Reverse Drawing

Reverse drawing is not really drawing in reverse, although it will feel like it.

All of us start our drawing journey by making marks on white surfaces with dark drawing

material. When we do this, we are adding darker values to the drawing surface. This means

that when we start a drawing, we start with the lightest value on the value scale - white - the

color of our paper. As we make marks with darker materials, we gradually broaden the value

range, pushing the dark values. So essentially, when we draw, we are used to concentrating

on seeing and adding the darker values. We will switch our thinking completely. Instead of

adding the darker tones, we’ll add the lighter ones. We’ll work on black paper with white

charcoal to do so.

We must focus on the shapes of light values,

leaving the black of the paper to create the darker lines and shapes of value.

This will force us to concentrate on the shapes made by the highlights. It’s easy to forget the

importance of highlights and how they work with the midtones and shades to create an

illusion in a drawing.

Drawing 1: Popcorn or Close Up/Micro Black and White Photograph

Drawing 2: High Contrast Black and White Portraits

Facial Proportions