The term "gestural painting", also known as "gesturalism", is used to describe a method of fine art painting characterized by energetic, expressive brushstrokes deliberately emphasizing the sweep of the painter's arm or movement of the hand.
WHY is this an important (and fun!) skill?
...lemme tell ya. The purpose of gesture drawing or painting, is to help artists focus on the ESSENCE/ idea of the pose rather than small details, prioritizing flow and movement to QUICKLY capture the subject as a whole and avoid a result that looks stiff or out of proportion.
this also enhances hand eye coordination, strengthening your viewing skills, your brain muscles, and a necessary building block to becoming a well rounded artist.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING: this practice teaches you to use close observation to understand and depict reality.
TIP OVERVIEW 1. going for speed - GUESSWORK 2. work loosely + quickly 3. begin with INITIAL LINE - head to toe 4. keep hand moving 5. NO DETAILS 6. apply varied pressure until confident with correct line/proportion