Stop-press!    Announcing a new website just opened: http://www.julieduellcreations.wordpress.com for an overview of all Julie’s artistic work.

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 WELCOME!

JULIE DUELL IS AN AUSTRALIAN ARTIST OFFERING:

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1.   FREE ART LESSONS  …   CLICK ON ANY OF THE TOPICS UNDER CATEGORIES in the SIDE COLUMN>>>>>

After you click the category you want, click on the RED heading to open the page.  New:  ALL YOUTUBE TUTORIALS

What would you like to see demonstrated on YouTube?  Why not leave a request in the comments box?

Disclaimer:  Please note that the information provided in this site is shared with the best intent from my own personal experience and not to be taken as undisputed fact.  It is up to us all to discover our own reality but I hope to help open up that journey for others.   Julie Duell

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 2.  NEW  BOOK  “FABULOUS AUSSIE FABLES”

Do you want to talk ethics with children and don’t quite know how to start?   New book ‘Fabulous Aussie Fables’ can help. It presents 29 short fables, ancient and new, told in modern language and illustrated with Australian animals.

Wise old Oracle Owl summarises each fable and then asks “What do you think?” – an ideal way to open up topics for discussion.   Here is a glimpse of the many illustrations:  

BOOKS: $A15 + postage within Australia and are  A5 x 68P/full colour. Payment: Bank transfer/Paypal.

 Enquiries/orders: email   julieduell.artist@gmail.com

Note: For a limited time “Fabulous Aussie Fables” is available online in total, as a free e-book on http://www.primaryethicssupportmaterial.wordpress.com

 

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3.  http://www.kidsfuncorner.com   THIS IS JULIE’S  FREE SITE OFFERING CREATIVITY & QUALITY LEARNING THROUGH FUN – A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR CHILDREN, PARENTS & TEACHERS.  Often listed as No. 1 in the ART category of KIDSWEBSITES!  

Stories, songs, animations, games, drawing, painting, optical illusions,  Bush Friends Club, Kindy Kids – your childrens’ own work published, some even animated.

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4.  ART SALES GALLERY –

ALL ORIGINALS  DIRECT FROM JULIE’S EASEL! ALSO, NEW SECTION: Australiana PRINTS of original paintings by Julie – ideal gifts at $25 – light and flat to post. Limited number!

 SEE  “ART SALES GALLERY”  IN SIDE COLUMN >>>>>

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST, CLICK ON “JULIE DUELL – ABOUT THE ARTIST” FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PROFILE>>>>> __________________________________________

 5. THREE ORIGINAL ALL AUSTRALIAN CHILDRENS BOOKS – FEATURING BUSH SPRITES AND FAIRIES, WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY JULIE DUELL. Email: julieduell.artist@gmail.com

“Joy & the Bush Sprites” A4 x 36P Full Colour: $20 + P&H.   “Bush Sprites of Australia” and “Forest Sprites of Australia” A5 x 32P Full Colour $15 each + P&H                   julieduell.artist@gmail.com

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6.  “SOMETHIN’ FISHY”  Written and illustrated by Julie Duell – Tales of a loveable Aussie larrikin, John Duell, Naturalist (1935/1996).   Features many adventurous/humorous stories of the early days living on the Bouddi Peninsular of the NSW Central Coast.

A5 x 96P  Fully illustrated B&W $15 + P&H    julieduell.artist@gmail.com

_______________________________________________ Jan.2016:  I have just compiled a record of some of the many artworks created by my artist friend, Tony La Spina, in honour of his 90th birthday. Free to browse these inspirational works, all painted or drawn from life. http://www.tonylaspina.wordpress.com

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Copyright note:  All work created by Julie Duell is subject to copyright protection.  Whilst this site may be viewed without charge, permission to reproduce contents should be sought from Julie: julieduell.artist@gmail.com ________________________________________________

Please use this box for comments …

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  OTHER SITES BY JULIE DUELL:

http://www.cooktownharrisancestry.wordpress.com – the life and times of Julie’s great-grandparents in Cooktown, Queensland in the 1800s.

