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Fine Arts · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Dynamic Figure Drawing

Building upon foundational figure studies, this advanced studio course focuses on capturing the energy, rhythm, and weight of the human form in motion. Students will move away from stiff, static poses to study anatomy under tension, extreme foreshortening, and kinetic action. The course is essential for animators, comic artists, and illustrators who need to render characters that feel alive and capable of movement.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Capture the "Line of Action" and rhythm in short-duration gesture drawings
  2. Render anatomy under tension (flexion vs. extension) accurately
  3. Master extreme foreshortening and dynamic camera angles
  4. Draw figures from imagination using structural mannequin systems
  5. Integrate clothing and drapery that reacts to the figure's movement
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Review: Gesture & The Line of Action
  2. 02Structure: The Mannequin Approach
  3. 03Anatomy in Motion: Torso & Spine
  4. 04Anatomy in Motion: Limbs & Joints
  5. 05Torsion & Twisting Forms
  6. 06Foreshortening: The Cylinder Method
  7. 07Extreme Angles: Worm’s Eye & Bird’s Eye
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Force & Gravity: Weight Distribution
  10. 10Action Sequences: Running & Jumping
  11. 11Combat Poses: Tension & Impact
  12. 12Drapery in Motion: Cloth Physics
  13. 13Drawing from Memory & Imagination
  14. 14Multi-Figure Composition
  15. 15Style & Exaggeration for Animation
  16. 16Final Project: The Dynamic Sequence

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Dynamic Sequence

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Force: Dynamic Life Drawing by Mike Mattesi
  2. Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth
  3. Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton
  4. Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes by Walt Stanchfield
  5. Bridgman’s Life Drawing by George B. Bridgman
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