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Brenda Hoddinott

B-01 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE When you can identify positive and negative spaces inside a drawing space, you can draw what you see more accurately. This article illustrates the process of drawing objects by identifying and drawing three different types of spaces.

This project is divided into the following three sections:

THE SIMPLE TRUTH IN BLACK AND WHITE: Before you can draw an object, you need to be able to identify its edges. When you can see the object’s edges, you can train your eyes to see the space it occupies as a shape.

SEEING SPACES IN A REAL WORLD VIEW: You can’t always define negative spaces (NS) and positive spaces (PS) in terms of simple black and white. You often need to identify several layers of spaces to draw a subject accurately.

CHALLENGE: Your challenge is to draw the shape of a simple object from life by outlining only the negative space.

Suggested drawing supplies include drawing paper, graphite pencils, and a viewfinder frame.

This project is recommended for artists from age 10 to adult, as well as students of home schooling, academic, and recreational fine art educators.

5 PAGES – 12 ILLUSTRATIONS

Published by Drawspace.com, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2006 (Revised 2009)

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this document belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.drawspace.com

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ART SPEAK Positive space (PS) is the space in a drawing that is occupied by an object. Negative space (NS) is the background around an object. Overlapping refers to a technique for creating the illusion of depth by drawing a subject so it visually appears to be in front of another (or others). Drawing space (also called a drawing surface or a drawing format) is the area in which you render a drawing within a specific perimeter. It can be the shape of the paper or outlined by any shape you draw, such as a square, rectangle, or circle. A drawing space can be separated into foreground, middle ground, and background by overlapping (or layering) objects in front of one another. Shape refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles. Proportion refers to the relationship in size of one part of a drawing to another or others.

Figure 103

Figure 101 Figure 102

Figure 104

THE SIMPLE TRUTH IN BLACK AND WHITE Before you can draw an object, you need to be able to identify its edges. When you can see the object’s edges, you can train your eyes to see the space it occupies as a shape.

A single object contained inside a drawing space is the PS. By the simple process of elimination, the remaining space is NS.

1) Examine the duck-shaped candle in Figure 101.

The duck is the PS and the white background is the NS.

2) Squint your eyes until you can see the duck as a shape.

With a little magic in Photoshop, the PS becomes a simple black shape (Figure 102).

You are no doubt familiar with drawing an object by drawing around the edges of its shape.

3) Examine Figure 101 again and try to see the shape of the NS.

With another little tweak, the NS becomes a black shape (Figure 103).

As you can see, you can also draw an outline of the duck (Figure 104) by drawing only the edges of the negative space.

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http://www.drawspace.com/�


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Figure 105

Figure 107

Figure 106

Ah, yes! But, if seeing positive and negative spaces was really this easy, this lesson would be over. But it’s not! When was the last time you examined an object that was completely surrounded by clean white space - an object with absolutely nothing behind it?

SEEING SPACES IN A REAL WORLD VIEW You can’t always define negative spaces (NS) and positive spaces (PS) in terms of simple black and white. You often need to identify several layers of spaces to draw a subject accurately.

To further confuse, spaces can change their identities; a positive space can become a negative space and vice versa. In this exercise I show you how to draw with three layers of spaces (instead of only two).

1) Examine my original photo of a duck-shaped candle in Figure 105.

The duck (foreground) is in front of (or on top of) the table (middle ground). Both the duck and table are in front of the sections of a blue pillow and brown wall in the background.

In other words, the duck overlaps the table and the table overlaps the background. Therefore (for now) the shape of the table and duck combined becomes a PS and the background is NS.

As an aside, many drawings are rendered by working from the background toward the foreground.

2) Outline a rectangular drawing space that is approximately 2 by 2.4 inches (Figure 106).

Use a ruler and any pencil you prefer.

3) Examine the shape of the negative space.

In Figure 106, the background (behind the edge of the table) is the NS. Compare its shape to the shape of the NS (shown as a light gray value) in Figure 107.

You can clearly see the shape of the wick of the duck-shaped candle in the NS. Obviously, the wick overlaps the background, hiding this tiny section of the background from view.

4) Outline the shape of the NS (Figure 108).

Keep in mind that the NS is already outlined by the drawing space on the top and sides. Therefore, you only need to outline the lower edge.




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Figure 109 Figure 110 Figure 111

Figure 108 Compare the size and shape of the NS to the edges of the drawing space. You can’t see the tiny section of the NS hidden behind the wick; so, you need to draw around it.

5) Examine the shape of the new PS in Figure 109.

For now, both the table and the duck come together to become a large PS. The light gray silhouette shows you the shape of this new PS.

6) Mentally switch this new PS to NS.

The table is the new NS. Naturally, a large section of the table is hidden from view by the duck (Figure 110).

7) Consider the shape of the duck as the new PS.

Remember, the duck overlaps the table. Therefore, it now claims the distinction of being PS. However, you can draw the duck more accurately if you draw the NS instead of the PS (Figure 110).

8) Outline the shape of the NS (Figure 111).

As you draw, constantly refer to the size and shape of the NS in relation to the drawing space.

By outlining the negative space, you have also outlined the duck. Positive and negative spaces assume distinctive shapes, and fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

CHALLENGE Your challenge is to draw the shape of a simple object from life by outlining only the negative space.

1) Find a very simple object (such as an apple or mug).

2) Place the object in front of you on a table (or other flat surface).




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Figure 112

3) Prop up a viewfinder frame in front of you so you can see your object through its opening.

I show you how to make a viewfinder frame in A-07 Making and Using a Viewfinder Frame.

4) Decide how much of the table and negative space you want to include.

Figure 112 shows the duck as seen through a viewfinder frame. Arrange your object in much the same way, so a section of it appears above the edge of the table. Adjust your viewfinder frame as needed. You may also need to move the object closer to you or farther away.

5) Draw your object by outlining the negative spaces.

Follow along with the steps in the previous section (Seeing Spaces in a Real World View).

With lots of practice, this process becomes totally automatic, and you can draw accurately without consciously focusing on the various stages.

BRENDA HODDINOTT As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist (retired), and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including her favorites: graphite and paint.

Brenda is the author of Drawing for Dummies (Wiley Publishing, Inc., New York, NY) and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing People (Winner of the Alpha-Penguin Book of the Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education – Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN). She is currently writing two books on classical drawing.

My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter,

the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable. >Brenda Hoddinott<

Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She developed strong drawing and painting skills through self-directed learning.

During her twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, various criminal investigation departments have employed Brenda’s skills, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from “Forensic Artists International”.

In 2003, Brenda retired from her careers as a forensic artist and teacher to work full time writing books and developing her website (Drawspace.com). This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.



SEE AND DRAW THE

Brenda Hoddinott

B01 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE Seeing and sketching accurate proportions is the foundation of drawing.

This lesson takes you step-by-step, through the entire process of drawing a cute little candle-shaped duck, from initially looking at the shapes and proportions to completing a contour drawing.

This project is divided into the following six sections:

Introduction Visually Identify Shapes Visually Measure Shapes and Proportions Sketch Proportions Check Proportions and Add Final Details Challenge

Suggested supplies include: paper, HB pencil, kneaded and vinyl erasers, and a pencil sharpener.





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ART SPEAK Shape refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles. Proportion refers to the relationship in size of one part of a drawing to another or others. Positive space is the space in a drawing that is occupied by an object. Negative space is the background around an object. Contour drawing is comprised of lines that follow the contours of the edges of various components of a drawing subject and define the outlines of its forms.


Figure 201

Figure 204

The duck’s body is shaped like a kidney (or kidney bean).

The candle wick is a long thin rectangle.

A simple circle defines the basic shape of the head.

INTRODUCTION Learning to draw is learning to see! The process of drawing becomes less intimidating when you can see through the eyes of an artist. With lots of practice, you can learn this skill so well that the process becomes automatic.

In this lesson, you use a photo to accurately create a contour drawing of an adorable duck-shaped candle. To draw each part of the duck in its correct place, you visually:

Break the whole object down into simple shapes.

Measure various distances within shapes and spaces.

