| Drawing by copying is useful for beginners. It lets | | | | starting two objects (box and apple) but add |
| one practice style and methods of drawing | | | | different third objects from memory.How to |
| without being concerned about the exact subject | | | | Measure Hold a pencil up with your arm extended |
| matter. Accuracy in eye measurement comes | | | | away from you. Mark the length, width or height |
| with copying.Copying also gives training to the eye | | | | of the object with your thumb on the pencil. |
| by allowing one to correct mistakes in the | | | | Transfer this measurement to the drawing and |
| estimates of lengths.A second type of drawing, | | | | use it as the standard measurement to which |
| perspective or object drawing, gives a knowledge | | | | others will be gauged. For example, when drawing |
| of form and construction. The relations and | | | | a house, hold the pencil out and line up the end |
| relative sizes of objects to each other are learned | | | | with one corner of the base of the house. Put |
| through drawing them.Finally, imaginary drawings | | | | your thumb on the pencil at the point where the |
| enable an artist to express thought and impart | | | | other side of the house is located. Transfer this |
| ideas.These three types of drawing support and | | | | to paper and use this measure, the width of the |
| help the others:-- Copying shows one how.-- In | | | | house, as a standard for making other relative |
| object drawing one sees how.-- With imaginative | | | | measurements.Scale Of Drawings One of the |
| drawing one thinks how.Eye Measurements | | | | biggest mistakes beginners make is to draw on |
| Practice measuring by eye with this simple | | | | too small of a scale. In copying pictures from |
| exercise:-- Draw a line four inches long and divide | | | | magazines and books the beginner naturally copies |
| it in half, just by looking at it with the unaided | | | | it as is, at that size. The beginner usually does not |
| eye.-- Draw another line and divide it into thirds.-- | | | | know that the original drawing from which the |
| Do it yet again, dividing the line into fourths.-- | | | | picture was made was almost certainly much |
| Repeat this exercise with lines of different | | | | larger.Varying the scale of drawings is good |
| lengths.To check your progress, measure the | | | | practice to keep measurement and proportion |
| length of each segment after you've divided it | | | | skills up. Repeat the same drawing at different |
| solely by eye. Did you come close to halves, or | | | | sizes for a simple exercise.Drawing from Models |
| thirds? Practice until you do.Proportion Accurate | | | | Use simple objects you find around you as |
| eye measurement is required to draw figures in | | | | models. Draw them singly at first and as you |
| proper proportion. If the head is drawn twice as | | | | advance group them together. Use objects with |
| long as it should be, the whole figure looks out of | | | | dull surfaces. These have simple areas of light and |
| proportion because the head seems | | | | dark shade on their surfaces. Shiny objects |
| unnatural.Body sizes should be compared to each | | | | reflect light and cast complex shadows.Models |
| other, and made in sizes relative to their | | | | with a single color are best at first. The eye will |
| proportions. This takes practice, close observation | | | | focus on form, not color. |
| and an ability to measure with the eye.An | | | | Place your model objects against contrasting |
| effective exercise for learning to draw relative | | | | backgrounds. It is difficult to discern form when |
| proportions is to use some ordinary object as a | | | | there is no contrast. If the object is dark, place it |
| standard measure and draw it carefully. Then | | | | on a white background. If it is white, place a dark |
| place other objects next to it and draw them. | | | | background behind it.Light And Shade Begin |
| Use simple objects of different shapes and | | | | practicing drawing shadows and light by using |
| sizes.For a more advanced exercise draw place | | | | simple objects as models. These should be |
| two objects of different sizes together, such as a | | | | objects with simple outlines and very little detail, |
| cardboard box with an apple on top. Draw these | | | | such as a ball or brick. Place the object on a white |
| in relative proportion, or practice drawing them | | | | piece of paper and direct light from just one |
| until you can. Then, from memory, add a third | | | | source onto it. This will give a shadow from one |
| object to this scene, drawing it in relative | | | | source only. Practice drawing many objects like |
| proportion to the two objects already there.Do | | | | this, singly, before drawing more complicated |
| this exercise over and over with the same | | | | scenes. |