to draw quick sketches. Working with short poses. 
Promoting quick sketching.   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONCEPTUAL STUDIES. Critical thinking. 
Figure drawing critiques. Demystifying figure drawing.
What we talk about when we talk about figure drawing.  
AESTHETIC STUDIES. Creative thinking. Aesthetic sense.
The contemplation and representation of the human figure.
I work with two figure drawing conceptions.

-NATURALISM. A mimetic or realistic representation.
-CARICATURISM. An exaggerated or caricaturistic representation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Designing professional training programs. 
The training offered in these programs will be focuses on developing important skills with the purpose of DRAWING THE HUMAN FIGURE FROM LIFE.
-SEEING. Observational skills. Drawing what you see.
-UNDERSTANDING. Comprehension skills.
-MEMORIZING. Memory skills. 
Figure drawing tutorials and motivational tips. 
Designing practical figure drawing exercises. 
Personal training methods.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, March 11th 2013)

Favourite figure drawing exercises. 
3 MINUTES SKETCHES. Drawing the entire figure. 
COMPOSITION. Capturing the whole scene. Full body sketch.
GESTURE. Capturing the essence of the pose.
ANATOMY. Capturing the organic shapes of the body.
5 and 10 MINUTES SKETCHES. Drawing different body parts. 
SHADING. Capturing light and shadows. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"GESTURE DRAWING WORKSHOP"
Teaching GESTURE DRAWING.
Organizing gesture drawing sessions. GESTURE SKETCHES.
Gesture sketch demonstrations. 1, 2 minutes.  
Dynamic figure drawing. Human locomotion.
Developing motion capture skills. Drawing the human body in motion.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, February 24th, 2013)

"HUMAN ANATOMY WORKSHOP"
Teaching HUMAN ANATOMY. "PHYSIS". Corporality.
Organizing anatomy drawing sessions. ANATOMY SKETCHES.
Anatomy sketch demonstrations. 3, 5 and 10  minutes.
Analytical figure drawing. Human form
Drawing the human figure; an anatomical approach.
-SIMPLIFIED ANATOMY. Basic shapes.
Geometric shapes. 2D. STICK FIGURES. 
Volumetric shapes. 3D. MANNEQUIN FIGURES.
-REAL ANATOMY. Organic shapes. Complex natural forms.
ANATOMY FIGURES. 
Developing X-ray vision. Drawing transparent bodies.

(WP2)___ORGANIZING MY WORK

Although I don´t have to deal with deadlines, I would like to follow HEALTHY WORK HABITS and publish a minimum of material every week. As I´m preparing other projects, I would like to organize my time and create a WORKING PLANNING.

Over the next few weeks, I´m going to concentrate my efforts on developing some specific REALISTIC STUDIES.

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, February 13th, 2014)

Even though my animation samples will be drawn with a CARTOON GRAPHIC STYLE, the essence of my professional work is very naturalistic. For this reason, all my life studies are REALISTIC SKETCHES. 

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, September 6th 2014)

I have to name an important American illustrator; ANDREW LOOMIS.

He´s an influential teacher whose books are a great reference to learn to draw the HUMAN FIGURE. Most of my oral explanations are based on his instructional methods.

(WP1)___ANIMATION ADVENTURE

I´m a FREELANCER engaged in a special adventure. I would like to explore the animation business and prepare a successful portolio to promote myself as a DRAWING TEACHER.
 
All my work is focused on organizing LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS in a way that is specifically tailored to people interested in the fields of animation, illustration and conceptual design. My chief mandate is to provide a strong foundation in FIGURE DRAWING.
 
This blog is a DIARY with explanations and comments about my instructional methods. It will be a personal writing task designed to define my teaching style and show my LIFE STUDIES.

At the same time, this publication will help me to improve my English and prepare different MASTERCLASSES and TRAINING PROGRAMS.
 
TEACHING EXPERIENCE

MEETUP is a web site that helps people with shared interests plan meetings and form offline clubs in local communities around the world. Almost two years ago, Benet Ferrer created a LIFE DRAWING GROUP in Barcelona.

(Photo taken by Benet, Dec 10th 2012, Barcelona)

Since the first meeting I´m member of the organization team. My role is lead the sessions and help beginners to learn BASIC DRAWING TECHNIQUES.

The purpose of this club is to create a confortable and creative environment to enjoy LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS. We try to offer a space where SKETCHERS can feel confident with the process to draw the HUMAN FIGURE.   

(LIFE DRAWING BCN, October 18th, 2013)

 

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

I began my professional career in a hand drawing animation studio from Barcelona (www.animandus.com). Although this studio is very specialised in publicity and advertising, they also work in the film business. There, I worked in two animated movies as an inbetweener;
" El rey de la granja", and "The cid, the legend".


I have worked in several TV commercials and I have done thousands of clean ups of this popular rabbit.


I have also worked in "IBOIX ESTUDI"; an illustration studio specialising in children´s books. IBOIX normally illustrates books based on popular Disney movies. Although I have personally never worked on a Disney´s project, I worked as PENCILLER drawing illustrations for Spanish encyclopedies.