Step-by-step: Building up a sketch

1 I take as much time as I need to analyse the weight and movement of the pose. And then, using just a few lines, I sketch the gesture of the head and spine, shoulder and pelvis, followed by the arms and hands, legs and feet.

2 I start fleshing out the gesture with the rib cage and add thickness to the figure using simple outlines to describe areas of shadow. I also take into account any foreshortening and adjust my line thickness for areas in light and shadow.

3 With the remaining time, I block in the shadows that I’ve mapped out, starting with a single flat tone. I then add midtones to turn the form and build up my range of values until the end of the pose. I can use an eraser to add highlights.