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 toned gray paper is a female figure. She is pictured from a side and facing to the left. Her right arm is extended over her head in a waving position. Her left leg is slightly bent in the knee, and her right leg which appears farther is straight. Her left arm is relaxed along the side of her body. The drawing is not very detailed, but the feet are well defined. The head is free of features, only hair is suggested.

Waving Figure Charcoal Drawing

This charcoal drawing of a waving female figure is done on Canson toned paper. I captured the basics of the pose and some details like feet pretty well. If I were to take this drawing further, I’d work on values next. Overall, I like this drawing, especially the position of model’s feet. 2019

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In this charcoal drawing, the model is standing and facing the viewer. The torso has most details with belly area divided into geometrical planes, but overall pose is lacking stability. The fit placement is unsteady and it looks as if the model is just about to tip over backwards.

Drawing of a Standing Figure Looking Over Shoulder

In this drawing of a standing female figure looking over her shoulder, the artist focused on the details of the torso rather than grounding the figure. As the result, the figure looks as if it’s about to tip over. It’s easy to get lost in the details and forget about the basics. I hope I…

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In this charcoal drawing, the model is sitting with her back to the viewer. The torso is portrayed clearly, but the legs are bent at an awkward angle. Most likely, the foreshortening didn’t work out for the artist in this drawing.

Drawing of Sitting Model from the Back

In this drawing, the pose was rather difficult to portray. The model is sitting with her back to the artist, so the foreshortening is strong. My favorite part of the drawing is the directional hatching on the torso. Otherwise, the post looks rather confusing. 2019

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Depicted in this charcoal drawing on toned gray paper is a female model sitting on the tall stool. Her body is slightly turned to the left, but facing the viewer. She’s looking to the left with facial features indicated on her head, but not defined. Her left arm is resting across her body on her right leg. Her feet are up on the crossbar of a stool and rest on different level.

Drawing of Female Model Sitting on Stool

Drawing female form is harder in my opinion, because there are a lot of curves and naturally, one wants to round everything up. In this drawing, I feel like several sharp angles would completely change the perception of form. Overall, it’s a decent life gesture, and a more complete work can be based on it.…

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This charcoal drawing is done on light-gray toned paper. Depicted here is a female figure in a standing pose viewed from the back. She’s half-turned to the left, as if looking at the viewer. Her facial features are free of details, only the hairstyle is indicated on her head. She’s standing with both feet on the ground, one arm on her right hip, and the other one relaxed along her left side. The drawing is rather loose, yet indicates lights and shadows.

Drawing of Half-turned Figure from the Back

This drawing features a female half-turned figure from the back. She’s standing with one arm on her hip, and the other one relaxed along her side. Her head is turned in the same direction, towards the viewer. It is drawn from a life model with charcoal on toned gray paper. 2019

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This charcoal drawing on toned neutral gray paper features a standing female figure. The model is half-turned and facing the viewer. The drawing is well detailed with finished hands and feet, but the head remains free of features, only the puffy hair is suggested. The model has one arm in front of her, frozen in a mid-swing, and the other arm is hidden behind her.

Half-turned Figure Charcoal Drawing

I really like the pose in this figure charcoal drawing. The model is half-turned, which create a very dynamic feel for the drawing. The figure is grounded and well detailed, apart from the face. Overall, it’s a solid drawing and can serve as a base for a more finished work.

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In this charcoal drawing on toned warm gray paper, a female figure is seen from the back. She’s slightly turned to the left and her head is turned in the same direction. The head is not very detailed, but puffy hair is suggested. Her arms are brough together in relaxed way behind her back. Her feet stand firmly on the ground.

Drawing of Female Figure from the Back

I drew this female figure using charcoal on toned Canson paper. It has a fair amount of detail for a quick gesture. My favorite part of this drawing is the footing and placement on the ground. 2019

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This is a charcoal drawing on gray toned paper. Depicted here is a model sitting on the wooden drawing bench covered in fabric. She’s sitting with one leg on the floor, and the other one bent in the knee and resting on the bench. Her bent knee is partially covering her torso. She’s looking to the left, away from the viewer, but her body is facing almost straight on.

Drawing of Sitting Female Figure

In this charcoal drawing, I tried to capture the model and surroundings. Drawing a model without whatever she’s sitting on produces an awkward pose, so it’s important to capture the seat as well. This time, the model was sitting on a wooden drawing bench and fabric. Overall, I’m happy with the perspective, but composition could…

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Charcoal drawing of a standing female figure depicted from the back and slightly turned, so that her side is showing too. She stands with her weight on the left leg, the right leg is relaxed and disappears into the paper. Her left arm is relaxed and resting at her thigh, and her right hand is resting on her head. The right elbow also disappears into the page, making her father limbs less detailed.

Standing Figure from a Side Drawing

Here, the model is positioned at an angle, so that her back and side are visible. She stands with all her weight on one leg, and the other one is relaxed. Model’s hand is resting on her head, but it seems as if her back limbs disappear into nothingness. 2019

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Depicted in this charcoal drawing is a female figure laying on her back with feet bent in the knees and up on a wooden bench.

Reclined Female Figure Gesture Drawing

This charcoal gesture drawing captures reclined female figure. She’s lying on her back with her legs bent in the knees and up on a wooden bench. The drawing indicates overall pose and focuses more on details such as hands. 2019

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In this charcoal drawing depicted is a female figure. She’s standing with all her weight on the right leg, and left leg is just used for balance. Her right leg is indicated by two lines a little bit of shading, but her foot is not drawn at all. The figure is half-turned, we can see her side and partially front. Her head is looking to the right, her arms are resting on her right hip. Her medium length hair is up in a ponytail. The paper is light gray.

Female Figure Gesture Drawing

In this gesture drawing, female figure stands with all her weight on the right leg, and the left leg is used for balance. Most often, I use willow charcoal for gesture, but here I also used conte. I like the pose, but some things could be improved. I left the right leg unfinished, and I…

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This charcoal drawing depicts a male figure sitting in a wooden chair with armrests. The seat in the chair is cushioned. The figure is shifted to the right, along with his gaze. He has long hair gathered in a bun. Figure’s right leg is bent and up on the chair, while the left leg is on the floor. His right arm is resting on his right knee, and the left arm is on his hip. The paper is light gray.

Drawing of Male Figure Sitting in a Chair

In this drawing, I like the sharpness of angles in the figure and the way the chair turned out. Normally, chairs are left to the last and get nearly no consideration. However, this was a longer pose, so I spent some time on both the figure and the chair. At some point, I might even…

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