I tried to abstract the figure in the drawing session on Friday, resulting in this sort of strange hybrid between cartoony and real. Even with all the things I changed, I was still sticking too close to the model.
I used to have teachers that would emphasize, "Draw what you SEE." But I can't help but feel like I need to break from that and draw what I percieve instead. Maybe that's what they were talking about? But when I just draw what I see, I end up with a cold, dead sculpture (sort of like this picture). What I feel like I ought to be doing is capturing the action and essence of what I see---not the literal measurements and forms, but the image that is alive in my brain. I keep trying to reinterpret the figure in these drawing sessions, but I'm just changing the forms and facts. What am I missing? Is it just in the pose? Magic?
I may not get it yet, but at least now I have a goal to accomplish.
