Gestural drawing – Games and techniques

Gestural drawing is one of the best experiences of a life drawing class. People are often surprised at the quality of their gestural drawings; even those who may have never picked up a 6B pencil in their life!

So what is gestural drawing? Gestural drawing is quickly drawing the human form to capture movement or motion. This is often done by sketching a model who changes pose quickly (say every 10-20 seconds).

Seeing the body in different poses and having a short and finite amount of time actually sharpens the eye and the instincts.

As drawing is essentially thinking with your eyes and we all have a deep familiarity with the human form, gestural drawing helps us to find ways to express and understand these forms.

Expressing the incredible shapes that the body can make, the layers and the lines, is encouraged by using swift strong strokes, then, if there is time, going back over the lines and emphasising and refining them.

It's really all about capturing the gesture and seeing where the energy and tension in the body is most prominent in the pose. Your pencil becomes an extension of your arm and your eyes and the more you look away from your page and focus on the body the more accurate your drawing will be.

So if the last time you were in an art class was in high school then maybe it's time to make your next catch up, Hens party, birthday or Corporate training event something that involves gestural drawing and challenge your instinctual artistic inner eye!

Maid of Honour Duties… what to expect.

You've been chosen as the Maid of Honour for your besties wedding. It's one of the most important days of their life so… no pressure!

As Maid of Honour it's your duty to help with the multitude of choices the bride and groom need to make – from the wedding dress, the flowers, the guest list, the groom's corsage, the venue, the drinks, the food, the invitations, the music and (of course!) the bridesmaids dresses… phew.

And the list goes on.

But arguably the most important Maid of Honour duty, though, is the organising of the Hens party! That's if your bride even wants one. It's become increasingly common for modern brides to skip the hens party altogether. This is mostly due to the perception of the old Hens night –  drunken sprawling across town with candied necklaces, penis straws and pink veils.

We'd rather have a cocktail. 

Don't get us wrong, we love a glass of champers and a cocktail but the days of penis whistles and spewing in the street are gone. I mean it's 2016!

We've evolved and so has the Hens night. The pink and "girly" clichés of the past and gone, modern girls want an experience and some fun on their "last night of freedom". Here at the Hen and the Coq our Life Drawing Parties are classy, stylish and a whole lot of fun! Not only will you experience the age-old art of drawing from life but you'll have a handsome nude male model from which to draw your inspiration. Your Hens will love sipping champagne while our professional art teacher guides them through the basics of life drawing and our gorgeous model poses and makes conversation.

It's the new Hens night experience – a Hens renaissance of you could say. :) 

Champagne, good friends, art and a gorgeous naked man. Who could ask for more?