JayD’s Basic 101 Drawing :Class1

Introduction

Welcome to Basics 101. I have to warn you that these first few sessions
will be boring but they will pay off for you if you do the projects and take
advantage of the companion guest lecture series.

Each class will be divided into three sections.:

1. I will present the subject and do a demonstration. You may either follow
the demonstration or improvise one of your own as long as you stay on
track for the class.

2.. You will present the result of your class assignment and talk about the
process and any problems that you had doing the assignment. All
members of the class may participate with comments during this phase.
Also, at this phase, you may also present questions to me, which the class
may answer, either I will answer or non-class participants may answer.

3. The Guest Lecture Series—this series can be found at

http://www.artgraphica.net/free-art...wing-basics.htm Members of Wet
Canvas have volunteered to provide demonstrations pertinent to the class
material. I encourage you to check out this useful archive. Right now the
lectures are only a few but more will be coming so make sure that you
constantly check back for the lecture. If you have something that you might
feel will contribute to the lecture series, please contact either Gavin
(Zarathrustra) or myself by pm and we will tell you how to get set up for the
series. One other thing—DO the demonstrations that have been
posted—you can only benefit from doing them.

NOTE: this is a mechanics class so we are sticking to the bare basics here
and we should make an effort to limit philosophical opinions. Now, on to the
class:
Why Drawing is Important

Drawing is planning. Much of the success

of any piece of art depends largely on how
well it has been planned. Planning in art is
dependent upon drawing and the final look
of a finished piece will dictate how piece
will look. I remember reading passage
upon passage in watercolor instructions
(Ray Smith for example) and publications
like “Watercolor Magic” where great
emphasis is placed upon drawing—the idea being that no matter how
strong your technical skills are in your chosen media, if you have not
rendered a fine initial drawing your piece will look amateurish, unfinished or
empty.

This is an arguable point when

you look at, say, the works of
humorists like James Thurber or
Jules Pffeifer whose drawings are
less then awe inspiring. However,
they have taken their seeming
INABILITY to draw and have
meshed with their words so that
not only is
their
humor in the words but there is humor in the
drawing—the two blend and that is what drawing
must do for you it must blend so that only your
intended idea is not distracted by a weak hand,
much like a choir with the Sopranos, Altos, Bass
and Tenors, your drawing are songs and the
drawing and the media technique are the harmony produced.

The Masters knew this fact and as Jose Parramon

writes “drawing is the mother and the father of all
arts”. Drawing has long been entwined in the
traditions of techniques such as painting, architecture, sculpture and even
in such visual endeavors as film making. As a woodcarver, I create a three
dimensional drawing, turn it into a two dimensional pattern, transfer the
patter to my block of wood, bandsaw out the the shape and begin, using
my gouges to shape the piece. The entire time I am carving, I will be
REDRAWING or restating the drawing so that my cutting does not throw
me off track.

Drawing is the dawn of the artistic process..

Lesson 1

We now come to Basic 101 which will emphasize breaking the drawing
down into its geometric components, creating a harmony and finally a piece
that will sing the artist’s song.

A word of caution: there are many different ways to approach this subject
and just as many popular books. There may be personal philosophical
issues regarding drawing that do not mesh with what I am writing. I ask that
you put aside the philosophies and just take this class for what it is—a
mechanics class to help you to better envision your own personal approach.

Source material

The textbook that we will be using is How to Draw What You See by Rudy
de Reyna.

In preparing this course I have drawing from other sources such as Bert
Dobson’s Keys to Drawing, Gene Frank’s Pencil Drawing (Walter Foster),
Pencil Drawing Techniques edited by David Lewis, Barnes and Nobles’
Drawing: A Step by Step Guide, Drawing in Pencil by Jose Parramon.

Hence, if I seem to be veering off with courses that you cannot find in the
book, rest assured that I am drawing upon other related sources.
Materials:

1. How to Draw What You See by Rudy de Reyna (This is an optional requirement)

2. A number two office pencil(equivalent to a 2b) or an HB or 2B pencil (the

brand does not matter).

3. A sketchpad (the quality of the paper is of not matter at this point, the
size should be 8.5 inches by 10 inches or better)

4. A regular eraser. If you have a number two, the eraser on the end of the
pencil is fine. I use a Sakura Electric eraser but that is purely a luxury.

5. A kneaded Eraser

6. a blender (q tips, toilet paper, your finger, tortillions or blending stumps)

7. A pencil Sharpener—I use an electric sharpener but that is a matter of preference.

8. A drafting brush—optional but highly recommended.

Your Studio Space:

