The Art & Science of Drawing / BASIC SKILLS

Day 1 Summary

Drawing is a process that begins with light lines and multiple attempts at the form. Even the greatest drawers who have ever lived, couldn’t get it right the first time! In todays video you’ll learn:

• How to hold the pencil using the overhand grip.
• How to make light lines using the side of the pencil.

Day 1 Assignment

Practice drawing lightly for a minimum of 30 minutes or until you can comfortably and consistently draw lightly.

Discover your ideal line weight (light lines that you can comfortably see while your drawing, but no darker. These lines will ideally seem to disappear when viewed from 15 feet away.

Just like any color can be mixed using the three primary colors, you can figure out how to draw anything by breaking it down into basic shapes. Today we’ll learn how to draw 2 of these basic shapes, circles and ovals, and how artists use these shapes when they draw.

Remember, when you draw circles and ovals you will:

• Draw from your shoulder.
• Pantomime multiple revolutions before putting the pencil to paper.
• Make multiple passes when drawing.

Using the technique demonstrated, draw 100 Circles at various sizes and 100 ovals at various levels of size and openness.

Day 3 Summary

Making straight lines without a ruler is not as hard as most people think. By moving the hand quickly and pantomiming before we draw, we can more easily draw straight lines and the squares, rectangles, triangles and quadrilaterals they make.

Remember, when making straight lines and their shapes you’ll want to:

• Pantomime, moving your hand quickly back and forth, before drawing to make sure you’re happy with the length, direction and placement of the line.
• Feel comfortable overshooting the corners of your straight line shapes. That’s what the masters did! 
• Pay attention to the width to height proportional relationships of each shape.
• Pay attention to the specific angles and directions the lines are traveling.

Day 3 Assignment

When instructed to do so, pause the video and copy the images you see on your screen three times each. If you want more practice, try copying the multi-sided bonus shape!

Day 4 Summary

Today we’ll learn about curved lines and the shapes they make, and how straight lines and angles can help us analyze and draw them. The three primary strategies we can use to do this are:

• Axis Lines - which establish the direction a shape such as an oval or egg shape, is oriented.
• Point to Point Evaluation - by connecting the two ends of a curved line with a straight line, we can figure out the exact relationship between them.
• Translating Curves into Angles - by breaking down complex curves into the fewest number of straight lines, we can better evaluate and draw them.

Day 4 Assignment

Project #1: On one side of a sheet of paper draw a curved line. Right next to it, on the same sheet of paper, analyze and replicate the curved line you just drew by translating it into straight lines and angles as you saw demonstrated. Remember to start by figuring out the relationship between the starting and stopping points of the line.

Project #2 On one side of a sheet of paper draw a curving shape. Right next to it, on the same sheet of paper, analyze and replicate the shape you just drew by translating it into straight lines and angles as you saw demonstrated.

Project #3 Draw 100 Freestyle forms using light lines. You can draw any shape we’ve drawn so far, and combine them together to create a wide range of various complex shapes. Remember to draw lightly and fluidly while drawing with the entire arm!

Day 5 Summary

Today you’ll learn how to take everything you’ve practiced and put these skills together to analyze and draw any subject you want. You’ll be introduced to two sets of ideas that will give you a sense of the drawing process as a whole. Here they are:

The Three Principles of Drawing.

Your Drawings Should Go From:

• Light Lines to Dark Lines.
• Big Shapes to Small Shapes.
• General Information to Specifics.

The 5 Questions

Before drawing you will go through these 5 questions:

• What is the biggest shape?
• What is its axis?
• How big should it be?
• Where on the page should it go?
• (After making your first attempt) Are there any changes I can make? If the answer is yes, (it almost always is), make any necessary adjustments to the form. 

Don’t criticize yourself for not getting it right the first time! Once you’re satisfied with the shape, repeat the 5 questions with one small change to the first question:

• What is the next biggest shape?

Day 5 Assignment

Apply these 5 questions to any subject you’re excited by. I would recommend birds, but it’s important that you choose a subject you’re interested in. Remember, keep it simple! The more experience you get using the concepts you’ve learned this week, the more you can increase the complexity of subjects you attempt to draw.

I hope to see you enrolled in WEEK TWO of the Art & Science of Drawing: DYNAMIC MARK MAKING, where you’ll learn how to darken up your foundation of light lines and shapes using dynamic line work that will truly engage the viewer.