Drawing Hands: Proportions

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Vilppu

As different as hands seem, they all have similar proportions.  The biggest difference in hands is in the thickness of fingers and palms.  The general proportions do not Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing Anatomy, Drawing Hands and Feet, Life Drawing | Tagged Drawing, Drawing Anatomy, Drawing Hands, Drawing the hand, hand drawing, hands drawing, Human Anatomy, Life Drawing | Leave a comment

Drawing Hands: Start with Gesture

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Vilppu

In drawing the gesture of a hand, start with the arm and wrist. These lines should have the same basic freedom in approach that you use in drawing the rest of the figure. These drawings look simple, but in reality this is the most difficult Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing Anatomy, Drawing Hands and Feet, Life Drawing, Uncategorized | Tagged draw hands, Drawing, Drawing Anatomy, drawing the hands, gesture, hands | Leave a comment

Drawing Hands and Feet Introduction

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Vilppu

Hands and feet are subjects that seem to continually give artists, professionals as well as students, a great deal of difficulty. There are many good books on anatomy, but few actually give much instruction on how to draw. It seems a basic truism for anatomy books that the one thing you are looking for is not there. We all end up with a bookcase full of anatomy books. Hopefully this small book will fill some of the gaps, if not in anatomy, in drawing.

In this volume, I am presenting Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing Anatomy, Drawing Hands and Feet, Life Drawing | Tagged Drawing, Drawing Anatomy, Drawing Feet, Drawing Hands, Drawing Hands and Feet, figure drawing, Life Drawing | Leave a comment

Drawing from Photographs

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Vilppu

The Camera As A Tool
Many times while traveling the camera becomes the main tool for gathering information.   Keep in mind that the camera is a tool and, like any tool, there are Continue reading →

Posted in Sketching on Location, Using Photographs | Tagged Drawing, photographs, sketching, Sketching on Location, Thumb nail, Thumbnail, Thumbnail Sketch, using photographs | Leave a comment

Rendering, Modeling Tone and Indirect Lighting

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Vilppu

Indirect Lighting and Modeling Tone
The first half of this manual has been primarily concerned with creating form using line.  In reality, we see things primarily in tone, not line. I have used tone in many of my examples to define the forms without explaining the usage.  In this lesson, and the next two, we will discuss three distinct methods of using tone. The three approaches, which are Continue reading →

Posted in Atmosphere, Life Drawing, Tone, Uncategorized, Using Light and Tone | Tagged atmosphere, atmospheric perspective, direct lighting, half tone, Halftone, hi lights, hi lites, highlights, indirect light, indirect lighting, Life Drawing, modeling tone, rendering, tone | Leave a comment

Thumbnail Sketch

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Vilppu

This lesson on the thumbnail sketch is similar to the point to point method; the main thing is to be able to see your subject in simple two-dimensional shapes, only this time in the context of the total picture.

The first step is to Continue reading →

Posted in Sketching on Location, Thumbnail Sketch | Tagged Composition, Sketching on Location, Thumb nail, Thumb nail sketch, Thumbnail, Thumbnail Sketch | Leave a comment

Textures Create Planes in Space

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Vilppu

Drawing with Texture
Another widely used way of separating elements and organizing your picture is through the use of textures. The basic principle we have been using is that contrast applied to planes organizes the elements of the picture. The use of textures serves the same function.

Texture 1

Texture 1

Pierre Bonnard is a good example of an artist who consistently used them as a way of organizing his paintings and drawings. A texture can be created by Continue reading →

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Drawing Spherical Forms

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Vilppu

These first lessons are the most critical and are the most deceptively simple in appearance. Through experience, I have found them to be the most difficult for the student because of this apparent simplicity. Everything depends on your putting the time and effort into these initial lessons. Lesson one on Gesture was a good example of what seems to be simple but is something that in reality is only truly mastered after a lifetime of effort.

Now that you’ve “mapped out” the action of the pose, the next step in the process is to define your figure in three-dimensional space.  Learning to see your subject in terms of simple shapes and forms along with values is one of Continue reading →

Posted in Fudamentals, Life Drawing, Spherical Forms 102 | Tagged drawing forms, figure drawing, Life Drawing, Spheres, Spherical Forms, volume | Leave a comment

Creating a Sense of Space

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Vilppu

Creating A Sense of Space
The first step in creating this sense of space is organizing it. The most universal approach is to separate the various elements into foreground, middle-ground and background (see figure 1). This is similar to the front of the stage (downstage), the middle of the stage (midstage) and the background (upstage) in the theatre.

