In Progress anatomy work

No matter what medium I use, one thing that has always been a huge part of my work has been anatomy. Putting together all the muscles, the lines, the right proportions has helped me a lot to get a good basic structure to my work, enables me to get lost in the process.
After getting many requests on my Facebook page to break the process down into a few easy steps I decided to post 3 in-progress shots of some anatomy work.

Step 1:

A very basic and simple basic sketch to take care of proportions and give me an idea how it will look once finished. I already block in some of the main muscles.
Takes about 5-10 minutes

Step 2:

After the initial sketch I erase the darkest lines with my kneaded eraser so that the sketch remains slightly visible on the paper. With my lead holder I just tighten the line to get a clean version of the sketch. 

Takes around 2-5 minutes.

Step 3:

Once the lines are done all I do is block in some dark shadows and render some muscles. And that's already it. Just some random drawing around during University class, but the most entertaining way to keep improving my anatomy.









If you get comfortable enough with it don't hesitate to challenge yourself with new angles, different body shapes and styles, lighting and daring poses. Doodle around in your sketchbook, relax and make anatomy your second nature.

I know there are many artists out there who don't focus much on anatomy or right proportions and still make it work, for myself though I've found that having that foundation gives my work a much more vivid and lifelike feel to it that I don't want to miss and it's a part in the process of creating a drawing or a painting that is actually quite fun.

Gabriela

• Listening to: Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
• Reading: Stephen King "Nightmares & Dreamscapes
• Watching: Criminal Minds
• Drinking: Apple Juice

www.gabriela-baettig.com

Hey Everyone

Time literally flies inbetween Uni stress and creative episodes. While most of my creativity was somehow guided to handy crafts this year, ranging from Quilting, to Crochet, to knitting, to decorating furnitures and building a new wooden house for our guinea pigs I have been sketching away almost every day for weeks now.Somewhere down in the deep there is a new project maturing and just waiting for the right time to emerge and come into fruition. I have been drifting away from stand-alone paintings and am really starting to feel the need to create something else, something that needs a well invented background and a lot of dedication.I don't care if it will ever get published, and I haven't shared the ideas with anyone else up to this point. It's just a personal creative need that needs to be fulfilled, without time pressure, without judgement until it is finished. A personal project after doing commissions for a long time now. Feels good.

It just started to snow and I can't wait to get out there and feel the snow flakes on my skin. I keep finding more and more inspiration in the world around me and this new found connection gives me a totally new peace that I haven't had for quite some time.

Gabriela

• Listening to: Vienna Teng - Antebellum
• Reading: Stephen King "Nightmares & Dreamscapes&qu
• Watching: Fringe
• Eating: yummy Orange!
• Drinking: Tea