bebop•dobop: draw

An Iinterruption

2008-10-31T14:59:00.004-06:00

Taking a break from the exercise that we are in the middle of, I would like to post a couple of drawings that I did this morning.

These drawings were made with a kind of charcoal called vine charcoal. It is very lightweight, compared with regular compressed charcoal. It is very easy to sketch something, wipe it away and keep drawing and is also excellent when used in conjunction with other media. You can more easily achieve lighter shades of gray than you can with regular charcoal, but it is also hard to keep a finished project in good condition without using a fixative (or impossible).

Real Life Vanishing Point

2008-10-30T10:08:00.003-06:00

For the next perspective exercise, we will do a real life vanishing point. I gave some examples last time of some real instances of vanishing point: a road going off in the distance with telephone poles on either side, a railroad, etc.
These are perfect examples, given that they go straight out in front of you.

So, give it a try. One realistic vanishing point, coming up.

First Perspective Exercise, Complete

2008-10-23T11:46:00.003-05:00

Here is the completed example drawing for our first lesson in perspective drawing. (Yes, I folded it to get the shapes in the right spots.)

We want to give the illusion that the shapes are going into the distance, not just a bunch of different sized shapes sitting next to each other.

I neglected to mention that as objects are farther away, in addition to appearing smaller, they also seem to be closer together. This is quite noticeable while looking at telephone poles going into the distance.

There is quite a bit more about perspective to learn, but this is a good start.

What's Next...

2008-10-20T13:04:00.003-05:00

Perspective.

Now, you may ask (or not), what is perspective? It is how we represent things as our eyes see them. We don't see things sitting flat on one plane: we see everything in 3 dimensions, some things are closer than others.
When you draw something that has a foreground and a background, you don't draw them the same. If there are people in the foreground and also people in the background, what can we do so that they look like they are standing in the background?

You make them smaller. The things that are further away from us, appear to be smaller, even when we know that they are not as small as they look.

The first exercise with perspective is fairly simple. We will continue to use the basic shapes.

Choose one basic shape (here is circle/sphere)
Make a number of shapes like in the diagram below, making them get smaller and smaller as they 'go into the distance.'
Keep the corresponding shapes the same size and gradually make them smaller as they go in to the center vanishing point.
Once you have the outline drawn, shade and shadow them. Make sure to use just one light source (example: light is coming from one side only, not from two.)
This is all about creating an illusion: the illusion of 3d on a 2d surface.

Things to keep in mind:
Light source--important for shading and shadowing correctly
Vanishing point--the point at which the image (or scene) disappears from view. Imagine a road getting smaller and smaller in front of you until you can't see it any more.

There are several types of perspective (one, two and three point, even zero point!) but we will focus on the most basic (one point) and not worry about anything more complex. For more in depth info, check out the Wikipedia article about perspective.

Soon we will draw a real-life perspective scene. We are almost done with limiting ourselves to just the basic shapes. Just a few more exercises before things get more complicated.
Good luck.

Finished: Shapes Composite

2008-10-06T09:39:00.004-05:00

Here is the finished basic shapes composite drawing--it contains all three of the basic shapes that we started with in one drawing, to show the interaction between the shapes. By including shade and shadow, we can see how one shape casts shadows on another.

This was just a very basic drawing, just to get a bit more practice with shade and shadow.

More with Basic Shapes: Composite

2008-09-24T08:37:00.005-05:00

Now, taking what we've learned about shade and shadow on the basic shapes, lets try to put all the shapes together, still basic, but all in one picture. It can just be a jumble or you can try to make them look like something recognizable.

The important thing here is paying attention to the interaction between the shapes and how a cast shadow will land on the other shapes. (I realize that this looks anything but impressive, but keep in mind this is only an exercise, just practice.)

I will post the finished shade and shadow basic shapes composition next time.

