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Sue
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 Posted -
06/04/2008
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15:18
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Drawing is a new development for me. Ever since I looked at all those beautiful pen and ink drawings in other forums I have thought 'I wish I could do that' I have bought various Beginners Drawing books, some recommended on this site. After the first few pages few of them held my interest as they became very technical about perspective etc.
My watercolour teacher, Jeremy recently recommended another book to me called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. by Betty Edwards. It comes with a workbook of the same name. Its an excellent book, if you can cope with the psychology/scientific theory that goes with it describing how the two sides of the brain work both togejher and opposing each other.
The technique involves training yourself to use the creative right hand side of the brain rather than the logical nature of the left. I am not sure I agree with all the theory but certainly the technique works. The theory book and the workbook do a series of exercises , starting with what you can do with no tuition, and moving on to specific short exercises to develop your skills .
As I have spent a fair amount of time sitting recently I have been able to just pick up the workbook and work through the exercises. I have only done 4 drawings and already I can draw myy left hand in 3 positions, and have drawn a lily flower. Todays task is a peeled orange.
I am very impresed with my efforts, although nowhere near perfect they are a lot better than I ever thought I would achieve. The next stage is to combine these drawing skills with pen and wash techniques. Now I can look at all my other How to draw books and try to blend all the techniques to produce my own style. I love to see the way a true artist and his ( her) pen/brush move as one. I have along way to go, but at last am beginning to think I may achieve it given time, of which I have plenty
Sue
Edited by - Sue on 06/04/2008 3:22:14 PM
If you keep searching you'll find it
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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 10:11
Drawing is an art form that has been been with me for the greater part of my life, indeed, it has been a favourite pastime in my family for several generations and my son has developed a flair for it as well. I have heard many people say "anyone can draw" and it is considered to be fairly low on the "Wow" scale by the "experts". However most artists working in other mediums start off by sketching as a basis for what they intend, this does not require that they are good at it. Drawing is not as easy as some would have it but it is a far less expensive way of expressing yourself, it does require the use of all parts of the brain and not just part thereof. The basics: It is better to begin with a smooth stiff paper, a move to textured materials comes as the skill develops. A good quality set of pencils ranging from HH to 6B, a set of erasers from hard to soft and away you go! A good way to begin is by finding a photograph that you really like and trying to reproduce it in a larger scale, this requires the use of very subtle shading as do most good drawings. A lot of shading on drawings is represented by a type of "hatching" this looks fine from a distance but looks more realistic if it is blended by working it with your finger, try this on a spare bit of paper using a soft pencil, if you can master this, you are on your way. Highlights are best achieved by gently creating them with an eraser, a good example being a white fence with grass behind it, draw the grass and then create the fence with a fairly hard eraser sharpened to a point. The sharpening of pencils requires a little skill, remove the surplus wood with a sharpener and finish the point on a piece of fine grade wet or dry abrasive paper. I will try to add more later Sue but if you have any questions, then post them here or pm me, Thomo.
thomo  |
belle
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 12:21
I think you are right about it running through the generations, all of my family draw, in fact we were easily amused as children lying on our stomachs with paper and pencils, drawing away, and my children too have spent hours like this, I can still remember some of the favourite drawings my brothers used to do , one favoured cars, the other aero planes... i can also remember their excitment at getting one of those huge pens with ten different coloured biro's in as a holiday treat.
Your tips on hatching and highlighting, are great, show us some eg's if poss thomo......I find my brain rebels a bit when hatching and will suddenly do lines in a completely differnet direction, but the old finger rub can help soften those kind of mistakes!
Life is what you make it |
panbiker
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 14:06
Here is a drawing of my dad done by a young guy that Sally used to work with, he did this from a photograph. It uses most of the techniques described by Thomo above with some areas done with scribble drawing. Sorry about the quality of the photo, the drawing is framed and behind glass so there is a bit of a reflection across the image.
Ian |
belle
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 14:17
What a lovely face your Dad has, he has really captured something in that drawing.
