This week I will be doing Exercise 36 from ‘The Natural Way to Draw‘ by Kimon Nicolaïdes : Gesture in Black and White
Materials: 1 black, and 1 white Conté crayon on a small grey piece of paper 10 by fifteen inches.
“The model poses for a minute or less and you draw in a simple manner with the black crayon, seeking the impulse of the gesture, keeping the crayon on the paper and moving loosely from top to bottom and around. Change quickly to the white crayon and do exactly the same thing. After some practice make this one change: start with the white crayon and then proceed with the black.
Because you are using a white crayon and because parts of the body are lighter than others, you will… find yourself emphasizing those parts with the white crayon even while working in a simple manner. But there should be no conscious attempt to isolate the patches of white from the patches of black… This is not an exercise in light and shade. Continue to feel the unity of the body through the attempt to follow the getsure.”