Figure Gesture Drawings

Oksana started drawing figure at the end of 2017. Majority of these drawings were created during life drawing sessions at TSoFA studio from model. Oksana prefers to use willow charcoal for figure gesture drawings as it’s the softest and most easily movable media. Her favorite paper for practice is 18 x 24 rough newsprint. However, she used any other available paper such as construction paper or anything with rough texture. These drawings are called gestures, because they’re meant to capture movement of a fleeting pose. During these life drawing sessions, the model would first pose for 2 minutes, then for 5 minutes and so on with the longest pose of 20 minutes. Therefore, all of these drawings are pretty quick and rough. Some of these Oksana uses as reference for more detailed drawings.

Depicted in this charcoal drawing on light gray paper is a female figure from the front. She's looking to the left while leaning on her right leg. The pose is a classic contra postal. The drawing is rather rough and a capture of the whole pose, not the details.

Standing Female Figure Looking to the Left, Drawing

I drew this gesture from live model in 2019. I used charcoal on light-gray paper. Depicted here is a standing female figure from the front. She’s looking to the left with her arms behind. She’s leaning on her right leg, which throws her hip to the side. I like the overall gesture of this pose.

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Charcoal drawing of a nude female figure on light gray paper. The figure has her hair up and is leaning on the stool with both arms behind her and feet on the ground.

Leaning Female Figure Front, Charcoal Drawing

This is a gesture drawing of a female figure from the front leaning on a stool. I drew it 2019 from life model. It was probably a 20-minute pose as back then I didn’t have the habit of signing every drawing, and can’t be 100% sure. Looking at this drawing now, I see a lot…

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Reclining figure, charcoal drawing

Reclining figure, charcoal drawing

This piece took me about 30 minutes, and I wish I had done it on a better paper. I used rough newsprint, and it’s not the best paper for longer poses. Still, I’m fairly satisfied with the results, especially considering that I didn’t get the best vantage point for this pose.

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Heroic, charcoal drawing
Quick gestures, charcoal drawing

Quick gestures, charcoal drawing

A couple of quick, but interesting gestures. Especially the one on the left, what is it up to?! The one on the right looks as if it’s half-submerged into a bath of milk 😀

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Two standing figures, charcoal drawing

Two standing figures, charcoal drawing

I really like the figure on the right. I think for once, torso turned out pretty well ^_^ – Where is your corset? And no stockings!- I’m against them.- But you are not properly dressed.- Who’s to say what’s proper? What if it were agreed that “proper” meant wearing a codfish on your head? Would…

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Leaning figure, charcoal drawing

Leaning figure, charcoal drawing

I like the flow of this figure a lot, it turned out very fluid I think. Sometimes, I feel sad that I drew a drawing on cheap newsprint, but I keep reminding myself that practice makes it perfect! If I wanted to make a version of a particular drawing on good paper, I could with…

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Reclining figure, charcoal drawing

Reclining figure, charcoal drawing

I really should have flipped the paper horizontally for this pose, but I got too lazy ^^; Overall, I like the way it turned out. I’d work more on the values and hands if I were to finish it up.

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Seated figure, charcoal drawing
Slightly leaning figure, charcoal drawing

Slightly leaning figure, charcoal drawing

I think I got shoulder girdle better in here, but there’s still room to learn. This pose took 20 minutes, but I feel like this isn’t the easiest pose to draw in general. There’s a subtle lean on the stool, and it’s hard to catch it for me.

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Short and shorter poses, charcoal drawing
charcoal, charcoal drawing, drawing, drawing from life, drawing from model, drawing humans, female figure, figure drawing, figuredrawing, gesture drawing, gesturedrawing, learning to draw, newsprint paper

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