The fundamentals of drawing is communication by making marks, to get an emotional
response to whatever the subject projects to the onlooker. Therefore it takes careful
and intense observation to be able to create something meaningful and skillful.
Whenever possible, try to do some sketching. It is useful to build up reference material, but it
also helps you to understand the subject so much better. When you sketch or paint from real objects,
and not from photographs, it gives you the opportunity to study the objects from different angles and
really makes it more original. The camera does not see as we see things. Everything is equally important,
while when you do real life studies, your eye focus on something specific and all the rest will be less important.
It is also a good idea to have a viewfinder as part of your art equipment when painting outdoors.
An old slide frame or a piece of cardboard with a window cut out in the center will do.
Take time to study different objects in order to develop a broad knowledge of different
marks and their individual qualities so that you can be technically and visually in control of your work.
Any mark is useful, but only when it is relevant to what is being expressed in the drawing.
If you want to create three dimensional objects, you have to observe light and shadow as well as
texture, colour or tonal value and shape. Always start by choosing the mid tone of the drawing and work
from there to find the value scale that you want to work with. A good drawing will have between 5 - 7 different tones.
Too many values in a drawing can flatten it and illuminates the impact it should have on an onlooker.
Practice the art of suggesting a texture, for instance the bark of a tree, the hard smooth surface of a cup,
a rough stone wall, a rooster's feathers, clouds, a man's beard, fur. Observe the contrast in textures for they
demand different kinds of marks that separate them. Observe the effect of light and shadow on the objects you study.
Indicate rather than portray when there are more objects, like bricks in a brick wall or buildings in a street scene, and find a focal point where there will be the most detail and tone for balance. Sharper lines and lightest/darker or brighter
colour in one area apposed to toned down colour and less detail in the rest of the art work, would automatically
indicate the brighter spot as the focal point in your painting or drawing. Do not let it stand out too much. Subtle changes are much better and will hold the interest of the viewer much longer.
Always keep in mind that negative spaces are just as important as the positive areas.
If you get stuck when drawing the positive, switch to the negative and see how easy it becomes to see
what is really there. Use things in the background to form a natural grid to line up and to see
the right proportions of your object. If you work on a face, draw a straight line underneath a curved line, and
then look at the shape of the space between the curve and the straight line (that is the negative space).
It also helps to squint to see clearer what is there.
Always start out with light marks when you are in the block-in stage, for this is the most crucial stage in the drawing composition. Capture the bigger shapes and fill in the smaller ones when you are sure that everything vital is in place.
Your goal must be to create a likeness of the subject, whether it is a scene or a human form. A likeness can be captured with only a few lines. Big forms capture resemblance much better than small ones.
Measuring is one of the most useful tools for increasing accuracy in a drawing. It is also a way to correct and to ensure that everything is in the right relation to each other proportionally.
Measure the beginning and end of the eye and use it as a baseline and measuring tool for the facial proportions.
Mark a piece of paper with the length of the eye of the photograph and mark another side of the paper with the length that you want your drawing to be. Name them to avoid getting mixed up. Now you can use that new baseline for the drawing to enlarge or to make your drawing smaller, with perfect proportions.
Have fun when you draw.
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