D R AW I N G P R O G R A M

Figure Drawing Phase III:

Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

OVERVIEW
In this exercise I would like you to focus on starting to familiarize yourself with the work flow of a
quick sketch. A five-minute time frame will be the most lenient you will have in this phase. Try to
relax and work at your own pace. If you are still struggling to make it to the ground then just vig-
nette. You will be able to explore the mapping a bit more on these as well as get a stronger head
indication. The five-minute is, in my opinion, one of the best time scales to fully take advantage of
this method. Remember to have fun and stick in there.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 1
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

M ATERIALS
‡&RQWp%RURWKHU:DWWVDSSURYHG
FKDUFRDOSHQFLO
‡6PRRWK1HZVSULQWRURWKHU³VPRRWK´
FKDUFRDOIULHQGO\SDSHU
‡6LQJOHHGJHUD]RUEODGH
‡6DQGLQJSDSHUSDGRUVDQGSDSHU
‡.QHDGHGHUDVHU

- TIP -
Get yourself a cooking timer
or use your iPhone to mimic
the times I am using. If the
twos and threes are too difficult,
you can always focus on the
fives. However, eventually work
your way down.

SETTING UP
‡3ULQWKDQGRXWVRUXVHL3DGRUOLNH
‡*HWFRPIRUWDEOH
‡'RRYDOORQJOLQHH[HUFLVHV
‡6HWDWWHQWLRQIRFXV
‡7DNHVHYHUDOGHHSEUHDWKV
‡6HWXSUHIHUHQFHDQGEHJLQ

Good luck and have fun!

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 2
1
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

ASSIGNMENT: FIVE-MINUTE QUICK SKETCH–MALE/CHRIS

We are back to Chris for the fives. Try to focus on his slim physique. Chris takes particularly quirky
poses but great for using the abstraction and mapping.

Part 1: Watch the video as many times as is necessary to get familiar with the procedure.

Part 2: Proceed to utilize this workbook for your photo reference and close-ups of my drawings.
Either print out this reference material or simply view it from a mobile device.

Part 3: Tape down the reference, and place a piece of tracing over it.

1) Proceed to use either the abstraction sheet from Phase I Figure Drawing or the more
advanced lines from this phase.

2) Try to track the pertinent abstraction lines.

Part 4: Now that you have finished Part 3, you can remove the tracing and tape it to a white piece
of paper.

1) Place the abstraction next to the original reference and freehand copy it. This way you are
really starting to ingrain it.

Part 5: After completing this try to copy mine.

2) Go back and view the video if necessary.

Note: Once you have finished the above, try the same pose with your own creative options. I am
simply showing one of dozens of options.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 3
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 4
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

In this pose we have a nice flow and dis-

tribution of weight. Pay close attention to
how the arms raised above the head be-
come necessary to solve along with the
head. The active side is on the left, the
inactive on the right.

This sketch really contains a lot of the

complex abstraction lines blending with
the mapping. Remember the mapping is
literally built around the abstractions,
ultimately working hand in hand which
will take some time to become symbiotic.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 5
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

This pose has very nice light/dark shadow

masses. The active side is on the left, the
right has a nice simple arc. You should be
getting fairly tuned into this idea of active/
inactive.

The above sketch has a nice, simple feel

to it. Notice these actually look more like
little finished figure drawings. Try to
always concentrate on less is more–keep
it simple if possible.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 6
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

This standing pose has a significant thrust

to the right leg (his left leg). Notice how
obviously active the left side is. You can
option to try to block in such a pose first
in a large sculptural block-in.

Notice how cleanly locked down the head,

neck and shoulders are. This sketch has
a very clean, nice read–always the most
important concept to have present.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 7
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

Another crouching pose with a heavy feel

of activity on the right side. The left arm
does add a nice secondary activity but not
enough to overpower the right.

Take note of how the contained shadows

add a strong sense of design and con-
struction to the pose. All good drawings
regardless of size are the result of master-
fully designed straights and curves.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 8
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

Great pose. I have to really look at this

to pick the dominant side. I’m going to
say left, but we could argue this decision.
Notice how nice the lost edges show up
with that dramatic black background.

Above is a very complex little drawing.

Again notice the contained mapping.
Look at how I mapped the cast shadow
under the buttocks. This is containing a
large area of tone.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 9
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

ASSIGNMENT: FIVE-MINUTE QUICK SKETCH–MALE/SHERMAN

In this grouping of fives you will work from Sherman. He is another one of my favorites and takes
great poses. Try to focus on grasping the essentials of each pose. It is easy to get overwhelmed, so
take your time. You may need to do each one a number of times.

Part 1: Watch the video demonstration as I execute the five-minute poses of Sherman.

Part 2: Start by copying the images from the handouts.

1) Refer back as often as is needed.

2) Try putting tracing paper over the photo to track the abstraction lines.

Note: Always have the abstraction sheets printed out and easily accessible.

3) Look at my drawings, and compare the lines you found with mine.

Note: If your lines are different, that is okay. No two artists will solve these poses in exactly
the same way. This is what makes it so exhilarating.

Part 3: Now that you have completed these fives, you can go back through and explore these poses
choosing to vignette them differently. Just a suggestion.

