Ah, I have fond memories of this class. This class helped me reawaken my passion for making. I would post obnoxiously ecstatic Facebook updates after this class. I would lay out all my drawings in the living room for Monday night show-and-tell with my roommate, who was such a good sport and would give me positive feedback while looking at sketches of naked bodies. Some even told me I looked happier and smiled more.
If you have ever taken a life drawing class you know that it is hard work! Drawing the human body requires skill and a thorough understanding of anatomy (including specific muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, etc.). We were given anatomy packets each week, and used a real human skeleton to help us understand the framework of the body. I have a lot of respect for fine artists who draw and paint the human body.
I don't think life drawing is my forte but I'm so glad I took the class. There were some key lessons I learned during the six weeks that will stay with me for a lifetime.
1. Discipline. My instructor was excellent. He could tell by my sketch marks where I got frustrated and moved on, and where I couldn't make a decision and got stuck. He encouraged me to follow through with my lines and keep working at points where I got stuck. I learned over the course of the class how to stay focused with my sketches and not give up.
2. Passion. There were moments where I entered my own world while drawing. I forgot where I was, I forgot there were other people around me, and I stopped paying attention to how much time had passed, and it was just me, the paper, and my nub of charcoal. My instructor even told me one time that he could visibly see me in the zone, and I thought it was such interesting feedback to hear from another person. I'm at this point in my life where I'm trying to figure out what I'm really passionate about so it's helpful to think back on these times where I just got into the zone.
3. Style. I'm learning more and more what defines my artistic style. My most successful drawings were our quick one minute gesture drawings where the model would change positions after a minute and we had to capture the form rather than every detail. The instructor pointed out my strong contour lines and angles. Hence, this is probably why I am drawn to printmaking rather than detailed drawings and paintings.
Another side note that I thought was interesting was that my instructor described my drawing style as "nervous and chaotic," which I thought was funny because I don't think I come off that way in person (although I can get nervous sometimes). I just think it's funny that I'm such a calm and mellow person in real life who has such a crazy drawing style. Perhaps it's a subconscious way to express my hidden self?
