Gestteckning

Gestteckning, or gesture drawing, is a drawing practice that emphasises capturing the overall gesture, movement and energy of a subject, rather than precise detail. It is commonly applied to the figure, but can be used for animals or objects in motion. The aim is to convey weight, balance and dynamic action through quick, expressive marks. By focusing on the line of action, major shapes and the general proportions, the artist can convey a sense of motion in a single drawing as a foundation for more detailed studies.

In practice, gestteckning is often used in life-drawing sessions with timed poses, ranging from about 30 seconds to five minutes for a gesture, followed by longer studies. The sketch is built with loose, confident strokes and a minimal set of lines to indicate pose, mass and energy. Exercises may include blind contour or drawing with the non-dominant hand to train observation without overemphasizing details. Common tools include charcoal, soft graphite or ink, and a large surface to encourage sweeping lines.

Gestteckning serves as a training tool for rapid perception and hand–eye coordination, making it valuable for painters, illustrators and animators. It is frequently used as a warm-up before longer studies and as a method to explore pose design, rhythm and the readability of a figure. In Swedish art education, gestteckning is commonly taught in life-drawing courses and integrated into curricula for visual arts and animation.

Compared with detailed anatomy drawing, gestteckning prioritizes movement and readability over precision; it can be followed by longer studies that gradually refine anatomy based on the initial gesture.