Note: A big part of quick sketch is starting to build a visual vocabulary as well as a memorization of
various poses and body types. You will later draw upon this visual memory for assignments or jobs
requiring the use of memory drawing or photo manipulation. This would encompass illustration, fine
art, and entertainment work.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 10
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 11
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

This pose has a nice little twist in it. The

active side is on the right, inactive on the
left. Notice the heavy shadow around the
lower legs.

As I assess this pose I notice the graphic

feel of it and the subtle rhythm. Try to
see the real “essence” of the pose. The
rhythm is the poetry of the pose, the glue
that holds it together. You will also need
some straights to balance the curves.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 12
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

The below pose has a strong grounded leg

on the right and a more relaxed leg on the
left. I see the active side on the left with
the right being more inactive.

This drawing is particularly nice in the

lower region. I rather like the dynamics of
the mapping as well as the calf insertion.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 13
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

This pose has beautiful lighting. Focus on

the core shadow coming down the left arm.
The leg thrusting back is very nice as well.
Active side is on the left, inactive on the
right.

This sketch again has its real strength in

the lower legs. I have always enjoyed
drawing legs. Though the upper body is
very respectable, it does have room for
improvement.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 14
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

A very nice pose. Notice how his right arm

looks amputated. This is what is commonly
referred to as a bad tangency. Sometimes
I will cheat a bit of it if I need to. Active on
the left, inactive on the right.

You can really crank the center line in the

early stages. Drop a plumb line, vertical
measuring line, off the sternal notch to
see how far to the left the crotch is. Then,
exaggerate this flow a bit. The other lines
off of the acromion process will then
follow suit. When in doubt watch the video
again–that is the beauty of this program.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 15
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

Below is a nice sitting pose with a nuance

I would like to comment on. Due to its
subtlety, I did not point this out in other
poses where this also occurred. The upper
body is active on the left while the lower
body is active on the right. This creates an
attractive visual balance.

The above drawing has a very strong feel.

Notice the rhythm lines are left in to allow
you to better relate to these sometimes
cryptic navigational tools. I promise, it
gets so much better with time and prac-
tice. Stick in there and keep pushing play.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 16
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

ASSIGNMENT: FIVE-MINUTE QUICK SKETCH–MALE/YONI

Yoni resembles a model George Bridgeman would have used. Try to think about this if you have
already studied Bridgeman’s drawing. The goal in this grouping will be to emphasize indicating the
wedging of the muscle masses and how they fit together.

Part 1: Watch the video demonstration as I execute the five-minute poses of Yoni.

Part 2: Start by copying the images from the handouts.

1) Refer back as often as is needed.

2) Try putting tracing paper over the photo to track the abstraction lines.

Note: Always have the abstraction sheets printed out and easily accessible.

3) Look at my drawings, and compare the lines you found with mine.

Note: If your lines are different, that is okay. No two artists will solve these poses in exactly
the same way. This is what makes it so exhilarating.

Part 3: Now that you have completed these fives, you can go back through and explore these poses
choosing to vignette them differently. Just a suggestion.

Note: Often times I will practice from other artists the night before quick sketch class. If you know
what type of model will be posing, it really can help. You may need to ask your instructor–regardless,
choosing a comic artist, animator or the like to emulate in this style can be very helpful. Focus in on
one, maybe two for a period of time, otherwise you could find yourself getting overwhelmed. Use
common sense and all will be fine.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 17
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 18
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

This model is the living embodiment of one

of George Bridgeman’s drawings. I like to
think about who the model reminds me of.
It might be Andrew Loomis, George Brid-
geman, Burne Hogarth, or Frank Frazetta.
The key is working off of some mental con-
struct to help assist flushing out the pose.
Active on the left, inactive on the right.

This drawing is full of abstraction rhythms,

construction lines, etc. Try to commit to
memory some of these through careful
observation and repetition so you can draw
upon it when you see a similar pose in the
future.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 19
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

Yoni’s pose has a great inherent strength

to it. Try to capture this and concentrate
on what you have begun to learn in the
previous phases. If you are starting this
phase without having completed previous
ones, you may want to reconsider visiting
them. I would go active on the left, in-
active on the right.

This is a great little sketch of Yoni. Notice

the head indication and how the lower half
just bleeds out into lost edges. Take note
how the mapping reads and how clean the
containment is.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 20
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

The below pose feels like it came out of

Frank Miller’s 300 film. The light and dark
shadow patterns should prove instrumental
in navigating all of these complex muscle
insertions. The active side is on the right,
the inactive is on the left.

I am really having fun with these fives.

Keep containing your shadow and halftone
shapes. When in doubt, invent a shape to
contain the more ambiguous halftones. It
you don’t know what a halftone represents,
make a mental or literal note to go through
an anatomy book to find out what it was.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 21
 D R AW I N G P R O G R A M
Figure Drawing Phase III:
Five-Minute Quick Sketch–Male

I love quick sketch for the sheer variety of

poses you get to handle. This is one of the
best ways to build a large visual library of
body types and poses to refer to when
figure inventing or coming up with ideas.
This cannot be overstated as to its future
benefit. The active side is on the left, in-
active on the right.

I managed to bulk up Yoni even more in

this drawing. It’s okay to have fun manip-
ulating or accentuating your model’s body
type. This will actually be necessary for
future projects and careers. Try to do your
best while maintaining your enjoyment
of the craft.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 22