General Guidelines for Human Figure Drawings

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Figure
General Guidelines for Human Figure Drawings
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First, a little history

• Vincent Van Gogh
• 1853-1890
• Impressionism
• Human figures, a main focus in his work

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Van Gogh tried many different things before he
decided to become a painter.
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Its never too late to decide what to do with
your future.
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Letter to Theo (Van Goghs Brother) More and
more I am becoming interested in the human
figure, it touches us as human beings more
directly and personally than meadows and
clouds. Vincent Van Gogh
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What I seek is so straightforward that in the
end you cannot but give in. Van Gogh, on how
others view his work
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A preliminary painting of the Potato Eaters
What I want and aim at is confoundedly difficult
, and yet I do not think I aim too high, I want
to do drawings which touch some people. Van
Gogh, in a letter to his brother,1882
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Basic Rules and Guides -Figure Drawing-

• When drawing the figure, try and draw the shapes
  of the figure that you recognize (rectangles,
  triangles, ovals, etc.).
• If you worry about getting a drawing of an arm or
  a leg, as opposed to a simple shape, you are
  bound to struggle.
• Try to look at the figure and analyze how it
  truly bends, leans, and flows. Human figures tend
  to bend more at angles, not as bananas.