Drawing Exercises

This is an example of a drawing exercise that I like to do. The drawing is a from a cast drawing from the Charles Bargue Drawing Course book. This is a great exercise in and of itself. I use a modified version of the sight size method in my sketchbook which really helps me focus and measure and really observe what I am seeing. After I spend several hours or more drawing I usually wait a day or two or more to draw the same drawing from memory without referring to my previous drawing. I know when I am done because I can't remember anything else to draw. This exercise is so helpful in forcing me to really be observant and to file the information in my brain ready to access at any moment when I am doing my creative drawings. The next step is to redesign my memory drawing, exaggerating some features and the overall shape of the head. I use my memory drawing for reference. I draw just to the right of my memory drawing so I can refer back to it without having to flip the page. This helps me to feel less confined to what I saw in the original, plus it is a simplified version of the original which helps me to simplify things. I take the drawing as far as my memory drawing will let me and then I pull out the original reference and add the details and really refine the drawing. This is an example of the three drawing exercises.