Gesture
"Draw, Antonio, draw - draw and don’t waste time!" (Michelangelo)

Gesture (define) is produced by the free movement of our bodies.
Do This:


On a 18 x 24" sheet of newsprint, scribble for at least one minute. Let this scribble be free and loose. Don't draw a picture or write words. Don't make repetitive marks like zigzags or loops.

Repeat. This time close your eyes after you start and remember how you felt as an infant smearing food on your highchair's tray. Recall the freedom and utter abandonment of concern.

Repeat. Close your eyes again only this time monitor all of your bodie's activity. Feel the movement of your shoulder and back, your buttocks and legs, your head. Even feel the changing pressure on the soles of your feet. Notice that all of your body is engaged in this action.

Realize that it is not neccessary to watch your hand scribble: It can manage to scribble without supervisiuon.

Next, scribble while looking at something. Let the something be a real three dimensional object or person (such as this person sitting on the edge of a bed [above]), not a foto or TV image. Scribble not only the thing, but include its surroundings. Don't DRAW this scene; SCRIBBLE it! Don't slow down. Don't try to "get it right". Just let what ever happens, happen.

Start by scribbling very lightly. First, try to capture this height and width proportion. Then whip quick lines around in the direction of the major shapes. see how these fit the proportions and sloppily "correct" them, not by erasing, but by redrawing them a little darker. Keep doing this, concentrating on the big stuff. Don't scribble the small stuff until you feel you have the big stuff down sort of right. Then do the smaller stuff, STILL SCRIBBLING-ONLY NOW, SMALLER! Don't slow down. Don't slip into contour and don't "sketch". Keep it free and loose.
 

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