A new novel released 11/5/2016:   “Grandpa’s Box!”  A good read about some of our Aussie pioneers in 1800s set in Hill End, Clarence River, Woolgoolga, Cooktown and Palmer River, Nth. Qld.  Fiction based on fact.   https://australianpioneers.wordpress.com

The life and artwork of Tony La Spina … https://tonylaspina.wordpress.com

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 82,000 times in 2015. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Aligned closely with visual pictures are the realms of short stories, treasured memories and poetry.   These can be married to art through background imagery or stronger illustration.  In the interest of sharing, here are a few of mine which might inspire you to try this if you haven’t already:

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MY FIRST ENCHANTING EXPERIENCE

When I was just 3 years old back in 1944 I went for a walk with my parents beside a small creek in Sassafras Gully near Springwood in the Blue Mountains where we lived.  My mother sent me on ahead to search for fairies.  After skipping along for a while I came across the most beautiful sparkling white fairy standing under a fern frond!  I have just painted my memory of how she looked to me…

She was of course, a fairy doll my mother had planted there for me to find but I didn’t know that then.  Some time later I recall being devastated when my fairy’s lovely porcelain head broke.  Mum took it away and brought back my fairy with a Mountain Devil seedpod head instead!

I was so horrified, I remember saying to her “Mummy! I will never forgive you!”   Oh dear – well I WAS only 3 and have apologised many times since!

______________________________Julie Duell c.2015

 

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 74,000 times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 3 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

  Beginnings: Julie Duell (nee Henderson) is a 6th generation Australian going back to the First Fleet of English convicts to arrive in Sydney cove in 1788.  She also has a drop of American Shoshone Indian heritage for good measure!  Julie was born in Hurstville, Sydney, NSW on 9th July, 1941 and continued to reside in Sydney environs thereafter.  She was named after the month of her birth, July.

Julie’s parents were both musical, artistic and encouraging of creativity – so within the environment of a solitary childhood in the bush, she flourished. Over many prolific artistic years, Julie has painted under the names Julie Ferguson and J. Ferguson-Duell before simply signing her works Julie Duell. As a child, she studied art at St.George Technical College, Kogarah along with taking private lessons in singing.

Adult years saw Julie resume her art studies, once again at St.George Technical College and then numerous short courses on the Central Coast, where – along with raising a family – she has been a prolific practising artist and art teacher since moving there in 1967 from Gymea/Cronulla regions. Inspiration:  Nature, children, a fascination for human form, body language, illustration and portraiture.  Also a deep passion for Australiana through the fairy realm.

Mediums of expression:  Painting & drawing in charcoal, oils, pastels, inks, watercolour and acrylics – with many works executed in mixed media. Julie’s book creations feature fairies in the form of Sprites, representing the spirit of the unique Australian bushland and are rich with full colour illustrations, rhymes and an adventure story.  Julie has also manifested the Sprites in clay and resin models, animated stories, art jewellery pendants and plays for children. Among a number of awards over the years, Julie’s first book “Bush Sprites of Australia” (a hand-made limited edition made over 1600 hours) attracted special recognition in the form of an award from the Riso Educational Foundation of Japan in 1985, along with 3rd prize in an International Postcard Competition that year. Riso delegates travelled to Australia for this special presentation.  Julie later self-published a further version of “Bush Sprites of Australia”, along with  “Forest Sprites of Australia” and  “Joy & the Bush Sprites”, all of which are available direct from Julie.    Keen to share her love of the bush with children, Julie then wrote 2 environmental plays, making all the costumes and props in her home studio.  Aided by partner Tony, Julie presented “Friends of the Bush” in 5  Central Coast schools with Kindergarten to Year 3 children in 2006/7.     In  2006  Julie wrote and illustrated “Somethin’ Fishy” – a tribute to her late husband, John Duell, an avid Naturalist.  The book was launched at MacMasters Beach where she and John lived for 20 years together and all proceeds were donated to Waterfall Springs Wildlife Sanctuary at Kulnura to help save endangered wallabies. In 2008 Julie won 1st prize in the non indigenous section of the Reconciliation Week Aboriginal Artists Art Exhibition & Competition with her painting “Dreamscape 1”. In 2010, she won 1st prize in the Rotary of Umina Portrait Prize for her portrait of partner, Tony La Spina (ex High School & TAFE art/ceramics teacher from Coffs Harbour.)   In 2014  Julie won 1st – Open Section Award in the Margaret Smith Memorial Art Prize at the Gosford Regional Show for her painting “Flamenco”: Teaching:    Over 40+ years, Julie has taught art on the Central Coast. Firstly at adult evening college for Dept. of Education, numerous plrivate classes at her MacMasters Beach Seagal Studio and workshops for local Art Societies.   She instigated the Central Coast Art Society’s Childrens classes in the 1980s and designed the CCAS logo. Around 2005 Julie combined with her partner, Tony La Spina in art teaching plursuits for Kincumber Community College and Art Society workshops. Now retired, but busier than ever, Julie enjoys taking occasional workshops and teaching online through her websites.

