General Drawing Resources

Post date: Sep 03, 2015 3:40:43 PM

http://www.studentartguide.com/articles/line-drawings

Different Pencils and Their Values

Creating Different Values Using Mark-Making

Art for Dummies: The Essentials of Drawing

This web site explains the rules of drawing in simple language. It has sections on composition, values, perspective, light and shadows, human figure proportions, and drawing animals. 

Hints and Tips for Drawing

TIP 1: LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE DRAWING

This sounds obvious, but it is the most common error made by art students. Many students attempt to draw things the way that they think they should look, rather than the way they actually do look.

The only way to record shape, proportion and detail accurately is to look at the source of information. Human memory is not enough. Forms, shadows and details are hard enough to replicate when they are right there in front of you; if you have to make them up, they appear even less convincing. In order to produce an outstanding observational drawing, you must observe: your eyes must continually dance from the piece of paper to the object and back again. Not just once or twice, but constantly.

Note: even if you are drawing mythical creatures, fairy tales or some other imaginary form, you should work as much as possible from observation. Piece your creatures together from fragments of life. Dress people up and then draw them or merge different parts of insects or creatures together (using artistic license as appropriate) rather than creating an entire form or scene from your head.

TIP 2: DRAW FROM REAL OBJECTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE

The phrase ‘observational drawing’ typically implies drawing from life. Ask any art teacher and they will list the benefits of drawing from objects that are sitting directly in front of you. You are provided with a wealth of visual information…changing light conditions; rich textures; views of the subject from alternate angles; as well as information from other sense…smells and noise from the surroundings etc. Transcribing from three-dimensions to two is ultimately much harder than drawing from a photograph, but it often results in drawings that are ‘richer’ and more authentic.

(This doesn’t mean, however, that you should never draw from photographs. Students frequently traipse from home to school and back again: it can be impractical to carry and set up complex still life arrangements over and over again. Some subjects – such as landscapes and nude models – are also unavailable in most classroom settings. It can be good practice to set up a still life arrangement in the flesh (or visit a location) and begin drawing directly from the subject, using photographs to complete the work at home).

TIP 3: UNDERSTAND PERSPECTIVE

As objects get further away they appear smaller. Also, there is less detail, and less contrast between values. Showing this change of scale on paper (through the use of vanishing points) and contrast is called ‘perspective’. Make sure you understand perspective – it’s really important. 

TIP 4. USE GRIDS, GUIDELINES OR ROUGH FORMS TO GET THE PROPORTIONS RIGHT BEFORE YOU ADD DETAILS

Many students start with a tiny detail (the eye on a face, for example) and then gradually add in the rest of the image…ending up with a drawing that is badly proportioned or doesn’t fit on the page (or floats aimlessly in the middle of it). This can be avoided by approximating the basic forms before adding details or by using guidelines to ensure that proportions are correct.

If working from a photograph, using a grid can result in highly accurate work. It allows students to focus on one small segment of the image at a time and gives arbitrary lines from which distances can be gauged. This can be a helpful strategy when precise, detailed images are required.

If working from life, roughly sketching outlines of the major forms will allow you to get the proportions right, before you add the details. While you do this, you should constantly check which points line up (i.e. edge of nostrils lining up with edge of eye) and the size of every object should be estimated in relation to the things that are beside it. You must get used to seeing things in terms of how one thing compares to another.

TIP 5: BE CAREFUL WHEN DRAWING ELLIPSES

Ellipses – the oval shapes that are visible at the top of cylindrical objects such as bottles or jars – frequently ‘trip up’ a weak drawer. They can send an immediate signal that a student isn’t looking at what they are drawing. All ellipses, no matter what angle they are viewed from, should be rounded (not pointed) at the ends.

TIP 6: KEEP THE OUTLINES LIGHT

As your drawing is fleshed out in more detail, with attention given to the subtle variations in shape and form, the natural inclination – especially of the novice drawer – is to want to darken in the outlines, to help ensure they are visible. Do not do this. Real objects do not have dark lines running around every edge. Edges should instead be defined by a change in tone and/or colour.

TIP 7: HAVE A GOOD RANGE OF VALUES

When it comes to applying values to your drawing, as with everything else, look at the object. Observe where the light and dark areas are and copy what you see. In almost all cases, your drawing should have a full range of tone, from black, through a multitude of greys (or coloured mid-tones) through to white.

Some students – having learnt how to blend tone smoothly from dark to light – develop the unfortunate habit of randomly shading all surfaces from dark to light. Tone should never be invented and it should never be applied by guesswork. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DRAWING AND SEE WHERE THE LIGHT SOURCE IS COMING FROM!!

TIP 8: USE MARK-MAKING TO SHOW TEXTURE

When producing an observational drawing, the mark-making used should help to convey the texture(s) of the subject matter. There are a multitude of different ways a pencil can strike paper – hatching / dashes / smudges / dots… think carefully before you decide which technique to use.

TIP 9: INCLUDE / LEAVE OUT DETAIL AS NECESSARY

One area where students often become disheartened is in the depiction of incredibly complex subjects. When drawing trees, plants and bushes, it is not necessary to replicate every leaf or stick. When drawing a person, it is not necessary to depict every strand of hair. The artist is always in a position to pick and choose what goes in their artwork. As long as the decision is based on what is aesthetically best for the work (rather than wanting to leave out something that is hard to draw…which is often the driving force behind students wanting to eliminate certain aspects of their image) there is nothing wrong with omitting certain details from a drawing. In fact, often the composition is less cluttered and easy on the eye because of it.

There are many approaches to this. Sometimes every single detail might be recorded with accuracy. Sometimes a certain area of a drawing is rendered in full, with other parts trailing away.

TIP 10: INSERT YOUR OWN SOUL

Most of the tips above are aimed at helping a student create more realistic observational drawings. This last tip is something different. It is a reminder that sometimes it is the difference between the real item and the drawing that matters.  Although observational drawings are usually expected to be realistic in nature, they do not need to be hyper realistic (in other words, they don’t have to look exactly like a photograph). Often, it is the unrealistic parts: the unexpected mark-making - the gap between the real object and what is drawn - where the soul sneaks in. It is the beauty in smudges and irregularities and artistic interpretation. Don’t be afraid to be a bit crazy.

(Taken from studentartguide.com)