Block-In Drawing Demo

Here is a demo I did for the 'Drawing: A Visual Language' class, at Alma Mater. The drawing is a 'master-copy' of a beautiful drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci.

And here is my 'block-in' drawing, after the original Da Vinci drawing...

The stage shown (above) is first step of the block-in. Notice that I am not focusing on detail or features, but rather I am thinking of the most general relationships. Here are the steps of logic that I've taken to get to this point:
-Consider the vertical Top, Bottom, and Middle of the drawing.
-Start Blocking-In the major directional lines / angles.
-I am keeping my lines straight, light.
-I am carrying my lines through. Notice the line of the neck does not end at the neck, but extends upward. In this way, I am focusing on big relationships / connections. Remember the principle of *UNITY*.
-Don't let the construction lines dominate the drawing. They should be lighter than the block-in lines.
-Once you have drawn out the contour, measure (using a long pencil, skewer, or knitting needle) the width against the height.

The stage shown (above) is the more advanced stage of the block-in. Remember, this is still a primary stage of the drawing. In this stage, I have broken down the big general lines into more specific contours. I have also started to consider the shadow shapes on the inside of the head.

If all of this is overwhelming, take heart. It is a lot, at first. But it is worth it, as these stages will help you to draw well. We will review these concepts this next week.