Websites:  Since 2002 Julie has enjoyed much world-wide interaction through her websites: http://www.artintegrity.wordpress.com which offers a large range of free art lessons and a personal gallery of artwork. http://www.kidsfuncorner.com  is a creative site she has designed for children, parents and teachers.  This site often enjoys first rating in the Art category listings on “Kids Websites”.  Along with art tuition Julie has created a number of interactive games and animated educational stories on this site, including ones featuring her many Sprite characters.  The stories are graded for non readers/first readers/more advanced. http://www.magicalpendants.wordpress.com   showcases a beautiful range of pendants for sale, featuring Julie’s artwork.  The 3 Sprite books are also available via this site – just contact Julie. Other pursuits:  Precious time with partner Tony and with family, tennis, musical involvement with Sing Australia choir, Pine Needles Village Singers & Central Coast Ukulele Club, swim exercises with Wet & Wild seniors and golf putting. Julie hopes you enjoy this website.

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I am delighted to present below the results of a children’s animation project conducted with Grade 3/4, Vernon Elementary School, Vernon, B.C. Canada 2013.   Stemming from the initiative of teacher Candice Young, 23 children created action drawings to send to me to animate.   

I wish to thank Candice for this interaction, which was so enjoyable by all.  I also wish to thank you, the children, who put so much care and imagination into your drawings.  I hope you will be inspired in the future to learn more about the wonderful creative world of illustration, cartooning & animation.

I am showing each animation in slow and faster speeds, so that you can see each change in movement and how they become smoother as they are sped up.   All of these animations are set on a “loop” which means they repeat the action over and over. Names and ages of the children are shown before each picture:

Aisha, 8

Alyssa 8 

Emma M 8

Candice 8

Lucjan 8

Stephanie 9

Andre 8

Coda 8

Colby 8

Drew 8

Jordan 8

Josh 8

Kairi 8

Kennedy 8

Kieran 8

Vandam 11 

Paris 8

Lucjan 8

Marek 8

Rory 9

Emma H  8

Steven 8

Trista 8

Wonderful work everyone!  Congratulations! Here is my animation for you!  Julie

The following YouTubes are distributed throughout the categories where they support other information – however in case you prefer to learn solely from visual demonstrations in action, I have grouped them here together for you. Happy viewing!  Julie

This one is for kids, but grownups can have fun with it too!

A glimpse of illustrations from ‘Fabulous Aussie Fables’ – contact   julieduell.artist@gmail.com  re book orders.  $A15 + P&H.

 

All art in the Sales Gallery is the unique  work of Australian Artist, Julie Duell (nee Ferguson) and as such, is subject to copyright protection.  

The paintings are offered for sale as shown in $Australian, direct from the artist to you.

If you would like    further information or to place an order, please make contact through this form:

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Acceptable payments are through Paypal or Bank transfer. Quotes given for delivery to your area & pickup option is available in Erina on the Central Coast by appointment.

NEW SECTION – LIMITED NUMBER OF PRINTS:  

By popular demand, the following Australiana Prints are available  featuring original paintings by Julie Duell. Economically priced at just $25 each, each print is presented in a mount, cello wrapped and ready to frame. This means they are light and flat for easy posting ($9 within Australia) – the perfect gift!  Most are 24.5 x 19.5cm overall, including mount.