Sketch proportions accurately.

I have changed the photo to grayscale (Figure 201) so you can better concentrate on the independent shapes.

VISUALLY IDENTIFY SHAPES In this section, photos demonstrate the importance of a thorough visual examination of a drawing subject. You follow along with five photos (Figures 202 to 206) to see how individual shapes come together to create a duck-shaped candle.

You can use positive and negative spaces to see the overall shape of the duck in lesson B01 Drawing with Spaces.




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Figure 205

The beak is defined as a simple triangular shape.

ART SPEAK Overlapping is a technique used to create the illusion of depth by drawing a subject (or a part of a subject) so it visually appears to be in front of another (or others).



Each of the shapes, the kidney, circle, rectangle, and triangle come together like pieces of a puzzle to complete an outline of the overall shape of the duck (Figure 206).

A couple of unnecessary lines are deleted where the head overlaps the body, and where the beak overlaps the head (Figure 207).

VISUALLY MEASURE SHAPES AND PROPORTIONS To draw accurate proportions, you need to visually measure the vertical and horizontal distances of each part of your subject.

Compare each distance to others and look for similarities and differences.

For example, as I examine the photo of the duck (Figure 208), I immediately notice similar vertical distances inside the shapes of the head and body.

As you can see in Figure 209, the length of the head (marked A) is almost exactly the same as the distance from the bottom of the head to the bottom of the body (marked B).

I again search the photo (Figure 210) for more clues to seeing the duck’s proportions by comparing the horizontal distances inside the shapes.




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Figure 212

Figure 213

I focus on the horizontal width of the body.

I discover that this section of the body is almost twice as wide as the width of the head (Figure 211).

The seeing part of drawing is now over, and it’s time to gather your drawing supplies!

SKETCH PROPORTIONS Time to put your new visual skills into action and draw! As you sketch, visually break down each part into its simple shape, measure proportions, and constantly check the relationships of lines and spaces to one another. If you’re not happy with some of the lines you draw, simply erase that section, redraw the lines, and keep on going.

Keep in mind that you can turn your sketchbook around as you draw, especially when sketching a circle. You can also rotate your paper and look at your drawing from different perspectives to find problem areas.

1) Draw a kidney shape in the lower section of your drawing space as the duck’s body (Figure 212).

Observe that the section on the left is much larger than the tail section. Keep your lines very light by pressing very gently with your HB pencil.

2) Add a circular shape as the head (Figure 213).

The circle does not sit on top of the kidney shape.

Rather, the lower section of the circle extends into the upper section of the kidney shape.




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Figure 214

WARNING! Do not draw directly over your sketch lines! Instead, visually re-measure spaces to confirm that the proportions are correct as you outline the duck with a new set of thin neat lines.

3) Add a triangular shape as the beak and a thin rectangular shape as the wick (Figure 214).

Observe that each of the lines used to sketch the beak and wick are at an angle rather than horizontal or vertical.

CHECK PROPORTIONS AND ADD FINAL DETAILS In this section, you complete your drawing.

Keep in mind that each shape represents an independent form. Hence, you need to constantly compare my drawings to the reference photo to understand why the lines need to curve around these forms.

In addition, you need to pay close attention to the lengths of the various lines and the directions in which they curve.

As you complete this contour drawing, continuously check whether the sizes and proportions of each section are correct, and adjust as needed. Keep the following in mind:

Don’t press too hard with your pencils! No matter how careful you are, accidents do happen, and you may need to erase sections with which you aren’t happy.

Draw slowly! Accuracy is more important than speed. Your speed will automatically improve the more you practice.

Keep your pencils sharpened so your lines stay neat and thin. Try using a piece of fine sandpaper or a sandpaper block to keep your pencil points nice and sharp. Pencil sharpeners tend to wear down pencils very quickly.

4) Use your kneaded eraser to pat your entire sketch until the lines are very faint.

5) With a freshly sharpened HB pencil outline the perimeters of the duck’s beak and the wick (Figure 215).

Round off the outer section of the beak and add rounded corners to the triangular shape.




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Figure 215

Figure 216

Figure 217

Don’t outline the lower section of the wick, because it needs to look like it’s attached to the top of the head.

6) Outline the duck’s head on either side of the beak and the wick.

Don’t outline the lower section of the head or the part where the wick meets the top of the head. The head needs to look like it’s joined to the body.

7) Outline the duck’s body.

8) Outline the eye and the tiny circular shape inside it (Figure 216).

Take note of the distance the eye is from various points on the outline of the head, such as the top and sides.

9) Draw a line as the opening of the bill.

Examine the length of the line and the sections that are straight and curved.

10) Erase any remaining fingerprints, smudges, and sketch lines (Figure 217).

Use your kneaded eraser molded to a point or a sharp edge of your vinyl eraser.

Sign your name and put today’s date on the back of your drawing.




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CHALLENGE Find a simple object (such as mug, vase, or piece of fruit) and create a contour drawing from life.

Take your time and use the skills presented in this lesson.

Remember to always examine the object you are drawing very closely, and take note of whether its shapes (or parts of its shapes) are in front of or behind others.

BRENDA HODDINOTT As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist (retired), and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including her favorites: graphite and paint.


My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also

becomes enjoyable. >Brenda Hoddinott<






Brenda Hoddinott

B-03: BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE With a focus on improving your observation skills, this project offers simple step-by-step illustrated instructions, to guide aspiring artists through the process of drawing with a line of symmetry. Many drawing subjects, including frontal views of faces, etc., look more believable when drawn the same on both sides.

You need basic drawing supplies including paper, pencils, erasers, a pencil sharpener, a ruler, and markers, crayons, or colored pencils if you want to add color to your design. The following three sections guide you step-by-step through this project:

UNDERSTANDING SYMMETRY: A simple discussion combined with illustrations provides a basic understanding of symmetry. Symmetry in drawing is a balanced arrangement of lines and shapes, on opposite sides of an often-imaginary centerline.

DRAWING THE FIRST HALF: In this section, you draw simple shapes and lines on the left of the line of symmetry. You need a ruler and pencils, as well as an eraser so you can fix any lines you aren’t happy with.

ADDING A MIRROR IMAGE: Your goal in this section is to draw a mirror image of the design. You should read through all the instructions and examine each drawing in this section before you begin.

This project is recommended for artists from age 10 to adult, as well as home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators.

13 PAGES – 23 ILLUSTRATIONS Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada – Revised 2006

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.

E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.finearteducation.com

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UNDERSTANDING SYMMETRY Symmetry in drawing is a balanced arrangement of lines and shapes, on opposite sides of an often-imaginary centerline. Shape refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles. Lines are basically comprised of three families, straight, angle, and curved, which can be combined to make line drawings. Each family includes an endless range of different lines from thick, dark, and bold, to thin, light, and delicate. Many drawing subjects, including frontal views of faces, etc., look more believable when drawn the same on both sides.

Imagine a line down the center of the following drawing, dividing it in half. On each side of this line is a mirror image of the other. Both sides are symmetrical.

ILLUSTRATION 03-01

Can you see the beautiful chalice in this illustration?

Can you also see the two old witches?

If you have difficulty seeing both images, refer to Illustrations 03-02 and 03-03.

ILLUSTRATION 03-02 ILLUSTRATION 03-03


http://www.finearteducation.com/�



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Use your mind's eye to visualize an imaginary centerline right down the middle of this drawing of a koala. Again, both sides are symmetrical.

ILLUSTRATION 03-04

DRAWING THE FIRST HALF In this section, you draw simple shapes and lines on the left of the line of symmetry. You need a ruler and pencils, as well as an eraser so you can fix any lines you aren’t happy with.

ILLUSTRATION 03-05

1. Draw a square of any size, preferably bigger than 4 by 4 inches.

2. Use your ruler to measure the horizontal midpoint of your paper at the top and bottom, and mark each with a tiny dot.

3. Very lightly draw a line down the center of the square dividing it into two equal rectangles. This line of symmetry serves as a reference to help keep both sides of your drawing symmetrical.





