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By Adamduncan
Learning to See
Before I get into the meat of the article I'd like to point out that I try always to practice a lot of what I'm going to preach here but it doesn't always work out the way I planned. Why? I'm still very much in the process of assimilating it all myself and I haven't got it right yet. So don't worry if you don't get it right first time round either (practice, don't be discouraged by anything). From practicing the methods and the theory here I have improved my drawing skills and with continual practice I will improve further. Hopefully you will too.
I would like to say a few things about learning to draw before we start. Learning to draw is about learning to see (that is a cliché but it is true). Drawing from life is an important part of learning to draw, I believe it is a skill all artists should have, even abstract artists or artists who work from their imagination. It isn't hard to set up, you can draw anything. You could set up a still life or get a mirror and do a self portrait. If you want something more natural then do some quick drawings of people on the street, your house, family and friends or maybe a pet. It is important because it will improve your drawing skills and your confidence. It will add to the references you can draw on in your artwork, it will inform your imagination and allow you to develop your own personal style and ideas. For example, how do you see yourself or your pet? How are you going to describe movement?
Two artists (with whom I'm sure you are familiar) that I would like to draw your attention to are David Hockney and Pablo Picasso. They are examples of superb artists who were excellent draughtsman and who experimented widely with their artwork. As David Hockney said'Tomorrow if I want, I could get up, I could draw my mother from memory, I could even paint a strange little abstract picture. It would all fit into my concept of painting as an art. A lot of painters can't do that - their concept is completely different. It's too narrow; they make it too narrow...' This is just as relevant when learning to draw. Do not cut yourself off from methods and ideas that could you could potentially really enjoy. There is plenty of information about both artists on the internet as well as a large number of books written about them..
As you progress with your artwork you may eventually give up drawing from life, never returning to it and never trying to do another realistic drawing again. However, what would your artwork be like if you had never had that background to work from?
'...I do not mean to imply in anyway that realistic drawing is to be valued above other kinds of art...In a sense, realistic drawing is a stage to be passed through, ideally at around age ten to twelve...Even professional artists - individuals holding jobs as art teachers, designers, commercial artists, working painters and sculptors - have enrolled in my courses and have confided to me their genuine distress at their 'guilty secret': that they cannot draw.' - Betty Edwards from 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.'
A point of contention that I would like to bring up are photographs. I use photographs a great deal of the time for reference in my artwork, in my opinion that is acceptable (but not preferable). In spite of this I do believe that initially when learning to draw, drawing from life is the best method and will improve your drawings more than any other technique (for the reasons stated above and more). The disadvantages of using photographs are many. You can't see a photograph from all angles, not to mention they are often dull and can be distorted. You cannot study movement, you also cannot change the position of the prop or quickly change the pose of the model. So for technical and practical reasons I can't encourage drawing from photographs for learning purposes. However, as I'm sure many of you know there are advantages to using photographs (especially in terms of reference). I certainly don't think they are as bad as many people make them out to be and if nothing else will do then they are a substitute for the 'real thing' but if you can get hold of the 'real thing' and draw it, then do so.
So what do I recommend? If as I do you want to use photographic reference in your artwork then go ahead and do it. It would help your drawings skills if you could also keep a sketchbook in which you draw from life (could be figures, animals, houses or whatever else you want to put in there). Even for people doing very stylized work (anime or illustrative work) it is an extremely helpful practice. Although it sounds obvious, a lot of new artists seem not to realise (I know because I was exactly the same) that the best way to learn how to draw a figure, an animal or a building is to go out and draw one.
Contents of Article
I have broken this article down into several smaller chunks in order to make it easier to navigate.
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| |  | Sketching With A Pencil: For Those Who Are Just Beginning
Hamilton explains, in a fine text accompanied by many simple sketches and finished drawings, how to sketch. He succeeds in encouraging development of competence and increasing satisfaction for amateur artists using the simple materials of paper, pencil, and eraser. Concentrates on fundamentals: how to hold a pencil and compose a drawing; and creating the illusions of depth and distance. |
| |  | Pencil Sketching, 2nd Edition (Paperback)
The complete, classic guide to the art of pencil sketching. So many art books give long-winded descriptions of what to do, and even how to do it, yet they fail to capture the essence of what makes a drawing good. Wang concentrates on simple elements and rules of thumb, providing a wealth of wisdom in a few words and pictures. |  |
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Anon.
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