“The Man from Snowy River”

Illustration of the poem by A.B.’Banjo’ Patterson.

Illustration of the well known song, depicting the moment when “the ringer looked around and is beaten by a blow & curses the old snagger with the bare bellied ewe”

“Nearly Home”  – painted from Julie’s own reference on a camping trip to Nundle.

“Trying their luck” – goldpanning in the bush – painted from memory.

Australian brush tailed possum. Julie had these as wild pets as a child.

“News from Home via the Bush Telegraph”

“Outback Pioneers”

“Waltzing Matilda” (Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong)

“The Waratah Lesson”

“The old inn at Little Hartley”

“The Bush Christening”  illustration of the poem by A.B.’Banjo’ Patterson

“Mooney Creek – near Kariong NSW”

“Country life”

“Gloucester Farmhouse, NSW”

“Kakadu magic”

“Morning light at the Strawberry patch”

THIS BRINGS TO A CLOSE THE LIMITED PRINTS SECTION DIRECT FROM THE ARTIST, JULIE DUELL.

BELOW ARE LISTINGS OF ORIGINAL WORKS ON A MUCH LARGER SCALE.

A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER!  What we ingest with our eyes is food for our soul.  Imagine owning an original painting – the only one of its kind in the entire world!

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All art in the Sales Gallery is the unique original work of Australian Artist, Julie Duell (nee Ferguson) and as such, is subject to copyright protection.  

The paintings are offered for sale as shown in $Australian, direct from the artist to you. Collectors please note: Signed Authenticity Certificates are available for each painting purchased upon request.  

If you would like   * further information or * to place an order, please use the contact form at the top of this page.

Acceptable payments are through Paypal or Bank transfer. Quotes given for delivery to your area & pickup option is available on the Central Coast.

Note: Those paintings offered on stretched canvas are ready to hang as they are, or may be additionally framed by the purchaser if wished.  Stretched canvas art is very lightweight, making it easy to transport and hang.

We sincerely hope you enjoy browsing Julie’s Sales Gallery of Original works…………

 

(Note: More of Julie’s original work can be found on Graysonline Auctions through ArtInvest – Fine Art section.)

12. “Pegasus” $120 mixed media on stretched canvas 60x50cm

6. “MYSTIC FLIGHT” $120 OILS 28x38cm + frame                                                   Ethereal elegant egrets fly through a mystical surround.

7. “GRAND DEEP – BOUDDI” $550 ACRYLICS 75x100cm                                                   Capturing the lush growth of an area known as the “Grand Deep” within Bouddi National Park, Central Coast, NSW.

10. “AFTERBURN” $480 DIPTYCH. ACRYLICS 76x122cm                                                   After a severe bushfire in Bouddi National Park, Julie explored the patterns left in its aftermath.

12. “KIMBERLEY COUNTRY I” $750 ACRYLICS triptych 74x111cm                                      Typical of many of the amazing gorges of the Kimberley, this painting was developed from on site sketches and photographs.

13. “CITY LIGHTS” $150 ACRYLICS 50x40cm+frame (under glass)                                    A fantasy city emerged from this playful approach to painting in acrylics.

15. “BLUE MOUNTAINS CAMEOS” $80 OILS 42x52cm  under glass in rustic frame.

17. “NEARLY HOME – NUNDLE NSW” $650 OILS 90X60cm + timber frame                     Painted from a photograph taken through her car windscreen, Julie has captured a glimpse of the simple pleasures of country life –  echoed in the happy faces of the riders.

19. “BUSH MAJESTY” $180 OILS 30x40cm+frame                                                                 Texture has been explored fully in this delightful study.  Applied with a painting knife, Julie has emulated the peeling bark, foliage, leaf litter and ground textures of the Australian bush.