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4. Draw a curved line in the upper half of the rectangle on the left. Begin at a point on the line of symmetry near the top. Curve the line outward toward the left and then downward and toward the right until it meets the line of symmetry.

ILLUSTRATION 03-06

Always place a piece of clean paper under your hand as you draw. Each time you work on a new section, remember to move your paper so it’s always under your hand. This prevents you from smudging your drawing, and protects the paper from the oils in your skin.





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5. Draw a compound curved line that extends from the top side of the rectangle down to the bottom side. Take note that this line doesn’t touch the line of symmetry.

Begin at a point on the top side, gently curve the line outward toward the left, and then downward and toward the right until you are approximately halfway down the length of the rectangle.

Gently curve the line back toward the left until it meets the lower side of the rectangle close to its left side.

ILLUSTRATION 03-07





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6. Choose a point on the last line you drew, closer to the top than the bottom and mark it with a tiny dot.

7. Pick another point close to the bottom of the left side of the rectangle, and mark it with a tiny dot.

8. Use a gently flowing curved line to connect the dots.

ILLUSTRATION 03-08





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9. Add several straight lines inside the space created by the two lower curved lines. Take note that the lines become progressively longer and farther apart the closer they are to the bottom of the space. Watch closely the various directions in which the lines are angled.

ILLUSTRATION 03-09

ADDING A MIRROR IMAGE Your goal in this section is to draw a mirror image of what’s inside the left rectangle, within the perimeter of the second rectangle. Read through all the instructions and examine each drawing before you begin. Then, put this lesson away, so you aren’t tempted to refer to my drawing instead of your own.





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Drawing upside down or sideways exercises your right brain. The following illustrations show four different views of the drawing. Experiment with each and choose whichever feels more natural for you. For example, if you are left handed, you may want to try Illustration 03-12.



10. Draw a mirror image of your drawing in the second rectangle. Examine the following four illustrations before you begin. Some tips to make the process easier include:

Constantly refer to your first drawing on the opposite side of your paper. Imagine you are drawing its reflection in a mirror.

Think about the shape of the spaces in between the various lines.

Concentrate on the directions in which the lines curve, as well as their angles and lengths, as compared to your first drawing.





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ILLUSTRATION 03-14

ILLUSTRATION 03-15





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ILLUSTRATION 03-16

ILLUSTRATION 03-17





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You can greatly enhance your artistic development by practicing symmetry exercises. Put your brain in gear and your pencil in motion and try each of the following.



Try and find five to ten minutes each day to do symmetry exercises. Make up your very own designs, and you can even color them in with colored markers for additional fun!





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ILLUSTRATION 03-22

You may want to use colored pencils or markers to add color to your design. Here are a couple of samples (colored in Photoshop) to get your creative juices flowing!

ILLUSTRATION 03-23





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BRENDA HODDINOTT - BIOGRAPHY As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, conté crayon, and oil paints.



Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted “Learn to Draw” books. During Brenda’s twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brenda’s skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from “Forensic Artists International”.

Her home-based art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and painting classes. As supervisor of her community’s recreational art department, Brenda hired and trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several children’s art programs. In 1998, Brenda chose to end her eighteen-year career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing, drawing, painting, and developing her websites.

Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. This site offers downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.

LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT Drawing for Dummies (2003): Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book

is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing People (2004): Winner of the Alpha-Penguin Book of the Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education – Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.




Brenda Hoddinott B-04 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE

This lesson is all about tricking your brain into allowing your vision to see differently. In a fun project, you exercise your brain, vision, and drawing skills with a traditional optical illusion in which you see two different images within the same drawing.

The next time you go outside on a cloudy day, examine the clouds. Your left-brain allows you to see only a cloud. But, sometimes you can look at a cloud and see the shape of something else. Your right brain often allows you to see other things in clouds, such as animals or faces.

You need good quality white drawing paper, graphite pencils, a ruler and erasers. This lesson is divided into the following two sections:

EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT BRAIN: You exercise both your brain and vision with an illustrated discussion surrounding your brain’s perspective on artistic perceptions. All you need is a brain, an open mind, and a little patience.

DRAWING AN OPTICAL ILLUSION: From pencils to sketchbooks, many tools of drawing are integral to creating art. However, the most important drawing tool of all is your brain. This project invites you to follow along with step-by-step instructions, and draw an optical illusion by transforming two faces into a vase.

12 PAGES – 22 ILLUSTRATIONS Recommended for artists of all ages with basic drawing skills, as well as home schooling,

academic and recreational fine art educators

Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada, Revised 2006


E-mail [email protected] Web sites http://www.finearteducation.com and http://www.drawspace.com

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EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT BRAIN In this part, all you need is a brain, an open mind, and a little patience. With some simple visual exercises, you exercise both your brain and vision.

Your brain has two sides, the right hemisphere (right brain) and the left hemisphere (left-brain). Left-brain thinking is analytical and verbal. Right-brain thinking is visual and perceptive. You use both right and left-brain functions for drawing.

Our education system emphasizes the importance of left-brain functions. This is logical when you realize that the left-brain controls most mathematical and verbal skills. As a result, many persons are left-brain dominant. Many of the perceptive skills needed for drawing are processed by the right brain. Exercising some dormant abilities of your right brain helps you to see differently and thereby draw better.

This exercise may help you notice when your brain switches sides. It’s sometimes referred to as an optical illusion. Have a look at the drawing in Illustration 04-01. What do you see? Do you see a vase? Can you see two faces?

ILLUSTRATION 04-01






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If you could see both the vase and the two faces, you just experienced a switch of your right and left-brain functions. If you had difficulty seeing both, the next two drawings may help. In the first one the vase is black. In the second the faces are black. Can you see them both now?


Many of the perceptive skills needed for drawing are processed by the right brain. Your creative and insightful right brain plays various roles in drawing, such as:

Seeing abstract connections between lines, shapes, and spaces,

Helping with the process of drawing in a non-narrative context by instinctively seeing proportions,

Combining the varied visual components of your drawing subject to form a whole image,

Planning instinctive compositions

Allowing you to better concentrate on drawing by blocking distractions and sometimes even losing track of time.

The primary functions of your left brain include:

Using mathematical logic to establish proportions, such as examining measurements of lines and spaces, and drawing grid lines,

Naming the individual parts of the person you are drawing,

Analyzing the numerical and verbal sequences of step-by-step instructions

Keeping track of time frames.






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The next illustration provides you with another opportunity to see both the faces and a vase. The solution to this illusion is in the two illustrations following this one.

ILLUSTRATION 04-04


Symmetry in drawing is a balanced arrangement of lines and shapes on opposite sides of an often-imaginary centerline. Many drawing subjects, including frontal views of vases, faces, wine glasses, flowerpots, and forms such as spheres, cones, and cylinders, look more realistic when drawn the same on both sides.






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Can you see the symmetry in the beautiful chalice in Illustration 04-07? Imagine a line of symmetry right down the middle of this drawing, dividing it in half vertically. Each side is a mirror image of the other. Both sides are symmetrical. Can you also see the two old witches?

ILLUSTRATION 04-07







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DRAWING AN OPTICAL ILLUSION From pencils to sketchbooks, many tools of drawing are integral to creating art. However, the most important drawing tool of all is your brain. In this simple step-by-step exercise you use both sides of your brain to draw your very own optical illusion! You need a ruler, pencils, and an eraser. Read carefully through all the instructions for the entire project before you begin.

1. Establish a vertical drawing space. A drawing space (sometimes called a drawing format) refers to the area of a drawing surface within a specific perimeter, outlined by a shape of any size, such as a square, rectangle or circle. The rectangular shape of a sketchbook or drawing paper can be turned vertical (sometimes referred to as a portrait format). Another option is to use a ruler to draw a vertical rectangle similar in shape to mine.

2. Use your ruler to measure the horizontal midpoint of your drawing space and very lightly draw a line down the center. This line serves as a reference to help keep both sides of your drawing symmetrical. Symmetry is a balanced arrangement of lines and shapes on opposite sides of an often-imaginary centerline.