Life is what you make it |
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 14:27
Two more useful tips, when working on a drawing place a sheet of clean A4 paper where your hand rests and when erasing straight lines or hatching to a straight edge, the same paper can be used as a mask if you work off the edge of it, a small transparent plastic ruler is also ideal for this as it can be cleaned frequently. To remove unwanted pencil smudges from larger areas, try using a slice of dry bread as an eraser. As many of you will know, I have been interested in the development of the new Boundary Mill at Colne and last week I managed to find time for a good look round. On the upper floor there is a brand new Arts and Crafts Dept, and very well stocked it is, with all the materials required for a wide range of pastimes. You would have to look long and hard locally to find a better one.
thomo |
Sue
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 16:37
As a child I doodled. I remeber being ill in bed with suspected appendicitis or such.( Later removed as a perforation when I was 47, another story!) During recovery I drew a picture of David Mcallum ( I was a great fan of Man from Uncle). Though I say it myself it was very good copy, and I have it in the back of my mind that I can do it really. My brother has always been a bit of an artist, and one of his paintings is on the lounge wall at my dads house. As i have said I can do Biological drawings so I find I can fairly naturally draw shapes. i think one of my real problems is time. Biological drawings had to be done quickly, due to time restraints of lessons etc, Art drawings are slow, thoughtful processes. I have found as I have slowed down I have got better
Sue
PS I will do the photograph thing thouh and may put it up here. My work is not up to it yet
Sue
If you keep searching you'll find it |
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 17:12
One of the great pleasures of anything artistic is that of doing it for your own entertainment. The only downside is that if you truly have a talent, then you will continue to strive for a perfection that will become harder to achieve as your skills develop. Yet, that is what it is all about, also it is a great way of keeping the mind active. Anyone who is at,or approaching retirement age and has no interests other than being a spectator has a problem, "Boredom". Learning skills from a book is fine, but the book that can truly inspire and give you perfection will never be written. On a bad day when you cant get it right, lay it aside and do something else that you enjoy, you will know when the time is right to have another go. I was watching David McCallum last night on NCIS channel 5, and yes he has a good face, then dont we all. Apart from drawing, I have been a modelmaker since the age of seven, at one time I used to make ships in bottles for a living. Having studied how they were made originally I adopted an approach that has always seved me well, "There is always a better way", this can be applied to drawing, if you have an idea, then try it. if you are more than happy with the result, then voila, and build on it. But, if you are truly interested, then never,ever give up.
thomo |
panbiker
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Posted - 13/04/2008 : 19:58
Belle, my dad passed away a number of years ago now, this is one of my favorite images of him. He spent all his working life in the building trade, inside and out in all weathers. I suppose this is what gave him his craggy looks in later life. It was done from a picture of him down at his allotment, "in his muck" as he used to say. I feel I'm gradually turning into him myself. It will do for me.
Ian |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 14/04/2008 : 07:41
I keep saying I'll have a stab but always find something else to do. Must have a crack BEFORE I DIE!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
belle
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Posted - 14/04/2008 : 10:47
That is a very poignant pic for you then Panny, someone once said to me that my Dad would never be dead as long as I was around, they were referring to his personality rather than his looks, which i took as an enormous compliment.
Sue, here's a thought that will cheer you up, maybe you need to be having a go a line drawing, something I love to do, a quick representaion in one line that captures the essence of what you are looking at, it is often considered something that you graduate to when you have tried other types of drawing but maybe you will be a natural, give it a go!
Life is what you make it |
Sue
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Posted - 14/04/2008 : 12:20
Oh , I haven't come across it, do you mean just an outline of something, no shading etc. I have been practising portraits out of magazines whilst sat here in France, I couldn't bare another plant pot, and I don't know how to do fir trees of which we have a few. I was drawing apicture yesterday ofrom a magazine of a man with back pain , hmm must be a reason for that
Sue
If you keep searching you'll find it |
belle
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Posted - 15/04/2008 : 08:46
Sue, i've just stuck "Line drawing" into Google and the second one down,after wikepedia, "Principals and elements of line drawing" looks like a good place to start, if you want to know more about it...sorry I can't do links, but you should find it this way (I don't bother with www. just put the words 'line drawing' in), it says it is a good starting point for drawing so there you go.
Life is what you make it |
Sue
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Posted - 15/04/2008 : 09:04
Will do, may be my ' cup of tea'
Sue
If you keep searching you'll find it |
Sue
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Posted - 29/05/2010 : 11:43
I have never drawn a portrait before( except DaVid Mcallum when I was about 13 and ill in bed!!). We have a lovely photo of Eve, our grandaughter when she was 11 months old, and her first day in the garden. I want to do a pastel drawing for my daughter and son inlaw for Christmas. Today I did my first draft and I am quite pleased with it
Suggestions for improvements are welcome
Edited by - Sue on 29/05/2010 11:44:46 AM
If you keep searching you'll find it |
belle
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Posted - 04/06/2010 : 14:21
When i am stuck to know how to go forward it often helps to make the darks darker, if that makes sense. We all suffer from too much trepidation when we do something the first time, try and get bolder, it's often all that's needed.
Life is what you make it |
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Drawing