25. “SANDCASTLES” $120 ACRYLICS 33x41cm framed

26. ‘RAINY DAY IN DUBLIN” $220 ACRYLICS 46x90cm                                                          “As a sudden shower descended, a delightful line of umbrella clusters came giggling around the corner towards us”

29. “FEEDING THE GULLS” $120 ACRYLIC ON STRETCHED CANVAS 30x40cm

30. “CASSOWARY FOREST” $70 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm WIDE, ON MINI EASEL

31. “MAJOR MITCHELL COCKATOOS” $70 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm WIDE. CHOICE OF PLATE HOLDER OR MINI-EASEL

32. “MOUNTAIN PARROTS” $70 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm wide – CHOICE OF MINI-EASEL OR PLATE HOLDER SUPPORT

33. “RAINBOW LORIKEETS” $70 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm WIDE. CHOICE OF MINI-EASEL OR PLATE HOLDER SUPPORT

35. “KIMBERLEY COUNTRY II” $790 ACRYLICS 75 x 100cm                                            Typical of the many gorges of the Kimberley, the endless combinations of red ochre rocks contrasted by stark white eucalypts provide a feast of inspiration for artists. In the foreground of this painting  there is a crocodile slide mark and a glimpse of the croc lurking in the water.

 

36. REFLECTING ON VENICE $180 46X60cm Mixed media on stretched canvas. Original interpretation from a visit to Venice by the Artist.

37. “RAINFOREST WALK – FRASER ISLAND, QLD.” $320 ACRYLICS 46x61cm

38. “SISTERHOOD II” $950 OIL ON BOARD 120x80cm FRAMED                                     A painting that explores the energy and unison of women.

39. “DINNER’S ON THE WAY!” $90 OIL ON BOARD 40x50cm unframed

40. “CULINARY STILL LIFE” $90 OIL ON BOARD 40x50cm unframed

42. “ALPINE LAKE” $60 OILS 29X37cm – rustic frame

43. SOLD “AUSTRALIAN BRUSH-TAILED POSSUM”  PASTEL 42×56 unframed

44. “PROTEAS” $60 PASTELS 19x27cm CELLO WRAPPED IN MATT. unframed

45. “PROTEAS II” WATERPROOF INKS $60 20x25cm CELLO WRAPPED IN MATT. unframed

46. “FACES IN THE GUM TREE” $120 CHARCOAL & ACRYLIC 44x57cm framed

49 Old fashioned gossip! $80 oil on board 30x40cm unframed

51 “WELCOME HOME” $70 MIXED MEDIA ON SYNTHETIC FABRIC 20X28cm UNFRAMED IN MOUNT

52 “TERRIGAL SAND PLAY” $70 OIL ON  SYNTHETIC CANVAS. UNFRAMED IN MOIUNT

56 “DAISIES” $40 – 3D MIXED MEDIA ON FABRIC 16x22cm                presented in oval mount, ready to frame

58 “KITCHEN STILL LIFE” $70 – CHARCOAL WITH OIL GLAZES ON BOARD 40x50cm unframed

Thank you for viewing the Sales Gallery.   Contact box is at the top of this page.

I would be very happy if anyone involved in Home Schooling could make use of the tuition on this website.  Please get in touch if I can help further. 

Through this website I have been privileged to come into contact with many people and groups throughout the world.  Here for your interest, is one such group, extending our insight into various approaches to art teaching…  Julie

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We are a group of home school students meeting for drawing and painting classes in Littleton, Colorado. We meet three times each month and our classes are two hours long. We take a break after one hour and have a snack. Our class is broken into two groups based on age. We have a teacher for each group. We begin each class with a prayer and devotion that is tied to the lesson we are teaching that day. For example, when we learned about perspective we talked about what a world view is and what a Christian world view looks like compared to other world views.

The younger students are learning about elements of design such as line, shape, color, texture, and value. They have been using activities from a book called “How to Teach Art to Children”, published by Evan-Moor. A few of the activities they have worked on include wonderful line quilts and pin wheels using primary colors that look like secondary colors when they spin. They created interesting textures by painting with forks, combs, and splayed paint brushes. They also placed construction paper over raised, uneven surfaces, and colored with markers across the top side of the paper.

