Seeing the Degas exhibition in Melbourne recently gave me new respect for how he built figure compositions.
( that and his amazing use of space)
Building a composition using figures from different sources is a great exercise in looking for rhythms , comparative proportions, making negative spaces work, creating space and depth and relationship.The figures have to “talk” to one another or else they just dont work.
there are many ways to do this- i love this series of working drawings of Renoirs which he made for one of his bathers paintings. if you look closely you can see how he modified the grouping in the final work
Elmer Bischof made a very lyrical composition
Velazquez Las Meninas is of course the most magical figure composition …see the rhythms created with the hemlines and details on the dresses
this is one of My Underwater series where i endeavoured to make the figures” dance” together
and the beach series of mine is all about making figures work together
so this next term we will build some figure compositions(not beach ones though!!!!! PLEEEEASE)
start looking out for photo reference of different figures that can be collaged together to work in a composition.
go to a cafe, to the park …have some people sitting, some standing, some running.
let me know please if you are keen to come along, as soon as you
ALSO NEXT TERM WE WILL HAVE A TWO DAY SELF PORTRAIT WORKSHOP…WORKING FROM LIFE IN THE MIRROR
NOT SURE OF DATES JUST YET