Part 5 Exercise 4: Statues 

This is a very old statue that I found in my garden when I moved in: 

It is a small statue with many that has been a little eroded over time. There must have been a top to this statue, possible a bird bath top? That is long missing. The statue is of a child, cherub like in his features. 

What I find interesting about this statue is that I don't know the story behind him, the purpose of this small statue or who he belonged too. He makes we work hard too to see his features as time has taken many away at first glance. 

I like the shapes that form his body. Although eroded, I can still see the shapes of this hands and feet. His eye are a little sunken with big eye lids and I can see his cheeks. 

The texture is interesting too. Largely grey in colour there are white patches and yellow patches showing age and the affects of weather. 

I made some sketches of the statue from different angles using a HB pencil and a  brown and yellow coloured pencil: 

I try to capture the roundness of this tummy and the beautifully formed curves of this legs. What I find most interesting here is the back of his head. His hair is made up of a series of curves, I can see the shape and tone of his features and I mark in the lines of each limb, noting areas of erosion. 

As I find the back of his head the most interesting, I decide to draw the statue form the back using charcoal for a tonal study. I sit a little way form the statue as it is small and I need a little distance to capture his small form: 

Reflection: 

Its amazing how interesting a seemingly old and broken statue can become. 

I am pleased with how the charcoal sketch of the back of this statue translated. I can see very obviously the hairline which is the feature I found most interesting. Using light and dark tones I marked in the lines and curves of the body. 

I was very careful to shade in the areas of light, he maybe a small statue however he is very defined and studying the lighter and darker areas helped me achieve definition of form. 

I do feel like the charcoal sketch is a more accurate drawing than my initial sketches, however it was thanks to the initial sketches that I was able to work out what interested me the most. 

The most challenging angle to draw the figure was from above looking down, the figure of the boy had to become shorter, squashed. I have a good go and it is definitely a learning tool I will carry with me for Part four. 

The more I looked the more very small details I could see, there is a seam line that runs from the foot of the figure to the base, I marked that in. 

I I were to study this statue again, I would make changes to his lower back and bottom. Looking again his bottom cheeks don't site quite right here, I think it may be the centre line that it wrong. I look forward to learning more about how to correctly drawing a figure as I progress through this module.