The older students are studying still life composition and learning about notans (balancing light and dark areas), and balancing shape and color. For one of our lessons we made a Golden Rectangle on tracing paper and drew diagonal lines from corner to corner. We put a dot in the middle of each line between the corners of our rectangle and the intersecting lines so we had four dots in all (the eyes of the Golden Rectangle). We used these to place over photos of famous still life paintings to see how the objects lined up within the rectangle’s eyes. We also learned how to draw Fibonacci spirals which was a lot of fun. We looked at pictures of nautilus shells, sunflowers and pine cones to see how this ratio occurs in nature. Last month we studied linear and atmospheric perspective in drawing and painting. We used watercolor glazing technique to paint a picture of the Smoky Mountains. A mountain range that borders Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern U. S.

Here are some pictures of our busy students:

Teacher, Laraine kindly shared an visual exercise which can be viewed on the Post on Perspective.

2010 update:  Laraine’s co-teacher, Beth Cooper, sent these wonderful photos of the group with paintings of sunflowers after studying Van Gogh. This was a project from a book “Dynamic Art Projects for Children” by Denise M. Logan.  The project involved using chalk pastels on black Canson paper over a line drawing in Elmers gel glue.

 

  

Here are Adam and Lela working on their project…

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and below, Peter (studying colour mixing) and Mari applying chalk pastels…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to agree with Beth – yes I think you did end up with some masterpieces!  Congratulations to all!

Many thanks for sharing your projects with us and happy “arting” Littleton group!   Julie

For further information, visit their website http://homeschoolart.org

DRAWING PEOPLE!

OK now don’t be daunted! I know most people think that figure drawing is about the hardest to do – along with portraiture.   Why not give this method a go?

This is a basic introduction to figure drawing – one where you don’t need to go into the study of every bone and muscle unless you wish to.  This is a method using CYLINDER FIGURES.  Lets begin with a chart showing an average adult model .   Proportions are different for children and the head is much bigger in relation to the body, changing as they grow. 

Everywhere we bend (elbows, wrists, shoulders, waist, hips, knees, ankles) you draw a circle or oval (depending on the angle of the figure you are looking  at). In between these circles or ovals, cylinders connect them – along with masses for the head, chest and abdomen.  

Of course there are all sorts of variations from person to person, but generally (as shown in Leonardo Da Vinci’s illustration above)  an armspan equals the height in an adult – also that half way from top to bottom is the pelvis (not the waist as is commonly thought).  Being aware of the quarters is a great help in figure drawing – (top of head to chest, chest to hip, hip to knee, knee to heel.)

Here is a break-down of the cylinder figure to make it clearer:

 

 

Wooden models from Art shops serve limited purpose, mainly because most do not bend sufficiently to emulate natural poses or positions like walking.

 Here are some examples of drawing cylinder figures with a black marker OVER THE TOP of figures in the sports pages of the newspaper.  

How to start?  Just draw a circle or oval at every joint plus at the waist over the top of your newspaper sports figure.  Some joints may be hidden – if so, just leave them out.   Now join up those circles and ovals to form cylinders in between. 

 

 

 

 

 

In these action shots you will notice there is a lot of what we call ‘foreshortening’ where parts of the body will be coming towards you.  After doing a number of these exercises you will develop a feel for this. Here is what I mean by foreshortening…

  In this example the circle for one knee is INSIDE the oval for the hip joint! The most important part of all drawing is LOOKING and trusting what you see.    In fact, I believe twice as much time should be spent observing the subject as looking at the paper while you are drawing. That way, more of what you can see of your subject will be transferred to your paper and less of what you know about it.

 

 

 

 

 BE AWARE THAT THE MOST COMMON FAULTS IN FIGURE DRAWING ARE TO MAKE THE HEAD TOO BIG, HANDS & FEET TOO SMALL AND THE LEGS TOO SHORT.

Once you are confidently drawing cylinder figures, you may choose to sketch them softly and then clothe your figures…

 

Of course the proportions of our body parts change as we grow…here is a chart giving average proportions from baby to adult. There are huge variations so please treat this as an approximate guide only…

Below is my favourite method for drawing people – I start with a faint cylinder figure foundation, then I move to clothing, mapping the light and shade as it falls on the figure. I use this method as a basis for painting as well as drawing.

