Character sketching exercises5

This painting was created in 2017. This year I spent more time thinking about art in sketching courses, which also caused a disconnect between my color painting and sketching. I am more bold in looking for the core of Chinese culture in sketches, even though I still know very little about traditional Chinese culture. However, I am more conservative when it comes to color painting.

Overall Size:
Size without the frame:
Country: China
Date: 2017
Materials:
Condition: well preserved

Creative themes and style | My works revolve around the creative concept of "The land of humanity, People on the land". The people in the painting are people in nature, and the lines, shapes, and colors are close to nature. The nature in the painting is nature in the eyes of humans, existing in interaction with humans.I don’t pursue a series of works with a fixed and continuous style. I hope that the style of the pictures will synchronize with the changes in my life and always remain oscillating. The performance of the work must be in sync with the development of one's own life in order to be Sincere and powerful. Ideas are later.

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Reference view

Artwork Interpretation

This quick sketch, with a minimalist artistic language, outlines a unique charm. In terms of modeling, it abandons detailed realism and uses generalized lines to capture the figure’s dynamics and contours. Similar to Amedeo Modigliani’s refinement of human figures in his paintings, it conveys the figure’s spirit through simple lines, yet is more casual and free - spirited.

The composition focuses on the figure’s posture. A single figure occupies the picture space, with the background left blank, allowing the viewer’s eyes to focus on the main dynamic. It has the artistic conception of “using less to achieve more” in Oriental painting, and also resembles Henri Matisse’s capture of pure postures in his sketches, simplifying to highlight the essence.

The color is only presented by the gray scale of the pencil. It distinguishes structures with the light and heavy changes of a single color system. Like Edgar Degas’ sketches, it constructs a sense of volume and space through the density and depth of lines. Without multiple colors, it already has rich layers.

The brushwork is the soul. Smooth and loose lines wander along the figure’s contours, sometimes light, sometimes heavy. While recording the dynamic moment, it retains the vividness of painting. Just like Auguste Rodin’s sketches, it uses lines as a language to tell the tension and vitality of the form.

The content is an excerpt of the daily figure’s posture. The theme focuses on the capture of dynamics and spirit. It doesn’t pursue completeness in every aspect, but freezes the moment with simple strokes. Emotions are hidden in the rhythm of the lines. It is a poetic gaze at the ordinary postures in life, allowing viewers to touch the vivid breath of the figure and the minimalist power of art through a few strokes.

FAQs

Q1: Why does this sketch use such minimal lines to depict the figure?

This study abandons shading and volume almost entirely, leaving only a few contour lines. The minimalist approach emphasizes movement and gesture, inviting the viewer to mentally complete the figure within the blank space.

Q2: What is notable about the lines in the sleeves and pant legs?

The lines in the clothing are curved and undulating, suggesting folds in the fabric without rendering detail. They carry a casual looseness, functioning more as a light “indication” than a finished description.

Q3: Why does this piece feel more like a sketch than a finished work?

Because it preserves an unfinished and open quality. The head and hands are barely defined, while the focus is on capturing a single pose. This is the essence of a sketch—prioritizing the recording of a fleeting moment rather than polished completeness.

Q4: How is the pose conveyed through such simple lines?

The figure shows a torso twist and one leg lifted, conveyed with just a few sharp turns of line. Despite its simplicity, the drawing conveys weight and motion, making the posture feel alive.

Q5: How does this piece differ from the heavier ochre-toned studies?

The earlier works relied on ochre pigments to model form and chiaroscuro, whereas this drawing discards color entirely, relying solely on pencil or charcoal line. Its clarity and purity suggest more of a composition exercise or a quick gesture study, highlighting the freedom of practice.

plaster exercises2