Figure Drawing Structure

Posted on | March 11, 2010 | Comments Off

Sketching the Armature

Begin by establishing the basic proportions of the figure, using the ‘thumb and pencil’ method of relative proportion. Sketch in an armature showing the main axis of the figure and limbs. Read more

Wire Drawing Exercise

Posted on | March 3, 2010 | Comments Off

Here’s a fun, easy exercise for beginners of all ages. This is one of the first drawing exercises that I had in class, as it is non-threatening – because the wire shapes are abstract, you can’t really be critical of them. It is also a great exercise in hand-eye co-ordination. Because the wire doesn’t look like anything, you can’t revert to ‘drawing what you think you know’ but have to consistently use your eyes to study the shapes. Read more

Category: drawing exercise
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

Blind Contour Drawing Exercise

Posted on | February 26, 2010 | Comments Off

Here is a fun and worthwhile drawing exercise, a favourite with drawing teachers to develop hand-eye communication. Contour drawing is essentially outline drawing, and blind contour drawing means drawing the outline of the subject without looking at the paper. The end result doesn’t matter – what is important is carefully observing the subject. Read more

Category: drawing exercise
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

What is Pure Contour Drawing?

Posted on | February 23, 2010 | Comments Off

Pure contour line drawing is the simplest form of linear expression. The line describes visible edges of an object. If the subject is carefully chosen and oriented, a pure contour drawing can have strength, clarity and simplicity. Surface details such as color, shadow and highlight are ignored in pure contour drawing. Draw only clearly defined edges, resisting the temptation to color in shadows. Read more

Category: drawing tips
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

Value Drawing Exercise

Posted on | February 19, 2010 | Comments Off

Address two common drawing problems in one go with this great drawing exercise. Learning to see value, especially observing highlights, is difficult when we are in the habit of looking for dark outlines. By starting with a mid to dark value and using an eraser to ‘add’ – or rather, subtract – the lights, you train your eye to look for highlights. Beginning with a darker value base also encourages a better range of values, as you don’t have the expanse of white paper that makes even light lines seem strong. Read more

Category: drawing exercise
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

Better Graphite Pencil Drawing

Posted on | February 16, 2010 | Comments Off

Pencil Drawing and Mark-Making

In this pencil drawing lesson, we’ll focus on the importance of mark-making. Mark-making is the expression we use to describe the process of applying pencil to paper. You can improve your pencil drawing skills by carefully considering your pencil and how it hits the page. Controlling and exploiting the possibilities of the mark is an important step in developing as an artist. Read more

Category: drawing tips
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

How to Draw Hair

Posted on | February 13, 2010 | Comments Off

Drawing hair presents a challenge for most beginners in figure and portrait drawing. It can still remain a bugbear for quite experienced artists, who may go to all kinds of lengths to avoid having to draw it! It is a great pity to spend time and effort drawing lifelike features only to be defeated by a mass of curls. This drawing lesson will help you learn how to draw hair that looks three-dimensional and shiny. Read more

Category: drawing tips
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

How to Draw Eyes

Posted on | February 12, 2010 | Comments Off

Observing the Eye

When you learn to draw eyes, it is useful to think about the anatomy of the eye. Watch a friend’s eyes as they look from side to side. You can see that the eyeball is not a perfect sphere. The cornea bulges out in front of the iris (the colored part), so that the while the iris looks flat, reflections from the front of the eye show a curved surface. Note that when viewed from an angle, the pupil sits in the plane of the iris, and being in perspective is oval rather than circular. Read more

Category: drawing tips
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

Drawing the Structure of the Face

Posted on | February 11, 2010 | Comments Off

To draw the human head accurately, first become familiar with the basic proportions. Traditional rules of proportion show the face divided into six equal squares, two by three. The upper horizontal division is roughly at the ‘third eye’ level mid-forehead, the lower at the base of the nose. The eyes sit on the horizontal centre, the mouth on the centre of the lower third. Read more

Category: drawing tips
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

Sketchbook Ideas – Still Life Drawing

Posted on | February 11, 2010 | Comments Off

Here are some sketchbook drawing ideas arranged by theme. Don’t miss the great ideas for drawing landscapes, portraits and figures, drawing animals and other sources of inspiration, on the following pages. Read more

Category: drawing tips
Tags: drawing > drawing from photograph > drawing tips > pencil drawing > portrait drawing

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