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October 4, 2009

Drawing Faces continued

Filed under: drawing — Tags: , , , , , — @ 4:01 am

We have had a look at the eyes and nose, the mouth and ears are next. Of course, they also come in different shapes and sizes.

Look at the line where the lips meet, is it straight or curved? Does it curve up, down or both? Draw the curves and basic shape in lightly. Notice the difference between the top and bottom lip, is one fuller?

The middle line where the lips meet is the darkest, the outline of the lips is more a change of colour than a distinctly drawn line. The lip edges should be kept soft. Draw in any other features you notice on the lips and around the mouth eg. lines, dimples or moles.

When drawing ears the tops are generally in line with the eyes and the bottom is between the nose and mouth. Look at the ear lobes are they free or attached, do the ears sit flat or stand out?

Profile

A profile drawing begins with a circle, divide it through the centre with a verticle and a horizontal line. Shorten the curve at right, lower section of the circle. Draw in the neck looking at the lines and the way the neck curves.

The eye is on the horizontal line, about one third of the way along the left side of the circle, a sideways V.  The top of the ear curves just above the horizontal line right at the centre. Draw in the hairline,  the chin and the nose fill in with shading.

Have a Great Day.

October 2, 2009

Drawing with Perspective

Filed under: drawing — Tags: , , , , , — @ 5:58 am

Things appear to grow smaller and closer together as the distance from you gets greater. This is called perspective and it takes your drawing to what can be known as the vanishing point and in doing so creates depth.

Here is a little exercise that will give you a clear picture of how this will work when you are drawing.

Write the word P  E  R  S  P  E  C  T  I  V  E, with double space between each letter, draw a line two spaces below it, then place a dot on the line below the middle E.  Join each letter to the dot, start with the E above the dot then follow on to each letter after that bring each line back to the dot use a ruler if you need to.

Now you have given the word some depth, this is what you create when you give a drawing perspective. It works with straight lines, with different shapes and tones or a combination of all of them.

So lets recap, perspective is about things appearing smaller and closer together towards a distant point, (vanishing point), or points along a line. The line is called the horizon it is where the  sea meets the sky, it is also approximately the eye level of people standing or sitting at your level.

The horizon is actually the curve of the earth, it is as far as the eye can see and it is the best guide to use to get the right perspective in your drawings.

Keep Practicing, Keep Smiling

September 29, 2009

More on Drawing Faces

Filed under: drawing — Tags: , , , , , , , — @ 6:22 am

Let’s look at the face a bit closer, our faces are all about expression, happy, sad, excited, amazed, angry all creating different lines. Keep on checking your expressions in the mirror making different faces and closely examining what happens to your face.

When you raise your eyebrows in amazement notice if there are lines above them in your forehead, are your eyes are wider, what’s the shape of your mouth?

When drawing a face use a light pencil, a 2H is good. Lightly make the basic shapes first for example egg shaped head, oval eyes and a round mouth (amazed expression). Mark the centre line from the top of the head to the chin then the cross lines to mark the position of eyes, nose and mouth.

You can also use the grid method especially if you are drawing from a picture or photograph. Hairline and shading can be done with darker pencils like a H or a HB. For a dark shadow effect using 2 or 3B pencils will be best.

Light and shade must also be considered when drawing. Where is the light in your picture coming from. Often when sketching the light can be achieved by leaving these areas clear, or by rubbing back with an eraser. To do this shade the area first, then smudge (using your finger or a tissue), then where you want the light effect, use a clean eraser and gently rub the area clear.

TIP : Try drawing different parts of the face first, concentrate on just drawing eyes for a week. Once you feel you are satisfied with the result try another part. Don’t be to tough on yourself though practice and persistence are the keys to success.

Keep smiling :)

September 28, 2009

Let’s Keep Drawing

Filed under: drawing — Tags: , , , , , , , — @ 7:31 am

If you want to draw, at some point you will probably need to draw a face some  people think they are too difficult and just stay away from them altogether.

Faces can be broken down into basisc shapes and lines just the same as all other types of drawing. Faces have a lot of changing expressions that give an indication of mood this makes them interesting to draw.

Before you are ready to draw spend some time examining the basic shapes and the lines that make up a face. Consider how they differ from person to person and from baby to child to adult.

Practice making expressions in front of the mirror, look for changes in the lines on your face especially around your eyes, mouth and forehead. Most faces are oval in nature similar to an egg round at the top and narrower at the bottom.

