Yo I got a question if ya don't mind. I see lot of tips for art being like "do studies" and tho I vaguely know what a study is, I don't know how one actually goes about doing one
Studies are basically just practice! Whatever you need practice for, you study! Just like any subject (math, science, language, etc.), you need to study in art to get better at it too!
There are so many different kinds of studies you can do, not limited to figure studies! You can study from master works, from observation, and/or from photos. You can also study for a variety of reasons: you can study form, value, color, anatomy, and/or gesture.
Figure Studies
This is what people refer to the most, because of course the (human) figure is very complicated and usually the centerpiece!
-Here is a link to a masterpost of websites used for figure posing, from video models to databases of photographs. MANY of these models are NUDE, so be aware and open-minded: https://www.artmodeltips.com/poses/poses/
-Here is a link to a deviantart gallery of poses if you want that as well: https://www.deviantart.com/pose-emporium/gallery/
Here is my advice for figure drawing:
1) Try to find a LIVE life drawing session near you. If you can’t, I highly recommend Croquis Cafe on youtube for video sessions. It’s as close as you can get to live. The reason why I love live sessions is because you get to see where the model is straining their muscles, the way their ribs might poke out when they breathe, and most importantly, where their weight is pressed down on.
2) Focus on the overall gesture of the pose instead of being anatomically correct. I recommend picking up this book by Michael D. Mattesi. “Force: Dynamic Life Drawing For Animators”. Wonderful, wonderful gestures and consideration for flow of the entire figure.
3) AT THE SAME TIME, you want to keep in mind proportional anatomy. For that, there are a number of tutorials and books. One I’ve found useful is Michael Hampton’s “Figure Drawing: Design and Invention” (Are all these dudes named Michael? lol)
Personally, I switch back and forth between studying gesture and studying anatomy. It is a constant game of catch up and playing with the two styles, which is what makes it so fun! There’s always room to learn and relearn.
Color Studies
Here is a very nice blog post about using color studies and creating color studies: https://blog.mitchalbala.com/getting-the-light-right-the-power-of-the-color-study/
And here is a very nice example of what color studies achieve! Color really affects the mood of the piece. It is crucial to study what different colors will try to evoke, and what colors look good together!
For this I also highly, HIGHLY recommend doing color studies using traditional/analog methods (i.e. not digital). My reasoning for this is that you really get a feel of mixing colors together with a limited palette that you normally wouldn’t get with an infinite digital color wheel. (Also it’s just nice to have physical pieces to hold and admire).
(Marla Baggetta, Going for 100, 2009, pastel and mixed media on paper. Seventy-two of 103 studies, 10 x 10 inches each.)
Observational Studies
These are pretty self-explanatory! You draw from observation. You’ve probably encountered the standard drawing of an assortment of fruit. Usually done in black-and-white mediums, observational studies are useful for honing your skills of direct translation from what your eyes see onto the paper! This is where your realism skills will truly develop and shine.~
(This is actually a piece by yours truly, Mod Future. 18x24″ in Charcoal.)
Hope this was helpful! I tried to fit as much info as I could think of!
-Mod Future (ko-fi)