When you clothe your cylinder figures you will need to look closely to see where the creases occur wherever the figure bends and the way the fabric drapes itself.  Just watch and experiment with quick sketches and it will become second nature to observe these things.

A BIT ABOUT BALANCE:   Note that the weight of the chest is usually over the foot taking the weight – just as we lean forward when walking, or running, transferring the weight onto the leading foot.

 

Also be sure if you are drawing a hat, that it fits over the head and doesn’t appear to perch up on top looking too small.

So that you get a better idea of  how the mass of the torso, carried weight etc. is distributed, we will switch to skeletal images to better illustrate this…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a good understanding of cylinder figure drawing, you can progress to learning bone & muscle shapes etc. later or simply clothing your cylinder figures may be enough.

Along with the tips on how to LOOK and draw what you see (in the post “DRAW, YOU  CAN!”) & a little practise every day, you will be drawing figures fluently before too long – and most importantly, have fun doing it.

THE HEAD REQUIRES A BIT OF SEPARATE STUDY:

Although this is covered much more in depth in the posts about PORTRAITS, lets just look here at how the head joins the rest of the cylinder figure.

 

The head can be thought of as a sphere plus a jaw, joining onto the cylinder of the neck. Note the angle of the neck – not straight up and down like a flower on a stalk! In a child, the jaw is less developed. 

Now for a few examples of figures in artwork in which I have used various methods of rendering. In each case I would have begun with a very light cylinder figure in willow charcoal, which can be dusted back to be a barely visible guide when adding more detailed drawing.

Firstly here is “Heather” in charcoal and “Rebecca” in pastels…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see how the love of line, light & texture can entrance the artist in you. These were all drawn very quickly in a Life Drawing group.  Next is “Jacqueline” in Pastels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of Tony’s and my favourite occupations is to do lightning gestural  impressions on the spot, usually back or side views so as not to intrude on the privacy of the subjects. The object is not to obtain any likeness but rather to capture the action or body language.  Often it requires taking a mental snapshot and then putting it down, as the person has inevitably moved on!  It’s a great way to train your photographic memory if you like a challenge!

 

Sometimes the quick sketches become reference for paintings like this one above of my late husband, John, cleaning fish at MacMasters Beach.  It always attracted young onlookers, so made a nice study.

MORE THAN ONE FIGURE?

This brings us to the problem of sizing and placing more than one figure in a drawing or painting.   There is a guide which deals with standing people all the same height on level ground (which almost never happens!)  Not greatly helpful, but neverthless here it is:

 The thing I find helpful is to “think myself into the composition”.  For example, if it is a street scene – I imagine a doorway where I want a figure to be & put a mark where the feet would be.  That is the most critical thing.

 Next I  put another mark where the head would be in relation to the doorway.  OK so now I have a top and bottom mark, so I can put a half way mark for the hips and go for it. 

 TIP: Make the head smaller than you think you will need at first and increase it later if needed once you have sketched in the rest of the figure.

In this next French scene I challenged myself to include seated and standing figures in many different attitudes and sizes. It was very difficult. The only way to really learn is to jump in the deep end and try.  Sometimes I sketch a figure on a separate piece of paper and place it on the painting to see where it fits most comfortably size-wise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the painting above “Artists at Nundle”, I worked from quick sketches on the spot to create the oil painting back home in the Studio.  Sizing the figures fell into 3 areas – foreground, middle distance and far distance – the far away figures needing to be the ‘right’ size in relation to the house.

In the next study, this group of Artists set up right in front of my Studio at MacMasters Beach and so became the ideal subject!  Being absorbed in their work meant they didn’t move very much and gave me time to paint them!

 

Finally, if you don’t feel like studying all those muscle and clothing shapes etc. why not have fun with your cylinder figure itself?   This next painting was based on just that, with some of the figures moulded in Fimo (which you bake in an ordinary oven) for three dimensional relief:

 

 

 

 

 

Or perhaps you could have fun outlining group shapes. The shapes of the spaces (which we call negative shapes) are helpful in drawing too.

 

 

 

 

 

However you enjoy figure drawing, I hope this post has helped you in some way.

Cheers,  Julie