By Paula Lee, permanent contributing writer for EmptyEasel.com.
In my previous drawing tutorials I’ve written about perception (really learning to see what you’re drawing), and using guidelines to show movement and direction.
Today I’m going to start with a brief exploration into the illusion of dimension, and then move into what I like to call “the misconception of artistic perfection.” I’ll also discuss the best way to correct your drawings when things go wrong.
Understanding dimension
Dimension (or creating the illusion of depth on a flat piece of paper) is probably one of the most impressive tricks in an artist’s bag. It is also one of the simplest.
As usual, please copy the drawing below and then we’ll take a look at the results.
Now—which cup looks flat and which one looks rounder? More importantly, if you were asked, could you explain WHY one looks more 3-D than the other?
The answer may or may not be obvious. Observe the lines on the cup on the right. Do you see how all the lines, including the stripes, curve along with the shape of the cup?
Many new artists don’t see those curves at first, at least not until they begin to train their eye. Those who do see it don’t always understand the reason why those stripes must curve to give an illustion of depth to the drawing.
It may sound simple, but in order to make ANY object appear round, you must curve all the lines that are on the surface of that object. This idea becomes even more crucial when shading objects—something that I’ll be covering soon here on EE.
A quick side note about perfection. . .
At this point (when moving beyond basic shapes) new artists often begin to experience frustration. Drawing complex or organic shapes is a bit more involved than drawing geometric objects, and some people get bothered very quickly when their drawings don’t turn out exactly right.
I blame this frustration on what I like to call “the misconception of artistic perfection.”
It is a common but very mistaken idea that all good artists can simply sit down and draw something. Often the measure of an artist’s “talent” is simply how perfectly they drew something for the first time.
Nothing could be further from the truth—in reality, nobody is perfect and nobody draws anything perfectly the first time.
Need proof? Go to a museum, library, or online. Look up works by Degas or da Vinci, or any other famous artist. In particular, look at their sketches. Are they perfect? No, they’re not! You can see where some of them have been corrected, often more than once. So if Mr. Degas and Mr. da Vinci had to make corrections on their drawings, then maybe the rest of us shouldn’t worry about it too much either.
So with the understanding that none of us are perfect, please draw the next picture. Remember to observe closely, and see how things are placed in relation to other things. Look for angles, and use guidelines to help you place them properly.
Now, how close is your swan to the original drawing? Is yours fatter? Skinnier? Did you get those funny little dips on the swan‘s nose and body? If so, great. If not, don’t panic. And DON’T ERASE! At least, not yet. . .
Instead, look at your drawing again, and simply observe. Carefully note where you got off track and where you were correct. Then, before erasing anything, simply draw new lines where your drawing needs adjusting.
This particular method of fixing your mistakes before erasing is important, and here’s why: most people have an innate tendency to draw things a certain way, all the time. If you erase your drawing and start completely over, chances are you’ll do one of two things. You’ll either draw it EXACTLY the way you did the first time, or you’ll overcompensate and go the opposite direction.
As a result, the easiest (and least traumatic) way to correct a drawing is to work with what you already have. Observe in this next image how I chose not to erase my mistakes until I got the shapes right.
Now, instead of erasing the entire drawing and starting over, I can simply erase a few lines—the incorrect head, the line inside the neck, the original wing, etc. This is MUCH easier than starting all over again.
So as we get into more difficult drawing tutorials, remember to always WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. Don’t get caught up thinking, “Oh I made a mistake, I need to start all over!” That’s the last thing you want to do.
If you have something—anything—down on paper, you’re already one step closer to the correct shape than if you didn’t have anything drawn at all!
Until next time. . .
