Composing the figure within the picture plane can be one of the most challenging and least understood areas of figure drawing. The figure should look like it integrates with the background and that the lighting of the figure must match the ambient light of the space tone. What I see all too often is people rendering figures from photographs, which universally lights the figure the same in all areas. But as an artist we should deviate from the actual lighting on the model and make choices that force a focal point to the composition. The focal point is the area of the most emphasis, or where we want the viewer to look first. We then need to give them a method for moving around the piece so that they know what to look at second and third, etc. If everything is drawn in the same manner, the viewer doesnt know what you want them to focus on and everything has the same importance. This often means we need to "lose" parts of our drawing and make them less important so that other areas can be more important. I know this is often hard for new artists to understand, that they have to lose the detail in parts of their drawing, but this creates atmospheric perspective. Or the idea that the space around the model will affect the lighting of the model. Parts of the figure that are farther back in space, should have less detail and less value contrast and softer edges then things that are up close. This creates an orderly progression from near space to far space.

There are many methods to create a focal point. Ill discuss several methods here and I hope you will use them to push your drawings. The first thing to consider is how the value is handled. We tend to follow value changes to the darkest area of value, and so we can use value change to direct the viewer around the piece. Value can ascend or descend, meaning it can direct the viewers eye up or down. Look at example 1.



We tend to follow the value change to the darkest value. In the first one we descend or follow the value down whereas in the second example we ascend or follow the value up. This natural tendency is because we are drawn to the area of most contrast between light and dark. This is the second way we can create a focal point... by using contrast. See Example 2.



We are drawn first to the dark value against the lighter paper rather then the same dark value against a gray surface.


The area that has the lightest value right next to, or adjacent, to the area of darkest value will draw our eye and become a natural focal point. This often happens in drawings by accident rather then by planing ahead to push the values in the area you want to be the focal point. An area of obvious focus is often the head. This often means that we need to shift the focus off the head and to anther part of the drawing. We can do this by putting less detail into the head and shifting the contrast to the part of the figure we want to become a focal point.



In this example composition study I am working out ideas for a painting. I want the focal point to not be the face, but to be the top of the back and shoulder. So since the face is farther away I make it more atmospheric by using softer marks and less value contrast. You can see the ascending value on the left side rising up the side and then I have made the decision to lose his dark hair into the dark value of the background or space tone. The dark hair has very little contrast to the grey background. The drapery I have use to push the viewers eye into the piece by having a white directional mark, almost an arrow leading the eye up into the back and the focal point. The leg I have also used to lead the viewers eye up by putting the darkest value at the knee so you follow the leg up the shin, to the knee and then follow the thigh to the arm and back up to the back. Its all designed with the idea of leading the viewer to the back focal point. In actuality... NONE of the lighting on the model looked remotely like this. The model was evenly lit and I as the artist had to make choices about how to manipulate the value. I just didnt render what was in front of me... I made choices.

Another way to create a focal point is with edges, hard edges create focus and soft edges lose focus.



In this example I have used marks that trail off in value. Our eye follows the mark directionally to the area of highest value contrast. We can use marks like this to also move the eye around the composition and to help us create a focal point.



You can see in this example where I am exploring value and marks in deciding how to manipulate the drawing. The harder, sharper more defined marks should be on areas that are bony, on points of structural anatomy like knees, areas where the pelvis and torso connect, on elbows, scapula, shoulders, etc. Softer marks are used on parts of the figure that are farther away, that are less important or that are large and turn slowly to the shadow... like the large thigh, far part of back. We can also balance a hard edged mark on one side of an arm with a softer value change on the bottom of the arm for example.

You can get used to balancing marks with value by doing gestures. This gives you a chance to learn how to move the eye around a small area of the figure. In a gesture you can use large areas of value to connect parts of the figure and make them less important. Here I have connected the chest, head and far leg by making them all the same value. I have put instead the focus on the leg in front since it supports the body and is closer, so I used more contrast in value here. Te outstretched arm is an example of balancing a sharp line on top of the arm, with a larger softer value on the underside of the arm. Save your hard edged lines and darker contrast for areas that are more important.



I hope this gives you some things to think about when you are planning your next figure drawing. It can be about so much more then just rendering the figure as you see it in front of you. Allow yourself permission to bring what you know as an artist to the drawing and dont just duplicate what you see, because a camera is always going to do that better then you

Next time we will look at some composition studies and how they impacted a finished drawing.

Til next time...

Jeanine