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Drawing development exercises
Drawing development exercises
Lesson 1: Observation exercises
Lesson 1: Observation exercises
Observational drawing exercises
"Blind contour": draw the outline of the object without looking at your sketchbook... (30 sec)
"Blind contour, weak hand": draw the outline of the object with your non dominant hand, no looking at sketchbook (30 sec)
"Upsidedown, blind contour": draw with strong hand, but flip object upside down in your mind (1 min)
"Negative shapes": draw only the empty spaces that the object makes and the air surrounding it (2 min)
"Draw the shadows as flat shapes": you'll need a spotlight and a dark room for this (5min)
Tips & Tricks
do each exercise 4 times using a timer
rotate the object that you're drawing each time
drawings should fill half the page or be the size of your hand
When working towards a more finished piece, start with using lightly drawn basic shapes, then observing contours and negative spaces - before moving on, flip your sketcbook upside down to spot mistakes.
Then fill in shadows and details. Use a full range of value!
Lesson 2: Grey scale & Sphere
Lesson 2: Grey scale & Sphere
Follow along with this video lesson if you were absent or didn't get to complete the work in class.
Lesson 3: Proportion & Comparison
Lesson 3: Proportion & Comparison
Choose a simple object like a teapot or a watering can. Draw an accurate outline that is in proportion by comparing the different parts of the object to it's surrounding parts. Begin with the overall basic shape of the object, and move out from there. Ask yourself, "What's bigger? What's smaller? What does this part line up with? etc.." Observe the negative spaces created by the object and around it to also help you get a more accurate line drawing. Tip: flip your drawing upside down and use the left side of your brain to spot errors.
No shading necessary in the exercise!
Lesson 4: Proportion & Value
Lesson 4: Proportion & Value
If you were absent for this lesson, here is a photo of basic geometric forms for you to draw.
Focus on accurate proportions. Don't forget to flip and check for errors.
Then shade in the drawing using the full range of the greyscale.
Lesson 5: Still life of childhood objects
Lesson 5: Still life of childhood objects
If you were absent for this lesson, here is a photo for you to draw from.
Don't fall back to bad habits and draw objects individually! Begin with the basic shapes of every object, making sure the size of each shape is correct in comparison to each other.
Focus on accurate proportions. Don't forget to flip and check for errors.
Then shade in the drawing using the full range of the greyscale.
Assignment
Assignment
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