Life Drawing (6) - Colour

In this session we learnt about using various colours to create a figure by matching a colour to a skin tone and by focusing on the light and the colours this created or could be shown by. This involved gathering a range of colours and using them one at a time to build up the definition of the form by using a basic outline and shading. 

At first I didn't really like this technique as I wasn't exactly sure how we were supposed to use the colours, like whether we should draw an outline or just build them up from the shading like the tonal drawings. So my first sketch has a lot of problems, the biggest being that it isn't in proportion at all and that I don't think the colours are different enough to create much form.

 I started to get used to using the colours though, working with the contrasts and focusing on shadows and light on the body. So after this initial challenge I think the drawings improved as I practiced the technique.

Quick sketchbook drawing

 Overall, I think the effect of this technique is interesting because of the mix of colours and it encourages a bit of a loose working style as you don't have to focus on the detail of the figure, but to begin with I wasn't much of a fan. As I got used to it though the colours actually helped to create a good sense of form and because we were shading with one colour at a time it forced you to not pick out the details too early.