POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN PAINTING FIGURES

• The male figure is 7.5 to 8 heads high; females are half a head shorter. Refer to my quick sketch on the perspective diagram (page 18) for guidance.

• Remember that on a flat surface every head is on or around the eye level line if they are an adult.

• Do not put the feet in, it makes the figures look static. Let the brushstroke of the legs disappear; leave a gap between the legs to imply movement.

• Drop the head down into the shoulders to suggest an older person, incline the head angle and use a cap or hat to suggest the figure is listening.

• One shoulder being larger than the other represents the figure turning side-on.

• When painting a crowd, link a mix of pigments together, drop head shapes randomly at slightly different levels on the top and fractionally different sizes. Draw the pigments down to imply legs. Do not worry about exact shapes and numbers, the viewer’s imagination will interpret your marks to represent a crowd.

• If the colour used for a group of shapes is a blue/ grey it will suggest recession.