Will Weston Figure Drawing Lecture - L1

Written By fatimah allawaim

1. Psychological Effect of Basic Shapes

  • Triangle → tension, instability, sense of movement.

  • Circle → attracts the eye and keeps attention.

  • Square → stability, structure, and depth.

2. Core Elements of Drawing

Most drawings break down into three main components:

  • Line

  • Mass

  • Form

3. Mass

  • Mass can be drop shadows or color decisions.

  • Some artists work with ratios like:

85% mass / 15% line work

  • Masses may contain lines, but the viewer should see a shape, not lines.

  • Composition should include:

    • One main mass

    • Supporting smaller masses

Mass adds graphic strength and visual impact.

4. Basic 3D Forms

Objects can be constructed from basic forms:

  • Cone

  • Pyramid

  • Box

  • Cylinder

  • Sphere

  • Prism

  • Ribbon

5. Simple vs Complex

Drawings balance simple and complex elements.

In animation this principle appears as:

Squash & Stretch

This contrast can exist in:

  • Lines

  • Mass

  • Proximity

  • Overlaps

These are design tools.

6. Drawing Process

1/3 Thinking

  • Start with simple flat shapes.

  • Build construction.

  • Convert shapes into dimensional forms.

1/3 Expressing

  • Draw and fill in the forms.

  • Decide the mass-to-line ratio.

1/3 Accenting

  • Create eye path.

  • Define focal point.

  • Make the drawing visually engaging.

7. Line Qualities

Lines can vary in several ways:

Shape

  • Soft

  • Medium

  • Hard

Value

  • Light

  • Medium

  • Dark

Thickness

  • Thin

  • Medium

  • Thick

Curved lines are usually more visually interesting, while straight lines are accurate but can feel static.

8. Drawing Tips

Line Overlap Rule

  • The line passing over another line should be darker.

  • This shows which form is in front and which is behind.

  • Any line that stops another line is on top.

  • This creates depth without using light or shading.

  • This technique was heavily used in 2D animation before 3D.

Start Light

  • Begin drawing with soft and light lines.

  • Do not start immediately with strong dark lines.

Avoid Perfectionism

  • Improvement comes from quantity of drawings, not perfection.

  • When learning a new technique you often:

take one step back → then two steps forward

Practice exercise:

  • 1 hour session:

    • 2-minute head drawings

    • then 5-minute drawings

    • then 10-minute drawings

When you have more time, keep the same pace but push the drawing further.

9. Skills vs Composition

  • Skills come first.

  • Then composition.

Composition helps you communicate the idea.

You cannot express the idea without composition, and you cannot build composition without drawing skills.

10. Human Proportion Systems

Eight Heads Model

Body height ≈ 8 heads

  1. Head

  2. Nipples

  3. Belly button

  4. Crotch

  5. Top of knees

  6. Bottom/pillar of knee

  7. Lower leg

  8. Feet

Hand Measurement System

Using the hand as a unit:

  1. Base of nose

  2. Bottom of neck

  3. Base of sternum

  4. Lowest ribs

  5. About three fingers above the crotch bone

Used as a more flexible measurement method when drawing the body.

Core Idea

If you do not yet have a drawing workflow, use this structure:

Shape → Construction → Drawing → Accents (Eye Path & Focal Point)

Then refine it until you discover the process that works best for you.

fatimah allawaim