Persuasive drawings can be “realistic” or “abstract” but must come from a developed mental/physical core. See master artist Peter Agostini’s statement below.

How do you see something and feel it with your hands?

Drawing - What is it?

What is the purpose of drawing?

A concentrated visual focus over time leads to improved spatial perception and more natural understanding of form. Short-cuts to visual study creates stiff lines and shallow space.

Drawing also expands one’s imagination. Spatial definition and understanding adds an additional dimension beyond words and sounds but it can be challenging. Drawing is not a commonplace everyday activity.

Partial Figure - The approach in this figure study captures the form and volume of the subject without a focus upon scientific anatomy.

If you started her Click to go to Richard L Tuck’s figurative art works in other media that uses Richard’s drawing approach as the core perception of the image.

Other art works originate from the same approach to drawing.

A Master Teacher’s Approach

“Even when I would model something I would try to give it the feeling that whatever I had underneath was held down by the skin. Always the outside holding the inside in. And I think this is primarily what I still do all the time. I try to get as much force coming out and I try to hold it back with a skin.” - Peter Agostini, American Modernist Sculptor, Watercolorist, Printmaker

Peter Agostini seldom spoke extensively during an instruction session while I studied drawing with him. He was a strong verbalizer able to speak about the essence of an artwork by he recognized the shortcomings of words. Rather when he saw that you were “stuck, he would sit down and draw and say things like “you see” as I watched. He would not complete your drawing. Rather he would often move the drawing instrument raised just above the page surface from one point to another. My eyes would follow pencil movement while referencing the model he and I were viewing. Eventually I developed the valuable visual observation habit. The value of reading the form with your eyes not just following an outline. You “see” the skin emerge which would “hold back the form”. I believe that’s what he meant.

Peter Agostini was my most influential teacher.

Back of Human Figure - This drawing was made while studying with Peter Agostini. I recall how difficult it was to resist trying to draw an outline.