VART 204 – Drawing: The Human Figure

This course offers students the possibility to master the basic notions of anatomical drawing through the study of classical and Renaissance Florentine sculptures and live models. The first part is centered on the anatomical study of the male and female figures. Students will observe and draw busts, plasters and sculptures in the various Florentine collections, following the method of the old masters, using the more familiar drawing techniques with pencil, charcoal, sanguine (iron oxide) and fusaggine. The classes will include brief theoretical lessons to illustrate human anatomy and to analyze figures drawn by famous artists in history. Each theoretical lesson will be accompanied by real-time video projected in large formats on the studio’s wall, in order to follow the teacher’s construction of the drawing in real time. Students will then proceed to drawing figures directly, both in the piazzas of Florence and in the studio with live models. After taking stock of the results and progress achieved in the first part of the course, for the more advanced students there will be the possibility to experiment the use of color according to old masters’ techniques. and modern techniques. At the end of the course students will be able to express their own artistic creativity after having acquired mastery of the drawing of the human figure. There will be an end-of-term exhibit, after which students may take their work back with them.

• Know the basics of drawing: centering of compositions, proportions, proportional ratio of the scene, main compositional lines, empty spaces and full spaces..
• Know the basics of perspective construction; central perspective, corner perspective, multi-point perspective. Approach to urban design.
• Know the proportions of the human body according to the classical Greco-Roman method. Know the proportions of the face and its construction starting from the oval.
• Drawing the human body live with models