ILLUSTRATION 04-10

3. Use your ruler to measure an equal distance along the line of symmetry from both the top and bottom of your drawing space, and mark them with dots. The distance from the top and bottom should be very short. The dots will be helpful later in this project. For now pretend they’re not there.

The farther the facial profiles are from the line of symmetry, the wider the vase will be. For a narrow vase, draw the faces closer to the center line.






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4. Draw a facial profile (facing the right) on the left side of your paper (If you are left handed, draw the profile facing the left on the right side of your paper). Take note that the top of the head begins on the side and not the top of the drawing space. Also the point where you begin to draw is at the same height as the upper dot.

As you draw each part of the face, think about its name: forehead, nose, lips, chin, and neck. This is a very left brain exercise.

ILLUSTRATION 04-11






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5. Draw a second facial profile facing the first. As you draw, don’t think about naming the parts of the face. Constantly refer to your first drawing on the opposite side of your paper. Imagine you are drawing its reflection in a mirror. Think about the shapes of the spaces in between the two profiles. Shape refers to the outward outline of a form.

Turn your paper upside down or sideways to draw the second face. Drawing upside down or sideways exercises your right brain by confusing your left-brain. When the left brain can no longer identify and name the individual parts of a face, it gives up. Your right brain jumps in and takes over.

ILLUSTRATION 04-12 Concentrate on the lines and the directions in which they curve, their angles, and the lengths of the lines as compared with your first drawing.

You may notice that you are drawing somewhat differently for this second profile.

Your right-brain is now in charge!






9

ILLUSTRATION 04-13

6. Draw horizontal lines across the top and bottom of your paper through the dots you marked in Step 2. These lines don’t have to be the same length. However, the points, where the ends of these lines meet the facial profiles, should be the same distance from the line of symmetry.

7. Erase the line of symmetry, and any extra facial lines outside the perimeter of the vase.


The magical illusion of faces and a vase is complete.

You can more clearly see the illusion when the vase is filled in with black, and when the faces are filled in with black.






10

The following four illustrations show you another way to draw the same illusion without drawing dots on the line of symmetry. You simply begin drawing the faces from the top of your drawing space rather than the sides.

When you use this method, you don’t have spaces above and below the vase. Neither method is right or wrong – it’s simply a matter of which you prefer!



The next two drawings show first the vase and then the faces filled in with black, so you can see how each part of this illusion looks when drawn by this method.






11


You can have lots of fun creating and sharing a personalized collection of faces and vase drawings. Think about creating making unique gifts for your family and friends with this amusing illusion. Consider the following options:

Dig into your imagination and make up a unique facial profile.

Have a friend or family member pose sideways and make a contour drawing of his or her profile.

Take a photo of someone’s facial profile, and use it as a reference for drawing.

ILLUSTRATION 04-22 When you have an outline of the side of a face, you can follow the previous instructions to create your personal optical illusion.

This photo was the inspiration for my optical illusion.

You enhance your artistic development by practicing mental and visual exercises, such as optical illusions. So, put your brain in gear and your pencil in motion and see how many unique illusions you can create!






12






Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporate her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. These sites offer downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. These sites are respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.








BLIND

Brenda Hoddinott

B-05 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE Learning to draw accurately depends on many hours of practicing the skill of coordinating your visual skills with your drawing hand, until your eyes and hand work together effortlessly.

This fun project enhances your observation skills by encouraging you to very closely examine your subject. In essence, you draw by looking only at your drawing subject, rather than your subject and your pencil and paper.

This exercise is divided into two sections:

SETTING UP YOUR DRAWING SPACE: This section tells you how to prepare your subject and supplies for doing this exercise.

CONTOUR DRAWING WITH ONLY ONE LINE: Coordinating your vision with your drawing hand is fundamental to learning to draw proportionately correct. You use one long continuous line to draw a simple object without looking at your paper.

Suggested supplies include several sheets of white drawing paper, a few freshly sharpened pencils, a pencil sharpener, and tape.


This lesson is recommended for artists of all ages and skill levels, as well as students of home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators.

Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2008


- 2 -

ART SPEAK Drawing: is the application of an art medium to a surface so as to produce a visual image that visually defines an artist’s choice of drawing subjects from his or her own unique perspective. Proportion: is the relationship in size of one component of a drawing to another or others. Right brain: helps with the process of drawing in a non-narrative context by seeing proportions and relationships between lines, shapes, and spaces. Left-brain: uses logic to establish accurate proportions. For example, mathematically measuring the distances of lines and the sizes of shapes relies mostly on the left-brain. Your left-brain also helps you to analyze and follow step-by-step instructions. Contour drawing: is a drawing comprised of lines that follow the contours of the edges of various components of a drawing subject. Form: as applied to drawing, is the illusion of the three-dimensional structure of a shape, such as a circle, square or triangle, created in a drawing with shading and/or perspective. Curved lines: are created when a straight line curves (or bends). Shape: refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles.

Figure 501: Contour drawing of the well chewed

end of a rawhide dog toy.

SETTING UP YOUR DRAWING SPACE Coordinating your vision with your drawing hand is fundamental to learning to draw proportionately correct. No doubt, you are familiar with the artistic concept of right and left sides of the brain. In this exercise you draw on (pun intended) both sides of your brain. Your right brain controls most of the actual drawing, but your left brain helps by visually measuring distances and sizing up proportions.

Before you begin this exercise, you need to understand the concept of contour drawing.

As with most communications, a visual example speaks much more clearly than words. Examine the contour drawings in Figures 501 and 502.

Figure 502: Contour

drawing of a small plastic toy.

However, don’t think for a second that drawings done with blind contour drawing can look this precise!

Actually, your drawings will probably look awful (but no doubt very funny) the first few times you try this exercise. You may even want to play a game with your friends of “What is this?”

In other words, the process you use for blind contour drawing is in itself, a million times more valuable than the resulting drawings.




- 3 -

Figure 503: Blind contour drawing of

a hand showing the starting and

finishing points of the one line used

to render the drawing.

With lots of practice, you acquire more confidence with drawing what you actually see, rather that your preconceived notions of what you think you see.

Figure 503 is a blind contour drawing of a hand, rendered with one long continuous line. In other words, the pencil wasn’t lifted from the paper until the drawing was complete.

You need very little in the way of art supplies to do this invaluable little exercise; only pencils, paper, and tape. Your goal is to simply make the most accurate drawing you possibly can without looking at your drawing paper.

Set yourself up to draw as follows:

1) Sharpen several pencils (or you can use a fine point black marker if you prefer).

2) Find a simple object to draw. Place it in a position where you can see it clearly from where you are seated. If you’re right handed place the object on your far left and if you’re left handed put it on your far right.

3) Tape a sheet of drawing paper (from your sketchbook if you wish) to your drawing surface so the paper doesn’t move as you draw.

CONTOUR DRAWING WITH ONLY ONE LINE In this section you use one long continuous line to draw a simple object without looking at your paper. Choose a time when you can work without interruptions. Put out the cat, take the phone off the hook, and settle down in a comfortable well lit part of your home.

Position yourself so that you are facing the object, but can’t see your drawing paper. Resist the urge to look at what you are drawing. No cheating now!

Read through all the following instructions before you begin:

1) Rest your drawing arm on the table in a comfortable position.

2) Place the point of your pencil on your drawing surface and look back at the object.

3) Focus your complete attention on the edges and lines of the object.




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Figure 506: The best of several blind contour drawings of my hand; each was rendered by lifting the pencil from the paper once and a while.

Figure 504: Blind contour drawing

created by sometimes lifting the pencil from

the paper.

4) Allow your eyes to focus on one section of an edge of the object and very slowly visually follow the line created by this edge. At the same time, move your pencil very slowly in the same direction as your eyes. As you draw, don’t think about what the subject is. Instead focus on the shapes and spaces on either side of the lines.

Keep your eyes and pencil moving together at the same slow, steady pace. Carefully notice each time the line on the edge of the object changes direction. Without peeking at your paper, allow your pencil to record every detail of the line (or lines) you are seeing.

5) Continue looking and drawing until you have drawn the entire object.