For the purposes of this course, your studio space is simply where you do
your drawing. It can be an elaborate building, a comfy specially build room,
the corner of a room (like I have) a kitchen table or an outhouse in Whiz
Bang, Kentucky. Draw where you feel comfortable. My personal space is a
flat surfaced drawing table with an electrical outlet attached. On top of that
I have a portable drafting table that I can remove and put away when I am
doing mats or whatever. I have a half sized file cabinet of to one side and
on top of that sits my light table. I have a magnifier lamp as as a light
source along with an Ott light and, of course three windows which allow
natural sunlight to shine through. I have included a photo of where I work.
Regardless, do not draw on a flat surface as it can distort your perception
of your pr object. Try to work with at least a 45-degree angle.
Drawing on a flat as opposed to angled surface is a poor drawing habit.
When working on larger papers (over 10 inches) your line of sight will no
longer view the entire surface
which can in turn lead to a
distorted perspective. Even
though this problem is minimal
with the size of paper that I am
suggesting for this class, it will
become a problem if you decide
to work on larger surfaces. It is
better to break this habit now
then have it crop up as a major
problem later. If you are not
using a drafting table like I like to
do and instead are using a
drawing board, consider the following tip: place one end of the board so
that it rests in your lap and rest the other end against a surface like a table.
This allows you the benefit of working on an angled surface and offers the
back support that you will need to free up your hands.

Lighting:

As I mentioned before, I use several combinations of light sources: an ott

light, natural sunlight, and a magnifier lamp. You do NOT need everyone of
these light sources but you should try to find one that best approximates
natural sunlight. I use the combination of lights in positions when combined
eliminate the shadows projected from my hand. The ott light works well and
there are also light bulbs that you can pick up at Wal-Mart that also
approximate natural sunlight.

If you are left handed, position the light behind your right shoulder. If you
are right handed position the source light behind your left shoulder.
A Word About Pencils:

It is very easy to be wondering aimlessly through a crafts or art store and

suddenly stumble across—the tins! Beware of pretty boxes and lovely
packaging. Most of you are going to discover that, sooner or later, you’re
only working with a chose few while the other members of those pretty tins
sleep away like vampires in a coffin. Whenever you can try to buy “open
stock”. These are pencils that you can buy individually and you can build
your personal stockpile to suit your own artistic tastes.

Not all pencils are the same.

There are probably as many types of pencils as there are artists. Every one
of us has personal preferences that we feel offers the best results. I lean
toward mechanical pencils, 0.5mm and 0.3mm but I also like Prismacolor
sketching pencils that are graphite. To me, these offer me the best control.
Take your pick and look around. When you go to a store ask the
storekeepers to let you test pencils to see if you like them. If the stores
don’t offer this service look around some more or get your friends at Wet
Canvas to post some examples before you make a purchase. I have
posted some samples of different pencils for you to see.

The graphite or “lead” pencil is the

pencil that is generally used for
drawing. Pencils are categorized by
their degree of hardness. B through
9B denote softer pencils while H
through 9H denote harder leads. F
and HB denote more neutral
gradations. The softest lead
produces the most intense darker
values. You can use a 2b, an F or an
HB to lay out your drawing before
proceeding but really the choice is
entirely yours.
Holding a pencil:

In the following photos, Jennifer demonstrates how a pencil is held for

drawing. Not that she also has a drawing board resting against a table as
she works on a sketch. Being an
ambidextrous family, Jennifer is
demonstrating these pencil for the
benefit of people who are left as well
as right handed.

The first position is called the writing

position and is held like you are going
to write a letter. This position affords
you a great deal of control and is
excellent for detail work.

The second position is called the underhand

position or the “cupped” position and is good
for doing straight lines, sketching and
gesture drawing. This is the position that I favor.

NEVER DRAW FROM YOUR

WRIST—ALWAYS TRY TO WORK FROM
YOUR ELBOW. Not only does working from
your wrist promote carpel tunnel syndrome
but you create “tight” confined drawings.
Keeping your drawing clean:

When drawing with graphite, use a

slipcover to protect your clean surface.
Take a clean piece of paper and slip it
under your drawing hand on top of the
drawing. This will protect the drawing from
being unnecessarily smudged. There are
many variations on the theme when it
comes to protecting your drawings.

Here Jennifer is using typing paper as a

slip cover as she works on her drawing.
In the next photo she is using a drafting
brush with the bristled pointed toward
her. The brush serves as a bridge upon
which the hand rests. This is the method
that I prefer because I have my brush
handy to brush away erasure marks or
any other unwanted particles.
CLASS ONE: BASIC STRUCTURE OF OBJECTS—STRAIGHT LINES

Paul Cézanne, in writing to a colleague, wrote that all forms in nature are
based upon geometric shapes. “Draw these simple shapes”, he said, “and
we will be able to draw or paint what we wish since simple geometric
shapes underlie all objects.”

Every object, be it you, a Michelin Tire or a tall standing Sequoia has its
foundations in geometric shapes: The cube, the cylinder, the cone, and the
sphere. They may not be geometrically perfect and sometimes you have to
really look to find them but they are there and if you know what to look for
you can build you drawing relying on these basic shapes. Knowing this fact
can allow you to build a drawing with depth and dimension.

The first lessons in this class are the really obvious but let us not pass them
by.

