>>6005250I recon SOUL is a concept tied in with the fluidity of an image, the simplicity it seems to be made with, and its ability to convey a message or emotion.
Personally, I've been told my artwork lacks soul, and it's something I looked into, to remedy. I was recommended " The Natural way to draw" by Nicoladies. You can view it as the anti-Bridgeman. Gone is the intricate constructing and blocking in forms, in its place are blind contour exercises that ask you to pretend your pencil is making physical contact with the form of your study and you are to trace the contour of that figure. It's filled with text that waxes poetic, saying nothing much important but with an air that it believes is of the highest importance. That being said, I've noticed that after doing these types of studies, it's easier to make a form that feels more natural. This is what I think I was missing, "SOUL"
My recommendation, for people like me who are often overanalytical in their art, focusing on things like anatomy and texture, often at the detriment of form and flow, is to try incorporating more contour drawing. Put any need to get accurate anatomy aside, do absolutely no construction beforehand and draw the figure in mostly long strokes, following every small bump in the form. The image will not be great after completing it, but the next time you set down to draw again and you incorporate both concepts into your art, they will mesh and you will get artwork that both has "SOUL" and also has good construction.
Godspeed
