Monday, December 6, 2010

Back in a Moment:

o/p (12x16)

We've always kept photo albums in my family, but I've never seen a pic of a relatives backside (let alone a naked one, thank God). Photographs are usually always from the front -- smiling, but there's something intriguing and mysterious, even beautiful on the flip side of the human body...

pencil (8x6)

These of course are just studies, but for artists they're important to do. For one, it's information they need to know to understand the whole form of human physicality and two, studies help develop an understanding of the varied types of backsides of the human body while developing shape, line & value practice as it pertains to figurative rendering...




pencil on newsprint (20x16)


The illustrator and instructional art book author, Andrew Loomis once said the back is "a tough old bird" -- memorizing it's myriad amount and function of musculature is worth going over and over again. After all, even chiropractors and surgeons are still learning the depths of the human torso...


Your average portrait painter may never render a commission from this angle, but nevertheless there's as much character & interest back here as there is in the front... if you look for it.



3 comments:

  1. J'ai toujours eu beaucoup d'attachement pour les peintures vues de dos. Je les trouve plus énigmatiques, elles me parlent davantage... elles aussi plus de charme et de sensualité.
    Les vôtres n'en manquent pas, je vous félicite.
    Bises

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  2. Your examples are really nice. I'll be doing an intensive figure drawing/modeling classes not this semester, but next. I'm sort of dreading it, but looking forward to it too.

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  3. well it goes without saying that these are just beautiful....but I'll say it anyway!

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