Among the most crucial things to learn once learning to draw is understanding the process nearly every artist uses to fill a blank sheet with more and more lines until she completed the drawing. Although seemingly complicated this process consists of several separate and simple tasks.Many creative persons pursue intuitively these individual tasks step-by-step in the proper order. Unfortunately while beginning to learn drawing, you lack the experience to adopt this strategy by instinct. But instead of waiting for the necessary experience, you can use the following shortcut.
I created a scheme close to this process most artists understand and follow by instinct. It is composed of four steps: Placement, Outlines, Shapes, Illumination. These four steps are quite simple and pursue the common process to create a drawing. I abbreviated this system P-O-S-I - a POSItive way to learn drawing.So let's get started:
1. Placement of the elements in your drawing This is the opening move. Have a look at the complete scene, identify the particular elements in the scene and seek to understand the scene. Focus on the particular elements' positions and their location relative to each other. Ultimately if you think your apprehension of the scene is adequate enough, mark on your paper wherever you would like to place the particular elements.Try to be as accurate as possible unless you have already some competence in the art of pictorial composition. Experienced artists know how to alter the scene for a stronger impression without hurting realism.
2. Drawing Outlines of the particular elementsNow you know where to place the elements it is time to sketch them as simple drafts. Look cautiously at every part of the scene and attempt to realize its outline and shape. Then draw its outline - only the silhouette - in a couple of faint lines. Restrict yourself to the external lines of each element. Repeat this step for every object in the scene. Ideally you start with elements in the background and move on to the foreground areas.After finishing the sketch of the whole scene this way, it is time to have a concluding judging look (but not too judging although!). In this stage it is still easy to shift any object or to correct one or another line. Only don't be excessively critical and keep in mind: every great drawing lives thanks to slight deviations.
3. Draw the Shape of the particular elementsNow it is time to focus our attention to the elements' anatomies. Begin to add the inner structures of the scene's parts with only few and faint lines. Place the strokes in the proper directions to travel along and form the form of the parts of every object. For arced elements use curved lines and in plane sections use straight lines. But still limit you to only some and faint lines. Just attempt to get the shapes properly. As there are still exclusively thin lines on the paper you still have the opportunity to correct a line here and there.In the end your drawing has gained a more substantial perspective and three-dimensional appearance. Time to fill the white spaces and perfect your drawing!
4. Illuminate your DrawingUntil now we merely worked on arraying the scene utilizing faint lines. Sketching the outlines and shapes of all elements in the scene we produced a line drawing that portrays the scenes lookout faithfully. But for producing real naturalism something is lacking: texture, light and shadow. In that last step we will fill out these elements that generate volume to our drawing and ultimately make it seem realistic. So in this step our opportunities for creating a outstanding drawing are great but also is the risk of damaging it beyond repair. What to do?
Once again look cautiously at every part of the scene. Notice how light, shadow and the different surfaces are forming the textures and what the colors look like. Most crucial is the surface - because even if a surface is all one color, its structure and texture creates different shades.The same goes to shadows. Look how the elements cast dark areas on themselves and on elements around them. Add these shadows by first drawing their outline, adjusting and honing it and then filling it with dark shades.While adding all the shades and textures to your drawing all of the time seek to draw from the background to the foreground. While doing this go from lighter tones and light contrasts in the background to dark tones and contrasts in the foreground. This creates a more substantial volume and depth.
Congratulations! With this terminal step you completed your drawing. Go one step back and enjoy. And keep in mind: if the little critic in you awakes, put your drawing away, the more you will love it in a few months!
This is the 3rd article of the 6 element series about how to learn drawing and drawing. Read the next part of the how to draw series. Here you can also get free tutorials for learning to draw. |
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