Michael Mentler—Figure Drawing in the Renaissance Tradition Lesson One

Here are what I think are the key takeaways from Michael Mentler's Figure Drawing in the Renaissance Tradition Lesson One.

This first lesson is a general introduction to the overall course.

 [NOTE—Since this is a paid course, I don't want to show screenshots nor give away for free too much of Mentler's course]:

1. LIFE
   • L=Language. visual and verbal
   • I=Intent (imitation, intellect, interpretation, intuition, imagination/invention)
   • F=Form. sphere, cone, cylinder, cube
   • E=Expression/Empathy. Combining the 5 levels of intent—seeing, knowing, selecting, feeling, creating
2. The visual language of drawing uses Points, Lines, Planes, Forms, Images and Compositions. Points exist in nature, lines do not. Line is only the edge of a plane. Plane is the edge of a form. A point is a line on end; as the point turns it reveals the length of the line. Forms create images.


3. Use mass conceptions (forms) to understand the sections of the body.


4. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!


5. Don't entirely erase a line that's a "mistake" to ensure that you don't re-draw the same mistake.


6. It's important to walk around the model to see it 360° to fully understand its dimensionality. 

In a future post, I'll share my key takeaways from Mentler's Lesson Two.

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