1. Drawing Straight Lines

Materials: for this class, the only materials that you will need are a number
two pencil (you may sub in an HB or a 2B but the standard office pencil will
do fine) and a sketchpad of your choosing. DO NOT concern yourself with
the quality of the paper. Newsprint is just fine. If you want, you could use a
legal pad—whatever work for you. Work within your comfort zone and
certainly within your budget. Put away all of your rulers, protractors, rolling
rulers and any other tool that might help you to draw a straight line. If you
are sitting on a train or a bus or plane you are not going to be whipping out
the old T-Square. Always be prepared NOT to use your standard tools.

It isn’t really THAT hard to draw a straight line. I hear people say all the
time “I couldn’t even draw a straight line” –there is usually a nervous laugh
and then there is that look of longing because you know that they long to
take a pencil in hand and do what you can do—draw a picture. The funny
thing is that anyone can draw. It may not be of a sellable quality and it may
not be exact but anyone can pick up a pencil and draw. Most people who
cannot draw have, generally speaking, convinced themselves that they
cannot draw either through their own failed experience or through
comments of family and peers. We all know the feeling and we have all
been there. When you draw a celebrity and you show it to your mother or a
sibling and they say “who’s that?”—Well, you know what I mean.

First, decide how you are going to hold your pencil. There are several ways
to hold a pencil. The first is the writing position, the second is the under the
palm position. Now, practice drawing using these hand positions. Try
drawing a series of squiggles, lines, and circles in order to bring these
positions into your comfort zone. When you do these exercises DO NOT
DRAW FROM YOUR WRIST. WORK EXCLUSIVELY FROM YOUR
ELBOW.

Everyone operates from an angle. It’s a favorite direction for you to draw.
Finding the angle that is comfortable for you easily draws a straight line.
Using the wrist will tighten up your control and will produce a shaky line.
Using the elbow permits more control of the pencil thus producing a smooth
flowing line
1. Start by drawing a straight line across the paper. Now draw these
straight lines over and over except each time, before you draw the line, turn
the paper and try to draw a horizontal, vertical and a diagonal line. Do this
over and over again until you discover an angle which gives you a
comfortable feeling straight line.

Do this using the writing position and then do it again using the underhand
or cupped position. See if you can note the difference.

2. Take another sheet of paper and this time, again, start dashing off those
straight lines as quickly as you can. This time DO NOT turn the paper

Do this using the writing position and then do it again using the underhand
or cupped position. See if you can note the difference.

Again, when you make these lines—don’t worry about being careful—this is
an exercise—fire them out as rapidly as you can—try to get them straight
but don’t worry if you do not—worry about taxes and death—don’t worry
about getting the straight line down the first time. That is what practice is
for. Which brings me to another point: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!
Make time to do these exercises and you will create improvement in yourself.

Well, this is the end of class 1. I told you this was a basic course but don’t
laugh just yet because it will get progressively difficult as we move through
the 30 weeks.

Thank you for joining us.

Class Assignment: Read the chapter Eye Level: Foundation of Perspective.

If you have already read it great! Take a look at the picture you did for the
pre class exercise and see if you can not anything about the perspective of
the piece and then locate where you think the vanishing point occurs. If you
have questions, contact me.
Notes from JayD;

Step 1--Well, first you need to do the pre assignment--pick something out
that you want to draw but has been very hard for you--this is your choice--
draw it and don' t worry about accuracy and then post it--you will be coming
back and re doing this drawing at various stages.

Step 2--read the lesson and do the lines assignment that Jennifer has done.

Step 3---create 20 three dimension spheres using ONLY LINES

Step 4--redo your original drawing this time in LINES only just like you did
with the spheres.

More notes:
To start with, this weeks assignments are:SEE MY COMMENTS IN ALL CAPS

1. Post our pre-class "intimidating subject" attempt. YES

2. Practice drawing straight lines from the elbow, not the wrist. YES, YOUR
WRIST WILL THANK YOU LATER AND YOUR TENNIS GAME WILL IMPROVE.

3. Draw 20 different sizes of circles and shade using only straight lines.
(can the lines go in different directions or one-way?) post results--ANYWAY
YOU WANT--HINT: CONSIDER WICKER FOR EXAMPLE--JUST MAKE
SURE YOU END UP WITH A 3D SPHERE

4. Read the chapter on perspective lines (if we have the book)--PLEASE

BUT THIS IS OPTIONAL

5. Draw the chair from the weekly drawing thread (Is this to be done as a
straight line drawing, or just draw it to get a feel for perspective?) post
results--CHAIR IS OPTIONAL BUT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

6. Find the vanishing point(s), eye level line, perspective lines etc. on our
original drawing. (do you want this posted?)--YOU CAN SAVE THIS UNTIL
THE SECOND CLASS IF YOU WISH SINCE IT IS MAINLY PREPARTORY
FOR THE CLASS ON EYE LEVEL AND PERSPECTIVE.
7. Redraw our pre-class drawing using lines (do you want this to be
reducing the subject into basic straight-line forms, or do you want curved
lines, cross hatching etc... basically redraw with no blending?) post results--
REDRAW USING THE SAME TECHNIQUES THAT YOU USED ON THE
SPHERE--THE SPHERS ARE A PRACTICE RUN FOR THIS FINAL
WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT.