Ivy Doomkitty!

Here is a drawing from my sketchbook of one of my Facebook friends Ivy “Doomkitty” Turner. I had a lot of fun with this (even though I have a moral objection to Steampunk stuff). The clothing was fun to draw and the pose was well positioned (plus Ivy’s curves are are never boring, you never get a chance to use a t-square when drawing her I can assure ya!).

I was talking to an art friend the other day about some of the things I look for when looking for photo reference and the position and pose shape came up (well I brought it up actually). This is one of those things that drives me nuts with artists and photographers, learn to pose your models! I like to look at the over all shape that the subject creates. Does the silhouette give you a clear idea of the subject? Does the pose have drama or tell a story? Does the postioning seem awkward or forced? Does the expression on the face of the model match the pose? Are the subjects hands as expressive as they should be? These are all questions one should ask when dealing with poses (I’m sure there are more but I don’t want to keep rambling.

I would say that the main issue that I have with this particular drawing is that she is missing an arm, missing limbs can subconsciously affect how the viewer percieves a drawing or photograph. I know that the other arm is just hidden by her body but it forces the viewer to fill in the gaps, plus it misses an opportunity. What opportunity you may ask? The story telling kind I says! I can’t remember when, but in one of my other rambles I commented on Norman Rockwell and his ability to tell a story with just one single picture. Imagine this picture with Ivy’s other hand slightly forward holding a gun, or cigar, or a gas lamp, or a pocket watch (Steampunkers LOVE their pocket watches!). Now all of a sudden you just added another detail to this picure, another wrinkle to the story.

I will eventually draw this one larger with more detail, better shading and more hands. This intitial drawing is a nice starting point to what I think will be a great drawing (eventually).

Have a great weekend!
Patrick