Are you a person with vivid imagination, who’s stuck at home with nowhere else to express herself? Do you want to create something visually beautiful, using only a pencil and paper? Well, look no further – gesture drawing is the perfect medium to express your artistic flair!
Gesture drawing is an ancient art of creating elongated lines, movements, and angles with pencil and paper. It’s not just a physical medium but also a practice that expresses our inner emotions and feelings. While there are tons of different approaches to making gesture drawing more personal, they all come down to the same basic elements – gathering inspiration, getting creative and expressing yourself through art.
First and foremost, to be able to draw captivating gesture drawings, you need to find inspiration. Take a look around your house; does anything catch your eye? Maybe, a tapestry or maybe an intricate design on an old rug? Even the bold pattern on a chair cushion can help you start your journey in finding something to inspire your next gesture drawing.
Once you’ve found what you want to draw, it’s time to get creative and start putting pencil to paper. Start by sketching out the basic shapes, like the frame of a building, or the silhouette of a person, and then bring them to life by adding details. Consider adding ‘energy’ to your drawing, as gesture drawing should move your eye effortlessly and quickly identify the message in it. Long, winding lines and sketchy edges will help give your drawing a life-like quality; while short, loopy lines and hard edges will convey a more static, formal feel.
Next up, it’s time to bring the life and soul to your gesture drawing. We experience the world through our senses and emotions, which is exactly what gesture drawing should convey too. Round edges to show warmth and friendliness and an off-center, quirky composition to reflect the chaos and emotion of everyday life. Keeping all these elements in mind, make sure every new stroke, shadow, and line breathes life into your gesture drawing.
Once you’ve applied the basics of gesture drawing, you can take it up a notch and really make it stand out. Adding colors and textures is a great way to add drama to the piece and make sure you capture the attention of someone glancing it. Play around with a few colors and find the bleeding rainbow, which best expresses how you feel and how you want your drawing to look. Further, use textured paper and pencils for a richer and more vivid outlook.
Once you’re satisfied with your finished masterpiece, it’s time to get it out there! Share it with the world and get feedback on it. An extra pair of eyes never hurts, and you might end up coming to a conclusion that your gesture drawing wasn’t quite finished. This is where the most important lesson of gesture drawing comes into play – always keep creating and never settle! Reiterate the steps above, and keep adding more details to your drawing with patience and great care.
No matter which gesture drawing journey you take, take the time to appreciate your inner artist. Don’t forget that it takes practice and determination to become an artist and make a statement through your artwork. So, relax, experiment and remember – art is an expression and gesture drawing is no different!
