Only Craft – Craft Blog and Store

October 24, 2009

The Art of Calligraphy

Filed under: Paper Crafts — Tags: , , , , , , , , — @ 5:41 am

Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing and it is just as old as writing is. Even though its origins are ancient it is still a popular form of creative expression. Just like any art with patience and practice it can be learned by following a few basic techniques and principles.

Posture is the first thing to consider when you start writing, sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor leaning forward slightly. Sitting correctly will benefit your eye and back muscles and prevent tiring. Hold your pen with a relaxed hand applying even pressure when writing. Using a light but even touch will ensure the ink flows smoothly so letters are formed without interruption.

Choose a paper fine enough for a lined page to be seen from underneath as you practice. This will keep your lines straight and evenly spaced, proper spacing and margins contribute to the final appearance of your calligraphy writing. Consistency in spacing will prevent an uneven appearance that will result if you leave large gaps or bunch letters to close together.

There are a few different lettering styles you can try start by practicing the basic strokes. Be careful to maintain a correct angle with your pen, slant your strokes  consistently and work on your rhythm.

Some suggested styles to try :-

  • Chancery Italic
  • Gothic
  • Uncial
  • Decorative

Use decorative initials in your work to add some interest and colour. Again, with practice once you have mastered the lettering you can begin to design and decorate your own illuminated letters. Use calligraphy for creating beautifully presented invitations, signs, posters etc., but most of all enjoy.

Keep smiling :)

September 30, 2009

Shading with a Pencil

Filed under: drawing — Tags: , , , , , — @ 1:20 am

We have looked at how  shapes and lines can be used to get you started with a basic drawing. Now we are going to look at the different ways to shade your picture and the effects they create.

Before you begin to shade look at what direction the light is coming from in your subject. The light and shade in your drawing is what gives your image form. On curved surfaces the shading is gradual and even from the darkest tone to the lightest. When you are shading a flat surface the shading is still gradual but will change from surface to surface.

A lot of the things we draw have a combination of curved and flat surfaces. Faces are an example of this so shading gradually and evenly from dark to light is an important technique to learn. Remember practice is the key.

There are many ways to shade with a pencil:

  • Continuous Tone – Hold your pencil almost flat to the paper and move it around with gentle continuous motions, press harder where the tone is darker.
  • Smudging - This can produce beautiful results but it can be difficult to keep within the area and have the correct depth of tone desired, it can also be messy.
  • Dots – This method can be very tedious the dots must be very close together in the darkest areas.
  • Cartoon – This is only suitable for certain types of drawing as it doesn’t really have the gradual change in tone, it is more definite.
  • Combination – This combines solid colour with lines and is only suitable for some drawings.
  • Cross-Hatching – This is a set of lines crossing over each other at slightly different angles. The more lines the darker the tone.

I hope you are getting a few techniques you can use to build your drawing confidence. Its very satisfying to work on something and see your self progressing forward. Keep practicing.

Have a Great day :)

Only Craft Team

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 :)

Powered by WordPress