In skiing, there is a concept called the "fall line" that is described as the natural line of descent between two points on a slope. If you have ever been out on a mountain with a slippery implement beneath you (skis or a snowboard or even one of those plastic discs,) the fall line is something you can actually feel. You want to throw yourself into your sight line with all your weight and just enjoy the ride.
To me, that is drawing. Finding the line is like surrendering to gravity. And once you find it, you have to commit to it, or suffer the consequences.
To me, that is drawing. Finding the line is like surrendering to gravity. And once you find it, you have to commit to it, or suffer the consequences.
John Singer Sargent, "At the Forge," about 1911, charcoal on paper.
When you approach a representational drawing, whether or not you are using a live model, try to find the fall line and begin there. In the above example by Sargent, it is easy to see it -- it is the line that begins at the model's left wrist and travels down to his left hip.
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I like this drawing. I'm trying to pay more attention when I draw to the line.
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