Creating Space 1

Creating Space 1

Start with thumbnails like we used in the previous lesson, but now separate the elements into planes, as they are usually referred to. To show these planes, we can separate them by actually using Continue reading →

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The Silhouette: Positive and Negative Shape

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Vilppu

Learning to see a simple contour is a fundamental element of drawing.  The ability to see three-dimensional shapes two-dimensionally is done by not only looking at the shape of the object’s contour, but also by seeing the space around it as form.  Many times, The emptiness between things is Continue reading →

Posted in Sketching on Location | Tagged Depth, Drawing Techniques, Point to point, Quick Sketch, silhouette, Sketching on Location | Leave a comment

Quick Sketch

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Vilppu

In this chapter I am using the term “Quick Sketch” to describe the capturing of an individual or group of figures as quick notations.  In the classroom we might call it gesture drawing.  When drawing in the field, the quick sketch is more than just capturing the gesture of an individual.  There is usually something about what we are drawing that grabs our attention.  This “hook” can be Continue reading →

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Combining Spheres with Boxes

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Vilppu

In previous lessons, we developed our skills at handling spheres and boxes, manipulating them, and giving them personalities. In this lesson, we are going to combine them and at the same time introduce two new elements of Continue reading →

Posted in Boxes 103, Fudamentals, Life Drawing | Tagged Boxes, drawing forms, drawing surfaces, drawing volume, Life Drawing, Spheres, volume | Leave a comment

Drawing with a Pencil: Proper Technique

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Vilppu

Pencil Technique
One of the most useful tools for sketching is the soft broad lead pencil. A pencil and a sketchbook are the fundamental tools of an artist in the field.  With a simple graphite pencil you can capture almost any subject, be it a cityscape or a careful portrait.  All we have to do is to look at the drawings in pencil by Ingres, Degas, Sargent and Mentzel to see the possibilities of the pencil.  The best pencil to use if you are using just one is the Continue reading →

Posted in Sketching on Location, Techniques | Tagged Drawing Techniques, Drawing with a Pencil, Pencil Drawing, Sketching on Location | Leave a comment

Drawing Anatomical Masses

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Vilppu

Be forewarned, this section is uses a lot of highly technical terms.  You may want to study this material in print or DVD format to absorb it more fully.

In the last lesson, we concentrated on the specific landmarks of anatomy we use with the symmetry of the figure to help us see and draw the action of the figure. The next step in using anatomy is learning to see the Continue reading →

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Drawing Surfaces of Forms

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Vilppu

Exercises in Form
First, we need to look at some basic ways that forms connect. Illustration No. 1 gives you some of the basic situations in which forms interact.

Drawing Forms

Drawing Forms

The primary ingredient in achieving any success at this hinges on your ability to analyze form. There are two main elements of this analysis. The first is to be able Continue reading →

Posted in Fudamentals, Three-Dimensionality | Tagged drawing forms, drawing surfaces, drawing volume, figure drawing, volume, wire-drawings | Leave a comment

Create Depth with Dark and Light Patterns

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Vilppu

Dark and Light Patterns 
One of the most dramatic and useful ways of expressing the planes in space them is by seeing them as alternating in darkness and lightness.   Visualize shadows being cast from outside of the picture, throwing these planes alternately in shadow and light. This is one of the most useful and traditional means of Continue reading →

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Sketching on Location: Point to Point

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Vilppu

Point to Point
Point to point is one of the most fundamental developmental and useful skills for sketching anything, be it a still life or the interior of an airplane. The main skill you are developing is being able to Continue reading →

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Drawing Anatomy: The Limbs

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Vilppu

Drawing the Limbs
The limbs have their own landmarks that we look for and use as tools to help us understand and describe an action. As in the torso, symmetry plays a key role and, of course, is defined by the central axis of the form. The most useful clarifying elements are Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing Anatomy, Life Drawing | Tagged Drawing Anatomy, Drawing the arm, Drawing the knee, Drawing the shoulder, figure drawing, Life Drawing | Leave a comment

Drawing Anatomy: Human Landmarks

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Vilppu

It is a truism that you cannot draw something unless you know what it looks like.

