Life drawing

Life drawing is the practice of making drawings from a live model, often to study the human figure, anatomy, proportion, and pose.

Gesture drawing: A rapid drawing that captures a subject’s movement, action, and overall pose. Short timed poses distill life drawing into studies of movement and weight.
Human anatomy: The study of the structure of the human body and its parts. Knowledge of bodily structure helps make observed forms intelligible.
Drawing academies: Institutions that teach drawing and related visual arts through formal instruction. Academies made drawing from posed models a central form of artistic training.
Figure painting: The depiction of the human figure in painting. Drawing from a model supplies studies for paintings of the body.
Nude art: Art that depicts the unclothed human body. Life classes often use nude models, linking bodily study to artistic conventions.
Contour drawing: A drawing method that emphasizes the visible edges and outlines of a subject. Following the figure’s edges sharpens attention to shape rather than symbols.
Skeletal system: The body's framework of bones, cartilage, and joints. Bony landmarks remain visible beneath skin and guide figure proportions.
École des Beaux-Arts: A French fine-arts institution founded in Paris, influential in academic art education. Its training system exemplified the prestige and structure of academic figure study.
Fashion illustration: The visual depiction of clothing and fashion designs, often on stylized figures. Figure-drawing skills support poses that present garments clearly.
The male gaze: A way of representing women that positions them as objects of heterosexual masculine looking. The tradition invites scrutiny of who looks, who is depicted, and who holds power.

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