a question about form following strokes...

[*ViRuS*]

i'm an art student and i'm trying to improve my drawing skills. my instructor has told me that my drawings lack structure. no matter how much i seem to measure and correct my drawings, they always look like they're missing something. i noticed they don't have form following strokes. i'm playing around with my lines a lot more now, but it'd be helpful to find something about using form following strokes. does anybody know of a site or something that has information on that method of mark making? right now i keep most of my lines going the same way, which i think may be making the drawing look flat. :\

[Art_Addict]

Your instructor should show you how to solve the problem rather then just pointing it out...

Now, you haven't shown an example of your drawing (I don't even know what the comment was directed at... life model, still life, landscape etc etc..) so I can't comment very directly but to answer some of your questions...:
Saying that ones drawings lack structure is a very unclear description...and is not helpful of course. Developing an understanding is important..drawing is both a perceptual and conceptual process. Let's take the human figure as an example..developing a planar understanding of the surface of the human body is very helpful and will give you knowledge of how form sits in space. In addition to that anatomy and structure, 2 concepts which are very different, are very helpful as well.

But imo, from a realist point of view, developing a sense of volume through modeling the form is acquired by modeling with the light, not the form.
Strokes that follow the form as in, the outside contours, will easily make the form look flat and inorganic.
But having said that, the way marks are put down is more a style issue then it is a conceptual one. And within each style one can model the form convincingly if the principles of light on form are understood.

[Raileyh]

Post some of your in class drawings and we'll see what you need. Be sure to list what tools your using ( 2b generals, stick compressed, vine...) as well as the type of paper. Newsprint Smooth, White Pad, Strathmore.....

-h