Just for fun and before you get to serious though do some basic practice drawings to get an idea of how the lines in different facial expressions lie.

  1. Draw 4 circles all the same size.
  2. Use the ‘c’ shape to make noses and mouths all the same size.
  3. Use the ‘Þ’ shape and a dot in the centre to make the eye and move them around to create different facial expressions.

Remember that all you are doing for now, is looking for simple overall shapes and lines and how they fit together. At this stage you are not concerned with detail that can come later.

Have Fun :)

September 25, 2009

Drawing Parts of the Body

Filed under: drawing — Tags: , , , , , , , — @ 7:20 am

Its easier to think about drawing the body if you break it into parts and then picture them as shapes. The head can be round or oval, the lips are triangular, the palm of the hand is like a square.                                                         When you are preparing to draw a face assess the basic shape, draw it then mark out the centre line. Mark in lines that will place the nose, the eyes and the mouth in their proper locations. By doing this the facial features will have the proper perspective.

When drawing the facial features note that all the parts have various  characteristics.

The eyeball consists of the cornea, iris, pupil, retina and the outer part has the eyelid and eyelashes. the eyebrows form a frame over the top.

The nose comes in many shapes and sizes consider its size in proportion to the rest of the face.

The mouth depends on the age of the subject, the lips of a baby are puckered and relitively small, the young childs lips have developed somewhat and are fuller. This continues into adulthood only to thin again in old age.

The ears are rounded and curve like a shell, earlobes can be short and fixed or longer and free, some sit close to the head others stand out.

Look carefully at all the features taking notice of all the finer details. Practice drawing the various parts individually until you feel comfortable with them. then put them altogether to form your portrait.

Keep Smiling :)

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August 29, 2009

Paint Class

Filed under: Paint and Painting — Tags: , , , , , , — @ 3:00 am

For about twelve  months I have been going to weekly art class and have found so far that I have a passion for portrait painting. While still sometimes needing help from the art teacher on finishing touches I have been reasonable happy with my finished pieces.

My first real portrait style painting was a baby in oils. I will share a little of what I have learned. Firstly the drawing, I used the square scale  from a photograph and drew my image with an art pencil,  but another method many artists use is the projector method.  To do this you need a transparent sheet, available in most art or office supply stores. Enlarge your photograph or image to about A4 size so that all the fine details stand out. Place your transparent sheet over the top of your enlargement and trace your image. Include all the details including the shadings of light and dark. Use a fine black marker for your drawing.

The next step is to place your transparency on the projector and project your image onto your canvas. Before you do though, paint an undercoat onto your canvas, it doesn’t matter too much what colour you choose as it will be painted over, the purpose is just to seal your canvas. Now you’re ready to draw, zoom in or out to adjust the size of your image to fit the canvas. You are now ready to draw, with an art pencil, the projected image onto your canvas. Try and keep everything in place during this step.

Next post, next step, but if you’ve come this far your on your way.

Happy painting :)

August 8, 2009

Kids Can Draw

Filed under: Kids Painting and Crafts — Tags: , , , , , — @ 5:31 am

As soon as a child can hold a pencil they take delight from making marks on paper. Drawing should be encouraged as another avenue for developing creativity and imagination, Soon the marks, lines and symbols will start to form pictures.

Drawing pads, paper, whiteboards and blackboards are all perfect for young drawers. Felt-tipped pens are great for bright colours, colour pencils, chalk and crayons add a variety of textures and effect.

Felt-tipped Pens.

What You Need:- Pens, paper newspaper.

What to Do:- Place newspaper underneath paper to prevent colours bleeding through.

Chalk Drawing

What You Need:- Different coloured chalk, different coloured paper, cardboard, soapy water, sponge, towel.

What to Do:- Keep soapy water and sponge handy so hands can be kept clean during drawing.

Crayon Drawing and Rubbing

What You Need:- coloured non-toxic crayons, paper, leaves, cardboard. Non-toxic, thick kindergarten-type crayons are best for younger drawers.

What to Do:- For rubbing – Arrange leaves on cardboard or a suitable flat surface. Tape paper in place over leaves. Rub side of crayon lightly all over the paper. When finished ther will be a pattern left from the leaves.

Other Drawing Activities:-

  • Draw a small drawing onto balloons then blow up and watch the drawing grow.
  • Draw patterns on notepaper to make greeting cards.
  • Chalk can be used to draw on wet paper.
  • Other objects can be used for rubbing eg coins, keys, combs or doilies.

Let them go for it.

Have Fun :)

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