Memory Drawing and Figure Drawing
What the exam tests
Memory drawing checks recall of everyday scenes, while figure drawing checks proportion, gesture and weight. You may be asked to draw a market scene, a woman carrying a pot, children playing or a labourer at work from memory.
Core rules
- Adult figure proportion is about seven to eight heads; a child is roughly five to six heads.
- Start with a gesture line showing action, then build a simple mannequin.
- Check the centre of gravity: the weight-bearing foot must support the body.
- Use overlapping figures to show depth in a crowd.
- Keep faces simple; hands and feet should be blocked, not left as stumps.
- Recall specific details: posture, clothing folds, tools and setting.
Worked example
For a village woman carrying a water pot, draw a vertical gesture line, place the head, ribcage and pelvis, and bend the supporting leg. The pot sits on the head or hip with the arm raised; the spine curves under the load. Reasoning: the weight explains the posture, and the pot's ellipse must match the head angle.
Traps
Stick figures, oversized heads, floating feet, stiff symmetrical poses, identical faces in a crowd, and poses that ignore gravity. Avoid inventing impossible anatomy; use simple solids and check the head count.