July 27, 2024

Drawing is defined as the action of making marks on any surface with any mark-making material. It is clear, by this definition, that anyone can draw. If you can write your name, well then- you can draw. Now that we’ve established that, we all know that some of us can draw better than others. Becoming skilled at drawing requires several factors coming together. Some of these factors include desire, instruction, practice, time, and more practice. I decided to put together this list of quick tips on drawing so that you can immediately see results in your drawing abilities. This list of tips on drawing is not a “catch all” formula for drawing. They are purely just some tips that I have picked up along the way that have helped me in my drawing.

1. Drawing is a Skill- This means that drawing is not some magical activity that some people are born with the ability to do. A skill is something that can be taught and most importantly-learned. If you want to draw, draw better, or draw as a professional- you can. Anyone can become skilled at drawing. Don’t ever say, “I can’t draw.”

2. Drawing is At Least 50% Observation- Drawing is about seeing. Have you ever taken a photo of something without pointing the camera at it? Of course you haven’t. Yet so many people think they can draw well without looking at an object. Then they become disappointed that their drawings don’t look representational. You must look at objects in order to draw them. In fact, you need to look at objects a lot in order to draw them. I suggest that the amount of time you should spend looking at your object should be half the time it takes to complete the drawing. Drawing is at least 50% observation. If you want to draw an elephant, then look at an elephant. Really study it. Understand why you see it that way, then draw it. Everyone knows that one way to cheat on a test is to look at someone else’s paper. When you draw, look at your object- the answers are there. Just put them on your paper.

3. Use Resources- This one is related to #2. Gather photos or better yet take photos of objects if you can’t draw them in person. Some people may forsake me for this one. It’s just not possible to draw everything from life. So when you can’t be in the African Savannah to draw that lion, use a photo or three.

4. Look for Basic Shapes- Everything in the world can be simplified into basic shapes. When you are studying your subject, try to pick out the basic shapes that make up the over all shape. Usually these shapes are pretty easy to draw. Draw the shapes then draw the contours (outlines). ( This tip will help you with your speed as well.)

5. Good Drawings Have a Full Range of Value- Value is the darkness or lightness of a color. So value is about light. We can’t see without light, therefore we see things because of value. It’s not about color.(Although color is important too.) Make a value scale and then use it. Make sure that your drawing has a full range of value. (i.e. All of the values on your value scale.) You define the light source through your use of value.

6. Use Line Quality- Line quality is the thickness or thinness of a line. If your drawing is a line drawing, you need to consider line quality. Draw your lines thicker in some areas and thinner in other areas. This will add interest to your drawing as well as variety.

7. Stay Consistent with Your Style- Make sure that you start and finish your drawings with the same style. If you start your drawing loose and gestural, kept it that way. If your drawing begins tight and precise, finish it that way. Make sure the drawing looks like the same artist drew everything on the surface. This will insure that your drawing is unified and harmonious.

8. Know your Medium- Make sure that you understand the correct way to use the medium that you are using for your drawing. It’s fine to experiment, but knowing and understanding your limitations with a medium goes a long way.

9. Loosen Up- Drawing doesn’t have to be stiff. In fact, it shouldn’t be. For example, when you are trying to define the contour of an object, draw several light lines. You have a better chance of “finding” the right line when you draw several of them. (You have a better chance of winning the lottery if you buy several tickets instead of just one.) Try holding the pencil differently than how you hold it when you write. Draw with your shoulder instead of your wrist by moving your whole arm when you make a mark.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice, and then Practice- This is the best tip that there is. You must practice. This is true of any skill. Keep a sketchbook and draw literally everything that you see. Draw everyday. When you can’t draw, look at objects and imagine how you would draw them. What shapes are there? What values are there? Where is the light source? What medium would I use? Drawing can take place between your ears.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4256457

Color is a very broad topic. Entire books have been written on color and it would be quite difficult to cover every aspect of it within the confines of this article. My hopes with this introduction to color theory is to peek your interest and hopefully cause you to study this topic further on your own. Understanding color theory is perhaps one of the most important aspects of becoming a good painter. When you understand the elements of color and how colors interact with one another, you have unlocked one of the biggest puzzles of painting.

WHERE DOES COLOR COME FROM?

Our beautiful world of color is only possible because of the solar spectrum. You can certainly do your best to mimic natural sunlight with today’s technology and they have done a pretty fine job of that with full spectrum lighting. But even full spectrum lighting is not as true as sunlight. One only needs to spend a day painting outdoors to see how your color pops out at you under natural sunlight when compared to indoor lighting.

So what exactly makes a rose appear “red” or grass appear “green”. In the green grass, you are only seeing green because the grass has pigments in it that absorb all colors of the solar spectrum except green. So green is the color that is reflected back to your eyes. The same holds true for the red rose, only the rose absorbs all colors of the spectrum besides red.

THE COLOR WHEEL

Sir Issac Newton laid the foundation for today’s color wheel with his experiments that began in 1666. Since then, many variations have been developed. A color wheel is essentially a diagram that represents the colors of the visible solar spectrum. Your basic color wheel consists of six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.

Another popular color wheel called the Munsell color wheel, is slightly more involved. Instead of 6 basic colors, the Munsell wheel consists of ten colors: red, yellow-red, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, red-violet and violet.

PRIMARY COLORS

The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. These colors are your base colors from which all other colors come from.

SECONDARY COLORS

When you mix two primary colors together, you get a secondary color. The secondary colors are orange, green and violet. Orange is made by mixing red with yellow. Green is made by mixing blue and yellow. Violet is made my mixing blue with red.

TERTIARY COLORS

Tertiary colors are made by mixing one primary color with one secondary color. For instance, mixing the primary color blue with the secondary color green, will give you a tertiary color called blue-green.

COMPLIMENTARY COLORS

These are colors that are opposite from one another on the color wheel. Red and green, blue and orange, yellow and violet, are examples of complimentary colors. Complimentary colors are colors of extreme contrast. When used together in a painting, they can produce brilliant vibrant images.

ANALOGOUS COLORS

Analogous colors are colors that are close to one another on the color wheel. They more or less will produce harmonious effects with very little contrast. For instance, a violet, red-violet, and blue-violet are examples of analogous colors.

HUE-VALUE-INTENSITY

Hue: Without getting too technical, and to put things into laymen’s terms, hue is just another word for color. For instance, grass and leaves are two variations of a green hue.

Value: Value refers to how light or dark a color is. Colors like pink or aqua are identified as colors of high value. Colors like maroon and navy are identified as colors of low value. If you produce a painting with predominately higher values, the painting is referred to as a “high key” painting. On the contrary, paintings produced with predominately lower values, are referred to as “low key”.

Intensity: Intensity refers to a colors brightness or saturation. Intensity refers to how pure a color is. For instance, if you were to use cadmium red straight from the tube, it would have a high intensity. If you were to mix it with another color however, its intensity would be diminished.

TEMPERATURE OF COLOR

Colors have temperature, referred to as warm or cool. In painting, reds, yellows and oranges are referred to as warm colors and blues, violets and greens are referred to as cool colors. One of the biggest lessons you will ever learn about color temperature though, is that the appearance of color can change drastically depending on its surroundings. For instance, a certain yellow would appear much hotter if it were surrounded by a violet then say an orange. Another important lesson in color temperature: Warm colors will advance in a painting and cool colors recede.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ralph_Serpe/18025

10 Quick Tips on Drawing

An Introduction to Color Theory For Painters

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