Painting the figure is about making marks on a surface. It’s about the mystery and the joy of painting. It is also about being at one with your materials, being open and reacting to what you see though your paintbrush.

The figure doesn’t have to be a nude or a portrait. The figure can be a landscape or still life. The figure can be in your imagination or from real life. The figure is whatever you would like to paint, because the process of painting the figure will help you paint anything. The process is universal and timeless, it hasn’t changed in thousands of years, so if you want to learn how to paint, there is no better place to start than by painting the figure.

A few years ago I discovered an excitement that was missing from my art. I didn’t lose that excitement when I switched mediums, but I did find that it took more effort to focus on what was important and sometimes I forgot what was important.* *With my new blog I want to share that excitement with you.* *I want to show you how much fun it can be and how easy it can be too.* *There is nothing better than painting in your studio; this blog will show you why.*

(The blog contains videos of me

I just stumbled across this blog on painting the figure, and thought it would be of interest to painters on here. The author is a professional painter and also teaches at art schools. He has some nice posts on drawing.

http://thefigurepainter.blogspot.com/

-David

The purpose of this Blog is to provide a basic understanding for the beginner and intermediate artist about how the figure is painted. This Blog will cover topics such as composition, color theory, value, gesture and form. I will respond to comments and questions as time permits.

So, the first thing we do is to paint the contour line of the figure. This means that you take a small brush and “paint” along the edge of where your figure will be. In this case, I painted the shape of where I want my torso to be.

I tend to start with a light color and work my way into a darker one. This is because it’s easier to blend if you use lighter colors on top of darker ones.”

Welcome to my blog. I will be posting on a variety of figure painting topics, from basic explanations and techniques to the tips and tricks that have helped me along the way. The purpose of this blog is to help you develop your skills as well as inspire you to experiment with different materials and techniques.

The majority of my work is done in oils. The materials I use most often are listed below:

-Vallejo Model Color paints

-Vallejo Game Color paints

-Vallejo Basic Colors paints

-Vallejo Air Color paints

-Grumbacher Academy Oils paints (1/2oz)

-Castle’s Modeling Paste (Hair paste)

My brushes are mostly Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable brushes, but I also use a lot of Winsor Newton Cotman series brushes. My palette is an old Winsor Newton palette that I’ve modified a few times over the years to accommodate the new paint lines I’ve started using.

A figure is a man or woman, standing on its own two feet. Poses can be learned from life or from other paintings or drawings.

The human body is the most complex object in the universe, but is not as hard to learn as it sometimes seems. There are a few simple guidelines that you need to know and follow for sketching a figure in correct proportion.

The first thing to do when learning how to draw the figure is to understand the basics of proportion. A head is roughly one-eighth of the whole height of the body and a hand is roughly one-sixth of the height. The face takes up roughly one-third of the front view of the head, while hair adds another third. The width of an eye is half the nose, which in turn is half the distance from eyes to mouth. The length from chin to hairline measures roughly one-sixth of the length from forehead to chin and earlobe to navel measures about half that again.”

Western art has become a bit of a minefield, but thankfully there are those who can lead you through the process. The following tips will help you start your journey into this exciting world of art.

1. Before you set off to create a masterpiece, it is important that you understand what Art is. Art is an abstract concept with no concrete definition, and should be approached with an open mind and a sense of adventure.

2. When creating a new piece of art, it is important to consider the materials at your disposal. A palette knife can be used to great effect in many different ways, and will add texture and interest to any painting or sculpture you decide to create. Alternatively, for more traditional artists, mixing your paint on the canvas will help create a unique aesthetic which stands out from the crowd.

3. Another vital consideration when creating art is the subject matter of your work. It is advisable to make sure that whatever style or subject matter you choose fits in with the rest of your body of work so as not to dilute your artistic integrity or confuse viewers about what your message may be.

4. You may find that after completing one piece that you have a strong urge to create another in a similar style or theme, this is called having an