CHALLENGE Repeat this exercise (with the same object or different objects) several times using the same process of drawing with one line.

Then, to add a more challenging twist, draw another object in the same way, but occasionally lift your pencil as you draw the object. This is actually much more difficult in that it’s almost impossible to begin in the correct place again once your pencil leaves the paper.

Figures 504 and 505 show drawings rendered by occasionally lifting the pencil.

By the way, I did several other drawings of each of these subjects, but picked the best ones to show you. For example, I threw away the one of my hand with three fingers growing out of my thumb!

Repeat these exercises every chance you can. Remember, the goal is to enhance your visual skills; hence, your drawing skills naturally improve.




- 5 -


My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also

becomes enjoyable. >Brenda Hoddinott<




LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT Drawing for Dummies: Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book is

available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing People: Winner of the Alpha-Penguin Book of the Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education – Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.

Drawing on the Masters, Book 1: to be published in 2008.

Drawing on the Masters, Book 2: to be published in 2009.




Brenda Hoddinott B-06 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE

Learning to draw is learning to see. Values are the most important ingredients in realistic drawings. Values are the different shades of gray created by various means, such as when you draw by varying both the density of the shading lines, and the pressure used in holding your pencils.

The principles of drawing values provide a foundation for learning to render shading. Shading can transform a line drawing into a three dimensional object or space.

Skills introduced in this lesson include: learning how to recognize angled, curved and/or straight lines which make up hatching and crosshatching sets; and identifying and shading different values.

Suggested supplies include 2H, HB, 4B and 6B pencils, vinyl eraser and kneaded eraser, and drawing paper.

This lesson is divided into the following three sections:

LINES BECOME SHADING: shading can be rendered in various ways, including curved or straight lines, long or short lines, light or dark lines, or even combinations of different types and lengths of lines. Some sets of shading lines have noticeable spaces between the lines, and others have lines drawn very closely together so they appear to be solid tone.

SHADING VARIOUS SPACES: The four worksheets in this section are designed to help you to identify values and then combine lines, shapes, and shading to render very simple two-dimensional drawings.

SEEING SHADING IN DRAWINGS: Shading really makes a drawing jump out at you. I’ve learned a lot about shading by studying drawings or photos of drawings, by various artists. This section discusses the shading in two very different drawings.

12 PAGES – 5 ILLUSTRATIONS – 4 WORKSHEETS Recommended for artists of all ages and abilities, as well as home schooling, academic and

recreational fine art educators

Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada, Revised 2006



2

LINES BECOME SHADING People sometimes comment to me that my shading techniques look difficult. Well, as I tell them, not so at all! My favorite shading techniques, hatching and crosshatching are simple, as easy as drawing lines (or sets of lines)!

Shading refers to the various shades of gray (values) in a drawing that make drawings look three-dimensional. Generally speaking, shading can have curved or straight lines, long or short lines, light or dark lines, combinations of different types and lengths of lines, or no lines at all. Hatching is a series of lines (called a set) drawn closely together to give the illusion of values. Crosshatching is a technique for rendering an infinite range of values within shading, in which one set of lines crosses over (overlaps) another set.

Some sets of hatching and crosshatching have noticeable spaces between the lines, and others have lines drawn very closely together so they appear to be solid tone.

1. Look closely at the shading techniques in illustrations 06-01 (hatching) and 06-04 (crosshatching) and take note of all the different types of lines.

2. Find your drawing supplies and try your hand at drawing some of these different ways of making sets of shading lines.

ILLUSTRATION 06-01






3

ILLUSTRATION 06-02






4

ILLUSTRATION 06-03 Depending on the types and sizes of the lines used, shading can create the illusion of any texture from silky smooth to jagged and bumpy.

SHADING VARIOUS SPACES In the following four worksheets you combine lines and shapes in a drawing and then add shading. You first observe closely the lines you see within each drawing space and then identify the values used for shading. Finally, you draw the lines and values you see in the spaces provided. Grab your drawing supplies and complete the following four worksheets.

1. Look closely at only the lines and draw them inside the drawing format provided under my drawings. To help you to draw these lines more accurately, consider the following as you work:

Find horizontal and vertical lines.

Are the lines curved or straight? If lines are curved, in what direction do they curve?

Find the places where the straight lines meet to form angle lines. Are the spaces inside the angles big or small?

Do you see any curved lines that change directions to make compound curves, such as in the letter “S”?

Look for the outlines of shapes, such as circles, ovals, rectangles, triangles or squares.

Look at the size and shape of the spaces on either side of each line.

2. Observe closely and then draw the different values used in each section of the drawings. Use any technique of shading you wish. A couple of options include:

Let your various pencils help you render the different values of shading in these worksheets. Keep in mind that a 2H pencil makes a light value, while a 6B makes a very dark value.

Use only a 2B pencil to draw all the different values. By varying both the density of the lines, and the pressure used in holding your pencils, you can achieve many values.

These technical exercises may not be as much fun as doing actual drawings, but they are very important if you wish to improve your skills quickly. You become more comfortable with using shading in your drawings when you know how to draw lots of different values. Don’t give up if you don’t get your shading to look the way you want the first time you try. As a matter of fact, you should expect your first few attempts to not look exactly as you wish. Hatching and crosshatching require lots of practice and patience before you can do them well.






5

WORKSHEET ONE






6

WORKSHEET TWO






7

WORKSHEET THREE






8

WORKSHEET FOUR






9

SEEING SHADING IN DRAWINGS Shading really makes a drawing jump out at you. I’ve learned a lot about shading by studying drawings or photos of drawings, by various artists.

ILLUSTRATION 06-04 A full range of values is the core of realistic shading. Find the following in each of the two drawings on this page: areas that are left the white of the paper very light values medium values dark values, and very dark shadowed areas

This simple cartoon character of a cone is rendered with hatching lines drawn so closely together, that they look like a solid tone. The light source is from the left. Light source refers to the direction from which a dominant light originates. The placement of this light source affects every aspect of a drawing. The light source tells you where to draw all the light values and shadows.

ILLUSTRATION 06-05

This crystal angel is drawn with crosshatching lines drawn very closely together (actually touching one another in most places).

Lots of time and a ton of patience is needed to render a drawing with this much detail. The light source is from the upper left.






10

Next time you are on the Internet, in an art gallery, or in your Public Library, use this opportunity to research drawings. Don’t limit yourself to a specific period in history. You find lots of inspiration when viewing the diverse drawings of both classical and contemporary artists.

Practice drawing sets of shading lines every chance you can find! With only half an hour a day of practice, there will be a significant improvement in your drawings very soon.


My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for

the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable. >Brenda Hoddinott<



Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporate her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. These sites offer downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. These sites are respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.








Brenda Hoddinott

B-07 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE Learning to draw is all about learning to see. In this project, you exercise your vision to examine the step-by-step illustrations that show you the various stages of drawing a goofy-looking gremlin.

This project is divided into the following two sections:

OUTLINING GRENDEL: You lightly sketch Grendel on your paper proportionately correct.

ADDING SHADING TO A GREMLIN: You exercise your vision to add shading lines to your drawing. You focus on whether the shading lines are light or dark, or close together or far apart.

Suggested drawing supplies include drawing paper, graphite pencils, kneaded and vinyl erasers, a pencil sharpener, and a sandpaper block.




Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this document belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.drawspace.com Copyright to the Drawspace logo belongs to Jeff Baur and may not be

reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Jeff Baur. E-mail [email protected]

- 2 -

ART SPEAK Curved lines are created when a straight line curves (or bends). Proportion is the relationship in size of one component of a drawing to another or others. Shading refers to the various shades of gray in a drawing that create the illusion that subjects are three-dimensional. Shape refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles. Sketch is a quick, representation or outline of a planned drawing subject. A sketch can also be a completed work of art. Highlight is the brightest area where light bounces off the surface of the eye. Iris is the colored circular section of the eyeball. Pupil of an eye is the darkest circular shape within the iris.

Figure 701

Figure 702

TIP! When you draw circles or circular shapes rotate your

paper and look at your drawing from different perspectives.

This little trick often allows you find problem areas.

OUTLINING GRENDEL In this section you lightly sketch Grendel on your paper proportionately correct.

1. Use an HB pencil to lightly draw an egg-shape (Figure 701).

Keep your lines very light by pressing very gently on the paper with your pencil.

2. Add big ears to the gremlin; any shape you wish (Figure 702).






- 3 -

Figure 704

Figure 703

Figure 705


3. Draw two circular shapes halfway between the top and bottom of the egg-shape.

Each circular shape represents the iris of an eye (Figure 703).

4. Draw a teardrop-shaped nose below the eyes.

Refer to Figure 704.

5. Add curved lines below the nose as the mouth.

Take note of the little downward lines on each side of the longer line (Figure 705).

6. Outline comma-shaped eyebrows above the eyes (Figure 706).

7. Sketch small circles in the upper right sections of the irises as highlights (Figure 707).






- 4 -

ART SPEAK Light source is the direction from which a dominant light originates. The placement of this light source shows you where to draw all the values and shadows.

Figure 708

Figure 709

Figure 710

8. Draw partial circles as the pupils of the eyes (Figure 708).

9. Check over your sketch and fix any sections with which you aren’t happy (Figure 709).

ADDING SHADING TO A GREMLIN In this section you exercise your vision to add shading lines to your drawing.

The light source is from the front and upper right.

Pay attention to whether the shading lines are light or dark, or close together or far apart.

10. Closely examine Illustrations 710 to 718 in sequence, and add the shading lines you see to your own drawing.

Use HB and 2B pencils.






- 5 -

Figure 711

TIP! Shading can be rendered in various ways, including curved or straight lines,

long or short lines, light or dark lines, or even

combinations of different types and lengths of lines.

Figure 712

Figure 713

TIP! Looking at the reflection of your drawing in a mirror will

help you to see areas in need of fixing.

TIP! Practice drawing sets of

shading lines every chance you can find! With only half an

hour a day of practice, there will be a significant

improvement in your drawings very soon.






- 6 -

Figure 714

TIP! Take note that some sets of

shading lines have noticeable spaces between

the lines. Others have lines drawn very

closely together so they appear to be solid tone (as in

the pupils of the eyes).

TIP! Take note that the shading lines of one ear angle in a different direction than the

other.

Figure 716

Figure 715






- 7 -

Figure 717

Figure 718

TIP! Next time you are on the Internet, in an art gallery, or in your Public Library, use this opportunity to research drawings. Don’t limit yourself to a specific period in history. View the diverse drawings of both classical and contemporary artists.

Examine your drawing and compare it to mine (Figure 718). Fix any sections with which you aren’t happy.

Give yourself a pat on the back, choose another project, and draw some more!






- 8 -

CHALLENGE Draw another Gremlin! However, do not make any part of him (or her) the same as in this project.

As examples: instead of large ears, you can draw small ears; rather than a few wisps of straight hair, create a hairstyle of your very own; or instead of an egg-shaped head, draw a heart-shape, circle, oval, a square, or another shape.

Also change the shape of the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth (maybe a big happy toothy smile or scary teeth like a vampire).

BRENDA HODDINOTT As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist (retired), and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including her favorites, graphite and paint.


My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a

passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable. >Brenda Hoddinott<







IN A PHOTO OF A DOG’S HEAD

Brenda Hoddinott

B08 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE In this lesson, an illustrated discussion surrounding a photo of a dog’s head focuses on the process of breaking down a seemingly complex subject into simple shapes. At the same time, you follow along with numerous illustrations to render a proportionately correct sketch of Isaac.

This lesson is divided into the following two sections:

INTRODUCTION: A simple method of rendering accurate proportions is to visually break the object down into simple shapes. The process of drawing any subject becomes less intimidating when you understand how to draw the fundamental shapes of the various parts in their correct places.

SEVEN STEPS TO SPOTTING AND SKETCHING THE SHAPES OF A DOG’S FACE: In this section, a series of photos demonstrates the various shapes of the dog’s head. Each shape is outlined in black directly on the photo. Gather your drawing supplies and draw each shape in sequence to gain a better understanding of the overall process of sketching proportions from a photo.

Suggested supplies include: paper, HB and 2B pencils, kneaded and vinyl erasers, and a pencil sharpener.

8 PAGES – 24 ILLUSTRATIONS This lesson is recommended for artists with very limited drawing skills, as well as students of home schooling,

academic and recreational fine art educators.

Published by Hoddinott Publishing for Drawspace.com, Halifax, NS, Canada - 2008

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail [email protected] Web sites http://www.finearteducation.com and http://www.drawspace.com

- 2 -

Proportion is the relationship in size of each of the various parts of a drawing when compared to others. Shape refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, and triangles.

INTRODUCTION Seeing and sketching precise proportions is the foundation of drawing. To accurately render proportions, artists need to study their subjects very carefully. A simple method of rendering accurate proportions is to visually break the object down into simple shapes.

This lesson takes you step-by-step through the process of establishing the accurate proportions of a dog’s head, by examining the shapes of its individual parts.

The subject of this exercise is a Jack Russell Terrier named Isaac, who was much more interested in licking the camera than having his picture taken. Hence, I asked his owner to hold him still while I attempted to take a close-up photo of the excited pup’s face. You can see the resulting photo in Figure 801.

While the features are clear, the dog looks like someone is holding his head (Duuhhh). Hence, I decided to tilt his head slightly to the right for a somewhat more natural pose (Figure 802).

I used Photoshop to lighten the photo, so I can better show you the shapes I see.

SEVEN STEPS TO SPOTTING AND SKETCHING THE SHAPES OF A DOG’S FACE In this section, a series of photos demonstrates the various shapes of the dog’s head. Each shape is outlined in black.

Gather your drawing supplies and draw each shape in sequence to gain a better understanding of the overall process of sketching proportions from a photo. STEP 1

FIGURE 801

FIGURE 802





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From this front on viewpoint, the head is a circular shape (Figure 803). Sketch a circle leaving plenty of room all around to later add the ears and snout (Figure 804).

STEP 2

The snout is a smaller circular shape that cuts into the large circular shape (Figure 805). Also note that the snout is not directly under the head; remember that the photo is rotated.

If you were looking at the actual dog, you’d know that the shout is closer to you than the head; very obvious if a long wet tongue begins to lick your nose.

Sketch the snout (Figure 806).

FIGURE 806

FIGURE 803 FIGURE 804

FIGURE 805





- 4 -

With lots of practice, you can see shapes in your drawing subjects very quickly – almost instantly. However, beginners need to take a few minutes to closely examine all parts of their subject before ever touching pencil to paper.

STEP 3

Both ears are triangular (Figure 807). Sketch the shape of the ear on the left (Figure 808).

STEP 4

Sketch the shape of the ear on the left (Figures 809 and 810).







- 5 -

STEP 5

The nose is a circular shape (Figure 811). Sketch the nose (Figure 812).

STEP 6

The eyes are circular shapes (Figure 813). The eye on the left is higher and closer to the outline of the head than the other. Sketch the eye on the left (Figure 814).

STEP 7

The eye on the right is lower and farther away from the outline of the head than the other (Figure 815). Sketch the eye on the right (Figure 816).







- 6 -

The proportions of the dog’s head are realistic, and you now have a solid foundation on which to begin a drawing.

CHALLENGE Challenge yourself to draw a more precise outline of the dog’s face by using your sketch as a guideline.

Use your kneaded eraser to gently pat your sketch until the lines are very faint.

Then, follow along with Figures 817 to 824.


FIGURE 817

FIGURE 819

FIGURE 818





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In Figure 823 the sketch lines have been erased leaving a neat outline of a dog’s head.

Remember, seeing is the most important aspect of drawing. Always examine the shapes of the individual parts of your subject before you begin sketching.

As your skills improve, consider trying a very advanced version of this dog’s head from the same photo (Figure 824). Check out the advanced lesson T05 Isaac, in the section titled Diverse Animals.



FIGURE 824





- 8 -


My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and

academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable.

>Brenda Hoddinott<




LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT

Drawing for Dummies: Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.






P a g e | 2



ArtSpeak Shape: is a two-dimensional geometrical object that can serve as the outline of a three-dimensional object. For example, a circle is the shape of a sphere. Common shapes include squares, circles, and ovals.

Viewfinder frame: is an adjustable, see-through frame that allows you to look at a subject from various viewpoints, and is invaluable when planning a composition for any type of drawing or painting (such as portraits, figures, and landscapes). An easily constructed viewfinder frame consists of two adjustable L-shaped pieces of heavy paper, cardboard, or matte board, which are held together with paper clips.

Negative space: refers to the area, space, or background that visually surrounds or appears to be behind (or in front of) an object, person, or another space.

Positive space: is the space occupied by an object or living being and (or) its various parts. Positive and negative spaces assume distinctive shapes which artists need to be able to identify. Outlines exist where the two spaces meet; hence, knowing how to see spaces is integral to drawing accurately.

Preparing to Draw In this lesson, your use a viewfinder frame to draw the negative space around the shape of a chair (positive space) by identifying and measuring the shapes of distances. Seeing spaces often necessitates visually excluding aspects of what you see, until you can focus only on the parts you want to draw (in this case the negative space). Examine the drawing of a chair (Figure 901) and try to see only the negative space (without the chair) (Figure 902).



P a g e | 3


ArtSpeak Drawing from life: refers to the process of drawing from an actual person, animal, or scene, rather than from a two dimensional photo or sketch.

Composition: refers to the arrangement of the various parts of your drawing subject within the borders of a drawing space.

1. Place a chair in front of you (or place yourself in front of a chair).

Some chairs are very simple and others are quite complex (as is the chair in Figure 901). Choose a type of chair that will challenge, but not frustrate you.

2. Turn the chair at an angle (or position yourself) so one of its legs is closer to you than the other three.

3. Set up the viewfinder frame, your supplies, and yourself so you can maintain a constant viewpoint of both the chair (through the viewfinder frame) and your drawing paper.

The basic process of viewing a subject from life through a viewfinder frame is similar to looking at a photo of a subject through a viewfinder frame.

This being said, a huge challenge when working from life is to figure out a way to move only your eyes without moving your head as you draw. (If you move your head, the proportions of your subject look different.)

Drawing environments are very different; hence, examine your surroundings to figure out ways to:

� Keep the viewfinder in place so your hands are free.

� See your subject and your drawing surface at the same time.

Then, adjust the viewfinder frame until you find a composition that includes the chair and a little of the background (Figure 903).

Figure 903



P a g e | 4


ArtSpeak Diagonal: refers to lines, edges of objects, and shading, etc. that are neither vertical nor horizontal, but rather, slant at an angle.

Drawing space: (sometimes called a drawing surface) is the area in which you render a drawing within a specific perimeter. It can be the shape of a sheet of paper itself, or a shape you outline on your paper, such as a square, rectangle, or circle.

Proportion: is the relationship in size between two or more components of a drawing (or painting).

Drawing Negative Space Finally, you are all set up and ready to draw!

1. Outline a drawing space on your paper proportionate to the size of the opening of your viewfinder frame.

2. Fill in the negative space with shading.

Use a 2B or 4B pencil to fill in all the shapes of the negative space. Remember to keep your vision focused from a constant head position.

Do not draw outlines around any shapes – merely fill them in all at once (Figure 906) or in stages (Figures 904 to 906). Draw all your shading lines in only one direction to help you resist the temptation of outlining. (My shading lines are diagonal.)




P a g e | 5


Challenge Use the same process discussed in this lesson, to draw the negative space surrounding other objects in your environment, such as tables, light fixtures, or shelving units.

Another fun idea is to look at a full view of yourself in a large mirror and draw the negative space surrounding your own image.

In addition, you can also draw negative space surrounding other people, such as someone sleeping or reading on a bus, train, or plane.

To prevent drawing (pun intended) too much attention to yourself in some environments, you may prefer to simply imagine the viewfinder frame and drawing space.

Figure 906



OF A HORSE’S HEAD Brenda Hoddinott

B10 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE An illustrated discussion surrounding a photo of a horse’s

head focuses on the process of breaking down a seemingly complex subject into simple shapes. Step-by-step illustrations, then take you through the process of

using your vision to render a sketch of a gorgeous horse.

This lesson is divided into the following six sections:

INTRODUCTION: provides a brief overview of the process of drawing a horse’s head from identifying shapes to rendering a sketch.

SPOT THE VARIOUS SHAPES: A series of photos demonstrate how to see various shapes on the head of a horse.

SKETCHING THE SHAPES YOU SEE: When you can clearly identify the diverse shapes that come together to render the horse’s head, then you sketch them.

OUTLINING THE HORSE’S HEAD: You use your visual skills to transform a bunch of shapes into an outline of a horse’s head.

ADD A FACE AND SHADING: You complete the horse’s mane, eyes, ears, snout, and jaw, and add a few shading lines.

CHALLENGE: Challenge yourself to draw a profile view of a horse’s head from a different photo, using the skills taught in this lesson.

The process of drawing any subject becomes less intimidating when you understand how to render the proportions properly, and can draw the fundamental shapes of the various parts in their correct places.

Suggested supplies include: paper, HB and 2B pencils, kneaded and vinyl erasers, and a pencil sharpener.

This lesson is recommended for beginner level artists with basic drawing skills, as well as home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators.

11 PAGES – 33 ILLUSTRATIONS Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2006



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INTRODUCTION This lesson takes you step-by-step through the process of establishing accurate proportions and drawing a simple horse’s head, by examining the shapes of its individual parts.

ILLUSTRATION 10-01 Proportion is the relationship in size of each of the various parts of a drawing when compared to others.

Seeing and sketching precise proportions is the foundation of drawing. To accurately render proportions, artists need to study their subjects very carefully. A simple method of rendering proportions is to visually break the whole object down into simple shapes. Shape refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, and triangles.

SPOT THE VARIOUS SHAPES In this section, a series of photos demonstrate how to see the various shapes of the horse’s head. When you can clearly identify the diverse shapes that come together to render the horse’s head, then you can begin to draw. First, I lighten the photo in Photoshop so you can see my outlines.

1. I see the large upper section of the head as a vertical oval-shape.

2. Her snout is a horizontal oval-shape.

3. I visually connect the upper section of the head to the snout with two lines.

ILLUSTRATION 10-02 ILLUSTRATION 10-03 ILLUSTRATION 10-04






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4. I see the lower jaw as a rectangular shape below the snout.

5. The ear on the left is triangular and the one on the right is closer to an oval.

6. I check out the shapes of her neck, and make a mental note of where the outlines connect to the upper and lower sections of the head.

ILLUSTRATION 10-05 ILLUSTRATION 10-06 ILLUSTRATION 10-07

With lots of practice, you will see shapes in your drawing subjects very quickly – almost instantly. However, beginners need to take a few minutes to closely examine all parts of their subject before ever touching pencil to paper.

SKETCHING THE SHAPES YOU SEE Time to put your new skills into action and draw! Keep the following in mind as you work:

Don’t press too hard with your pencils! No matter how careful you are, accidents do happen, and you may need to erase sections you aren’t happy with.

Draw slowly! Accuracy is more important than speed. Your speed will automatically improve the more you practice.

If you’re not happy with some of the shapes you draw, simply erase that section, redraw the lines, and keep on going.

Continuously check whether the sizes and proportions of each section are correct, and adjust as needed.

1) Sketch the shapes of the various parts of the horse’s head with an HB pencil. To help you draw the shapes accurately, the reference photo is on each page.






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STEP 1 STEP 2 The head is a large vertical oval-shape. The snout is a horizontal oval-shape.

STEP 5

The ear on the left is triangular and the one on the

right is an oval. STEP 3 STEP 4 Two lines join the head to the snout. The lower jaw is a rectangular shape.






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STEP 6 The outlines of her neck and

chest are added.

OUTLINING THE HORSE’S HEAD In this section, you use your visual skills, and either a HB or 2B pencil, to transform a bunch of shapes into an outline of a horse’s head. Very few text instructions are offered from this point onward.

Do not simply draw over the shapes you sketched in the previous section! Rather,

examine the photo very closely, and draw the outlines as they are in the photo.

STEP 7 STEP 8 The ear-shapes are refined. The sides of her face look more like in the photo.

Constantly compare both my drawings and yours to the photo! Pay close attention to the lengths of the various lines and the directions in which they curve.






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STEP 12 The eyes are sketched

and shaded.

STEP 9 STEP 10 STEP 11 The snout is outlined. Curved lines join the head and snout. The inner rim of the ear is added.

ADD A FACE AND SHADING In this section, you complete the horse’s mane, eyes, ears, snout, and jaw, and add a few shading lines. Use either a HB or 2B pencil.

Examine the eyes; note how very tiny they are

compared to the size of the head. Don’t forget to leave a small

white section in each eye! Also, the eyelashes are drawn downward, not upward!






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STEP 14 The section of the horse’s mane,

which falls down over the forehead is added

STEP 13 The nostrils are outlined and the inner sections are shaded.

The shading lines of the

mane, curve in various directions,

and are many different

lengths and thicknesses.

STEP 15 Shading is added inside the ears.






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STEP 16 Shading is added

to the upper section of the

face and around the eyes.

STEP 17 The lower section of the

face is shaded.

The method of shading with diagonal lines (used for the horse’s face) was very popular with many of the masters of the high renaissance,

including Leonardo da Vinci.






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STEP 18 The lower section of the

jaw is outlined and shaded.

STEP 19

The mane on her upper neck is

added.






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STEP 20 The sketch is completed by adding shading to her neck

and chest.

Erase any fingerprints, smudges, and/or sketch lines that you don’t like with your

kneaded eraser molded to a point (or a sharp edge of your

vinyl eraser).

Sign your name and put today’s date on the back of your drawing.

CHALLENGE Challenge yourself to draw a profile view of a horse’s head from this photo, using the skills taught in this lesson. You will draw only one eye and one nostril, making the project a little easier.

Remember, seeing is the most important aspect of drawing. Closely examine the shapes of the individual parts of the head before you begin sketching.






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BRENDA HODDINOTT - BIO As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, conté crayon, and oil paints.



Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted “Learn to Draw” books.

During Brenda’s twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brenda’s skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from “Forensic Artists International”.


Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. These sites offer downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.

LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT Drawing for Dummies: Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page

book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing People: Published by Alpha - Pearson Education – Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.





SEEING

Brenda Hoddinott

B11 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE Knowing where to draw light and shadows can turn shapes into forms, such as a circle into a sphere. In this article, you examine four aspects of light and shadow created by a dominant light source, which show artists where to draw light, medium, and dark values.

The four most important components of light and shadows are discussed and illustrated including:

Highlight identifies the brightest area of a form where light bounces off its surface; usually the section closest to the light source.

Shadows are the sections of objects or living beings that receive little or no light.

Reflected light is a faint light reflected or bounced back on an object from those surfaces that are close to and around it.

Cast shadow is a dark section, usually on an adjacent surface of an object that receives little or no light.

7 PAGES – 17 ILLUSTRATIONS This article is recommended for artists of all levels, as well as students of home schooling,

academic and recreational fine art educators.

Published by Hoddinott Publishing for Drawspace.com, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2008


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Light source is the direction from which a dominant light originates. A light source identifies the light and shadow areas of a drawing subject, so artists know where to add different values. Shadows are the sections of objects or living beings that receive little or no light. Shadows are shaded with medium and dark values. Shape refers to the outward outline of a form. Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles. Forms are the three-dimensional structures of shapes. In drawings, shading and perspective are used to transform a shape into a three-dimensional structure, such as a circle becoming a sphere or a square becoming a cube. Shading (noun) refers to the various values in a drawing that make images appear three-dimensional; (verb) the process of adding values to a drawing so as to create the illusion of texture, form and/or three-dimensional space. Perspective is a visual illusion in a drawing in which objects appear to become smaller, and recede into distant space, the farther away they are from the viewer. Values are different shades of gray, created in a drawing by various means, which come together as shading to transform shapes into forms. Cast shadow is a dark section on an adjacent surface of an object that receives little or no light. The values of a cast shadow are darkest next to the object and become gradually lighter farther away. Reflected light is a faint light reflected or bounced back on an object from those surfaces that are close to and around it. Highlight identifies the brightest area of a form where light bounces off its surface; usually the section closest to the light source.

INTRODUCTION A light source identifies the light and shadow areas of a drawing subject, so you know where to add light or dark shading.

In Figure 1101, a circle is changed into both a sphere and a planet.

Light shading and shadows are added with a full range of values according to a light source from the upper left.

FIGURE 1101





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HIGHLIGHTING THE HIGHLIGHT You can add one or more strategically placed highlights to drawings of most objects and living beings, to make them appear more three dimensional.

For example, in Figures 1102 and 1103, a sphere helps illustrate a single highlight. Examine the white circular shape in the center of the lightest shading. Take note that the light source is from the upper left; hence the highlight needs to also be in the upper left.

Highlights can be any size and do not have to be circular. As a matter of fact, their sizes and shapes vary considerably, based on the type of light source, and the forms of the object on which they appear.

The drawing of a medieval dagger (Figure 1104) has more than twenty highlights that are different sizes and shapes. I marked the locations of twelve highlights in Figures 1105 and 1106.

FIGURE 1106

FIGURE 1104

FIGURE 1105

FIGURE 1103

FIGURE 1102





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NOTING THE DARK VALUES OF SHADOW SECTIONS The surfaces of objects that are farther away from the light source gradually become darker and darker. The darkest shading on the surface of a form tends to be in areas where the light has been blocked by the form itself (or another object).

In Figure 1107, look for the dark crescent shaped shadow on the lower right of the sphere.

I enhanced the contrast in my Photoshop program (Figure 1108) to better demonstrate the crescent shape.

Realistic drawings of human facial forms are highly dependant on the accurate placement of shadows.

In Figure 1109, the light is partially blocked from reaching the six shadow sections marked with numbers.

Hence, they need to be rendered with darker shading than the sections that are lit up by the light source.

Thanks to Photoshop, Figure 1110 shows the shadow sections more clearly. As an aside, the irises, pupils, eyelashes and eyebrows are darker in color than the skin. Even though they are shaded with dark values, not all sections are in shadow.


FIGURE 1111





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REFLECTED LIGHT Reflected light is especially noticeable on a sphere. Check out Figure 1111, and observe the rim of light shading on the lower right. In this particular case, the reflected light is bouncing back from the light surface on which the sphere is sitting.

In Figure 1112, I have made the background black so you can better see the reflected light.

When you know how to add reflected light to your drawings, many independent forms, such as faces, noses, and arms will look much more three-dimensional. In the drawing of the child (Figure 1113) look for the tiny sections of reflected light on the edge of the nose (1) and along the jaw and chin (2).

FIGURE 1110

FIGURE 1111

FIGURE 1112

FIGURE 1113





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When you draw cast shadows, keep in mind that they generally take on the shapes of the forms which are blocking the light.

Examine the shadow of the section of stem in the drawing of a grape in Figure 1115.

VALUING CAST SHADOWS The light source in the drawings of the sphere (Figure 1114) and grape (Figure 1115) is from the upper left. The light on the adjacent surfaces are blocked by these objects, resulting in cast shadows on the right.

The light source in the giraffe drawing (Figure 1116) is slightly behind and to the left. The cast shadows are long and thin like his legs.

Take note that the values of cast shadows are darkest right next to the object’s lower edge, and become gradually lighter farther away.

How and where you draw a cast shadow, can create the illusion that objects are either touching or separated from adjacent surfaces (or other objects).

The first sphere in Figure 1117, is sitting on the surface. The cast shadow is touching its lower edge. However, the other two seem to be floating, because the shadows are detached from the spheres.

FIGURE 1114

FIGURE 1115

FIGURE 1116

FIGURE 1117





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My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and

academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable.

>Brenda Hoddinott<




LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT

Drawing for Dummies: Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.






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