(Lack of) Creativity

2008-09-15T13:20:00.002-05:00

It may just be the weather (nonstop rain), but I feel my creativity is absent, even as I need it the most. Trying to set up more items in my CafePress store, I must be original, creative, thorough, detailed, exact. And as I am struggling, my hope fades that I can support myself at all.
I know that I must diligently plod onward, but I don't feel as if I can accomplish anything worthwhile. It seems a daunting task to compete with so many brilliant designers. Everything I do seems unfinished, incomplete and completely unprofessional.
I would like to keep my t-shirt designs along the line of nature; my only 'completed' design so far is a tree. Until I am otherwise inspired, I will continue to attempt some additional tree designs and then move on, maybe to flowers and birds. Why is this so hard?
Being in my own world as I am, it really is up to me to pull myself together, to sit myself down and think, to come up with some good ideas and to work them out on paper. This is my undertaking, my personal venture. It takes hard work to get things done right. And, I fear, I have a lot of hard work to go.

Sketch of the Day

2008-09-11T14:07:00.003-05:00

Here is a quick sketch of some small trees. I love nature!

I know these sketches don't look like much, but that's the point: its not a finished product, its practice. And practice makes perfect!

New Sketch of the Day

2008-09-05T12:09:00.006-05:00

Ok. In an effort to boost my own drawing skills and get more practice, I am going to be sketching every day and posting what I draw.
Doing quick sketches is a great way to train your eyes and hands, even though the pictures may not look finished at all. Not everything we draw must be a completed work of art, especially when we are learning. As with learning anything, it is important to practice, practice, practice!
In college, I studied art. Some of the best teachers I've ever had were at Walla Walla College. I learned a lot there about sketching. For drawing class, there was a model who we would sketch different ways, spending varying amounts of time on each sketch.

Try This:
Try to make quick sketches (30 seconds, 1 minute, even 5 minutes etc.). If you are around people, try to draw them quickly, but not with all the details. Just a very quick study of the shapes, sometimes with one line (don't take the pencil off of the paper and just feel the shapes, moving the pencil around with different pressure).
Don't be disappointed if your sketches don't turn out beautifully. The important thing here is working on what you see and how you can quickly capture it on paper.

I will be posting sketches in addition to the regular lessons. Don't laugh, its been a while since I really dedicate time to art. This is a great way to improve skills, so I will be doing it too.

The 3D Illusion, Cont'd.

2008-08-26T21:41:00.006-05:00

Sorry about the delay. Here are the completed, shaded shapes:

Pyramid

Sphere

Cube

Notice how much the shade and shadow affect the illusion of the 3rd dimension. Learning how to visualize different shapes and how light falls on them is an important part of drawing and is something worth practicing.

The 3D Illusion

2007-11-30T15:16:00.002-06:00

So, how do we go from 2 dimensions and make the illusion of 3 dimensions?
The normal 2D shapes that we were working on with the last exercise are changed slightly as follows:

Triangle = Pyramid

Circle = Sphere

(I know that the circle/sphere doesn't look that different now, but just wait until you shade it and give it a shadow.)

Square = Cube

It takes both shade and shadow to give the illusion of the 3rd dimension.

Next time: I'll finish the exercise myself, and show you the results.

Holding a Pencil

2007-11-28T14:59:00.002-06:00

You might wonder, 'whats the big deal about holding a pencil?' Well, different people hold a pencil in different ways. When drawing there are basically 2 ways to hold a pencil, each for achieving a different effect.

Writing and drawing
Holding a pencil normally to draw lines and write.
Good for outlining, sketching, etc.
Its harder to shade an area this way.

Shading
Hold the pencil more to the side, so that the lead (or graphite) lays flat along the paper. In this way you can achieve a smoother shading, not sharp lines.
It is much easier to shade, harder to get a sharp edge.

The Basic Shapes: Shade

2007-11-27T15:36:00.002-06:00

There are a multitude of different shapes, but we will focus on the three most basic shapes: triangle, circle and square.
Our first exercise with these shapes is a simple shading exercise. Shade the 2 dimensional shape as if there is light shining across it. We will only worry about shading first, then shadow.

