Figure Drawing: Mass Gesture Drawings -- Charcoal

At the beginning of each class we did a series of gesture drawings.  Their purpose is to activate the student's senses and to coordinate the eye and hand.  The poses are rapid, lasting a minute or less.  In a mass gesture drawing, the focus is on capturing the gesture of the figure through an exploration of the figure's mass.  In a charcoal drawing the mass is expressed through its volume.  All of these drawings were charcoal on newsprint.  I especially like this medium because of its expressive qualities.

60 second drawing:

55 second drawing:

60 second drawing:

50 second drawing:

60 second drawing:

50 second drawing:

50 second drawing:

60 second drawing:

55 second drawing: