In this lesson, instructor George Pratt will teach you his approach to gesture drawing using pastels. You will train your hand to feel what you see and from there quickly capture the spirit of the pose. George will remind you to squint, which helps you group values and simplify shapes.

This lesson belongs to the course Pastel Figure Drawing. In this 5-week course, George Pratt will teach you how to draw the figure with pastels. You will be introduced to the importance of silhouette and visual landmarks while looking at examples of pastel artworks by the instructor. George will show you his unique approach to gesture drawing. You will learn how to capture the spirit of the poses using light, dark, and colored pastels on toned papers. After this course, you will be able to create drawings with only big shapes yet still carry excellent rhythms and arrangements.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.