Here is an example of how to shade. As you can see, I need the practice as well! Its been a while since I draw, so I want to build my skills as well. Please bear with me and try these exercises out. They really do work!

Shading Exercise, Results

2007-11-26T13:55:00.001-06:00

This is what the shading exercise should look like, using a pencil to make from dark to light in 5 blocks.

I know that it is very simple and not very neat, but just try to see that it is possible to achieve a whole range of different values, just with a pencil. These values (dark to light) allow us to capture many things while drawing.

More shading exercises next lesson, this time the basic shapes, with shade and shadow.

Pencil Shade Continued

2007-11-20T16:55:00.001-06:00

Since I've given you such a long break, its time to continue learning how to control the pencil.
Today's exercise is just a continuation of the last shading exercise.

Look at the picture of the long rectangle divided into several sections.
The left-most rectangle should be dark, while the right one should be left white.
Try to shade the rectangles left in between the values left.
Next time we'll see if you got it right, so just give it a try.

The First Step: Shade and Shadow

2007-11-08T16:03:00.001-06:00

What are shade and shadow?
What is the difference between them, and how are they similar?

Both shade and shadow are related to light and how it affects and is affected by the surroundings.

In this simple diagram, you can see the difference between them. Light shines on the vase, casting a shadow to one side, leaving the surface in varying degrees of shade in relation to the light, the furthest area from the light being the darkest, closest being lightest.
Shade and shadow are clearly related to each other, but still manage to be different.

Exercise:
To put this into practice, for starters, get used to shading. Try shading a rectangle for now. Just start at one side and shade to the other, using different gradations of shading.
Try and make the transitions as smooth as possible.

Just a simple exercise to try to get used to shading. Don't laugh at my examples! Just try it.

Shading is an important part of drawing. It helps to show the 3rd dimension when drawing in 2D. Shading is indispensable when trying to draw the illusion of a real shape on a flat piece of paper.
The things we see everyday are not just made up of lines. To portray what we see, we must be able to interpret both shade and shadow with a pencil and paper.

Get Started Drawing

2007-11-05T15:06:00.002-06:00

What do you need to start drawing? While there are countless different brands and products, pencils and paper, you don't need to break the bank to get started. Look around your house for different pencils and some paper.

What you need: pencil, paper, eraser and pencil sharpener. There are many kinds of each of these items, but I have given examples of some that I have on hand. A simple 2b pencil with an eraser will work. These are all quite easy to find items that will work for you to get started drawing.

Different varieties of pencil give a different kind of line. The letters and numbers on the pencil indicate how hard or soft the graphite is ( B being soft and H being hard). There are more than what I have pictured. I believe the range of pencils are as follows from hardest to softest: 6h 5h 4h 3h 2h F HB B 2b 3b 4b 5b 6b; 6h gives a very thin, light line, while 6b gives a very dark, wide line and so on.

Next time: more on what the different pencils are used for, drawing terminology...

Want to learn how to draw?

2007-10-17T18:59:00.000-05:00

Are you tired of drawing stick figures? Fed up with people confusing your drawings with those of a preschooler?
Then look no further: here at bebopdobop: draw, I will teach you how to draw, starting with the most basic of basics.
For beginners, don't worry, the lessons will advance fairly slowly. For more advanced artists, why not try and brush up your skills?
For the actual lessons, I will include written instructions and photo examples here in this blog of what to try and/or follow. There will be a variety of techniques covered with many different media (like pencils, charcoal, pastel, etc).
Please stick around and check back in with me at bebopdobop: draw.

Anyone can learn how to draw. It just takes lots of practice and the determination to see things in a different light. The world is waiting, how will you draw it?

Testing 1 2

2007-10-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

This is just a test. I need to pick a better template.
Wish me luck!