Lessons Archive

The second of the four mannequins, the Block Form, will help you to further break down the complex structures of the human form into various blocks and rectangles.

In this lesson let's explore one of my favorites, the Ovoid Mannequin. This one will start to take on more of the general attributes of an ideal human.

In this exercise Jeff demonstrates a lay-in of a three-quarter pose. Instead of tone, line work and edge mapping are used to achieve a 3D look on a flat surface.

In this video Jeff shows how to approach a female figure in a reclining pose, and goes over how to tackle foreshortening of the body.

Here the abstraction is applied to the problem of mapping a very muscular figure from a front view. Students often have issues getting muscular figures to look unified and accurate. Watch as Jeff demonstrates the procedure of tying the figure together in a systematic way.

The emphasis in this lesson will be to start familiarizing yourself with the shapes of the back. We will be using a very lean model so all of the musculature is very visible, but finding rhythms will help make sense of this complex area.

This lesson will bring to a conclusion the mannequin series. The Spiderman Mannequin is the most dynamic and similar to an ideal human. This is a great tool for figure invention, and the break down of live models.

In this exercise Jeff will lay-in a figure from a profile view. Take note of the use of the abstraction and shadow mapping, and how they work off of each other.

This lesson will be one of the easier ones in this phase. Join Jeff as he lays in this beautiful pose.

In this video lesson you are introduced to working from the live model. Although at home you will be mimicking this approach by using a photo, try to remember the process. This will guide you then next time you are drawing from life.

In this video we will approach a traditionally idealized female figure from the front view. As with drawing the head, the same process applies to the female form as to the male form, but the subtlety required presents an extra challenge.

In this lesson we are back to the male model. Jeff will show you how to deal with the difficulties of foreshortening the front leg. This is a common leg pose you will have to draw a lot.

At this point you are probably sad this is the last image in this sequence of 20 minute lay-ins from the model. Good job! Now get yourself in a life class to practice all of this newfound knowledge.

In this exercise Jeff will go a bit further than before, and begin injecting some simple tone into the shadow pattern. This is just a little preview of the next phase.

Here, for variety, we alternate back to the female form. Join Jeff as he delves into the unique problems presented by this pose. Every drawing is a puzzle, with lessons to offer. Enjoy the process of solving them.

This lesson emphasizes using the abstraction, shadow mapping, plumb lines, and angles to capture the essence of the pose.

In this lesson Jeff shows how to approach laying in a seated female figure, from a back pose.

In this exercise Jeff shows more on the abstraction, mapping, and plumb lines. Keep practicing these and give yourself 40-60 minutes. These concepts are fundamental to successful drawing and painting.

This lesson introduces you to one of my favorite navigational systems for the human form, the Reilly Abstraction. This we will revisit in future phases with more advanced versions so pay special attention to this lesson.