Monday, March 5, 2007

VARIETY is the SPICE of LIFE

It's a little disturbing sometimes to see artists who only draw "ideal" physical specimens. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a healthy, muscular body as much as anyone. In fact, for an artist, drawing a well-muscled body can be a particular treat, as you get to practice and put to use all of your anatomical studies. However... I believe it's also important to incorporate all body-types into your artwork. In a certain sense, you are finding beauty in every subject you draw. And it can be particularly relevatory to find that beauty when you draw someone who perhaps is overweight, underweight, or in some other way not the "ideal". (What is "ideal" is highly subjective, so I'm not even comfortable using that term in this context). By that same token, be sure not to rule out drawing older subjects... some of the best models I've drawn have been senior citizens. Also, by all means, don't rule out someone who is in some way "disabled", as they have just as much right to be drawn and represented as anyone else. One of the great things about most figure drawing classes is that they tend to use models with a variety of body types. Celebrate the diversity of your subjects, find the beauty in each one...and thank each one graciously for sharing their energy with you!