FOUR SHIRES v ART artsurgery DRAWING TIPS & TECHNIQUES
This month I thought I would share some basic and effective drawing techniques that will help you add depth and interest in your sketches and drawings. Most can also be applied to Pen & Ink work too.
WHICH PENCIL SHOULD YOU CHOOSE? TECHNIQUE FOUR: BRACELET SHADING
This method works to create the illusion of 3 Dimensional shading of curved or spherical surfaces. When drawing a sphere, if you were to shade just left to right, the sphere would look just like a flat shaded circle. If you use bracelet shading however and apply a solid shading technique, the sphere will appear to look curved or rounded, giving it a more realistic look.
Pencils are made from a mixture of Graphite (B) and Clay (H). A HB pencil indicates a near equal quantity of both and is therefore good for writing with. The higher the number of B, the more graphite the pencil contains so the softer it is and the darker it is in tonal quality. So an 8B is much softer than a 2B. The higher the number of H, the more clay the pencil contains and the harder the pencil is: a 9H is much harder than a 3H. Graphic designers and engineers tend to use the H side of the pencil range as the pencils are harder and they keep their point longer. Artists tend to use the B side as they give greater variety and depth of tone as the harder pencils tend to make indentations on the paper and are harder to rub out. I recommend that the basic sketch is created with a 2B pencil until you are happy with the layout and shape before moving on to darker pencils such as a 4B or 8B and so on. Erase mistakes with a putty rubber. This is a much softer eraser and lifts off only the pencil without ripping the paper. It can also be manipulated to lift off only small areas or highlights.
TECHNIQUE ONE: SOLID SHADING
This technique is achieved by varying the pressure while moving the pencil over the paper. The harder the pressure, the darker the tone: the lighter the pressure the paler the tone. By gradually increasing or decreasing the pressure you can create a whole range of subtle shading that will blend gradually.
TECHNIQUE TWO: HATCHING
This technique has been used for a long time in illustration as it is a great way to create a layer or show direction of an object. By hatching in a diagonal direction, the object will look sloping etc. To create depth of tone, vary the distance between each hatched line - the further apart they are, the lighter the tone appears: the closer they are together, the darker it will look.
TECHNIQUE THREE: CROSS HATCHING
Cross Hatching is similar to hatching but an opposite hatched layer overlaps the first hatched layer. You can continue to add more hatched lines at various angles to get even darker looking tones.
TECHNIQUE FIVE: POINTILLISM
Brace yourself for a time consuming yet effective technique. Simply ‘dab’ the end of the pencil onto your paper very quickly so it sounds like an old sewing machine. Your aim is to create hundreds of dots to give a textured feel. The closer the dots, the darker it appears: the further apart the dots are, the lighter it looks. This technique is great for a gravel drive, a beach or for soil and stones.
TECHNIQUE SIX: FEATHERING
Feathering is a useful technique for creating hair or fur effects. It is similar to bracelet shading as each stroke is slightly curved but the main difference is that the pressure is gradually reduced towards the end of the stroke to give a finer line.
When drawing or sketching it is also important to remember the three ‘O’s: OBSERVE, OUTLINE and OTHER DETAIL.
First just sit and observe the subject. Trace around it with your eyes and look at the differences in texture, shape and tone.
Next, draw only the outline of the subject. It is easier to break down the shape of the subject into easy and familiar shapes such as letters, numbers and geometric shapes. For example a swan could be the number 2, a squirrel on his back legs a number 6, a tree as a capital ‘Y’ or a hand as a series of different sized ovals. It is also worth noting the direction of the light source as a little arrow on your paper. This will serve as a reminder for the direction of shadows and highlights when you come to add the detail.
Finally, use the many shading techniques discussed to add the other details such as tone, texture and shadows.
No Excuse! The humble biro is a wonderful sketching tool. The slow movement of the gel ink in a biro means that by varying the pressure of the pen, you can create soft and subtle shading by varying the pressure in much of the same way as a pencil.
bracelet shading hatching solid shading
cross hatching
pointillism
feathering MARCH 2012 v FOUR SHIRES 19
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