But it’s not going to be. I’m going to fall all over myself trying to explain this whole complicated concept, so I’ll just do my best and probably do better in the future because of it.
When someone learns to draw, or paint or any sort of art for that matter, they begin with simple shapes. They move on to more complicated things, such as shading, perspective, then still lifes, and finally to the human figure.
The human figure is the most difficult. It uses everything you’ve had to learn already, but when you’re done you need to have one image, not a compilation of parts. When painting or drawing a human person, it does not suffice to capture the lines and shading and three-dimensionality, you need to capture the soul.
When someone looks at your work, they should see a human being. When they look into their eyes, they should see a soul.
The nude human form is the ultimate challenge, and the ultimate expression of humanity. Everything has been stripped away, there is nothing to hide behind. Humanity is laid bear in its gloriously simple complexity. That is the glory of the nude in art.
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