It is also true that just because you know something very well, it does not mean that you can draw it. I have taught many medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and various specialists, with much more understanding of anatomy than myself.

In fact, it took a while for me to realize Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing Anatomy, Life Drawing | Tagged Anatomical Landmarks, Composition, Drawing Anatomy, figure drawing, Human Anatomy, Life Drawing | 1 Comment

Using Composition with Groups of Figures

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Vilppu
Composition

Using Composition

Using Composition
The location was at the Los Angeles Zoo, where I often go with my animal drawing class. While you are out sketching, you will often find situations that have a natural sense of order to them and suggest formal compositions. In this drawing I was able to use several traditional compositional concepts, so, in a sense, the total was set from the start, contrary to going from point to point.

In the diagrams, I have indicated opposite elements. Throughout the drawing I have tried to find a variety of Continue reading →

Posted in Composition, Drawing Groups of Figures, Sketching on Location | Tagged Composition, figure drawing, Life Drawing, Sketching on Location | Leave a comment

Drawing Groups of Figures

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Vilppu

Point to Point
This is an example of using the point-to-point process for drawing groups of figures going from one point to the next in order to develop the whole.

Drawing Groups of Figures

TDrawing Groups of Figures - Starting Figure

Above, you see the figure with which I started the drawing.

Drawing Groups of Figures - Reference Point

Drawing Groups of Figures - Reference Point

When I decided to develop the drawing further, I quickly added Continue reading →

Posted in Composition, Drawing Groups of Figures, Drawing Point to Point, Sketching on Location | Tagged Composition, figure drawing, Groups of figures, Life Drawing, Point to point, Sketching on Location | Leave a comment

Drawing Procedure: General to Specific

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Vilppu

In the first five lessons (gesture, box forms, spherical forms, combining spheres and boxes, and ellipses and cylinders), we have gone through the basic elements, or tools, that we use to create form. All of the work we have done so far has been on the presumption that we were doing a procedural drawing where one element was built on top of the previous rather than a direct type of drawing where each line essentially was the finished line.
 
A Plan of Action
In this lesson I will outline a basic procedure showing how all of the elements that we have discussed so far fit in. The essence of this approach is that we Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing Procedure, Gesture 101 | Tagged Drawing Procedure, gesture, Life Drawing | 3 Comments

Drawing Ellipses and Cylinders

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Vilppu

In this lesson we want to expand your repertoir of tools by adding appendages to the basic forms of the box and sphere. The primary skill required to do this is being able to draw cylinders.

An ellipse is a circle in perspective; a cylinder is essentially two ellipses connected by straight lines. Let’s first develop some basic skills for drawing ellipses. To start with, you need to Continue reading →

Posted in Ellipses & Cylinders 105, Fudamentals | Tagged Drawing ellipses, figure drawing, Life Drawing | 1 Comment

Using Direct Lighting to Enhance Three-Dimensionality

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Vilppu

Direct Lighting
Direct lighting is what we normally see when we have a strong single light source. Sunlight on a clear day is an example. The basic elements of direct lighting are highlights, halftone, core, reflected light, and cast shadow (see Illustration No.1). The luminosity of a drawing is affected by how the reflected light is surrounded by the core and the cast shadow. In thinking of the reflected light, each surface that the light reflects from is, in essence, a light source. In practice, it is generally a good idea to Continue reading →

Posted in Three-Dimensionality, Using Light and Tone | Tagged Cast Shadow, Core, direct lighting, half tone, Halftone, hi lights, hi lites, highlights, Reflected Light | Leave a comment

Drawing Boxes: A Critical Fundamental

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Vilppu

Warning! Don’t be tempted to skip this step because it appears too simple: these really are the foundations that will enable you to draw more complex figures down the line.

The box is like the sphere in Lesson 2. It is a critical form that you must learn how to draw if you are serious about developing your drawing skills. The ability to draw the box is a necessary basic skill. If you don’t have a complete mastery of this, it will hinder your development as an artist. Spend as much time as it takes to become proficient at drawing them at any angle or in any combination. Continue reading →

Posted in Boxes 103, Fudamentals, Life Drawing | 2 Comments