Learn to Draw: The Next Step

The key to learning to draw is using your eyes. As children, we draw stick-figures which are symbols for people. We know a face is roughly round and has a smiley mouth. But when we want to start drawing realistically, we have to draw what we see instead - we discover that faces aren't really round, and that eyes are actually in the middle of the head, not towards the top. Even if you are interested in abstract art, learning to draw will help you achieve the effects you are looking for.

The first thing we do when beginning to draw is contour drawing, which is another name for drawing the outline. With contour drawing, we are generally focusing on the edges - the outside of an object or the line made by a fold or pattern. The line that goes across an object, hinting at the form, is sometimes called a cross-contour. The main thing is not to get fooled into using the line to draw light and dark. That isn't what contour drawing is about - we'll get onto that later. The WEIGHT of a line, that is, how dark and thick it is, will make it jump out from the paper (if it is a strong, dark line) or sink into the paper (if it is light or thin). This can be very useful when you are trying to give the impression of something being closer or further away.

EXERCISE 2 : Contour Drawing

Choose some objects - anything at all - fairly small objects are a good start, as their actual size is close to the size of your drawing, making it easier for your brain to transfer what you see onto the paper. Place them on a table, not too close (so that the view from each eye isn't too dramatically different - that gets confusing!). If there is a strong line, such as a fold or crease across the object, draw that too.

Here is an example:

Don't worry if your first efforts look a bit odd. We'll be doing some exercises later on to develop your observational skills. What's important at this stage is getting a feel for following the shape with your eyes and pencil. The next exercise is brilliant practice for this!

EXERCISE 3 : Blind Contour Drawing The Blind Contour drawing exercise uses the example of a hand, but it also works with all kinds of objects, though more complex things, such as plants or clothing, are the best. To continue with this series of lessons, use your 'back' button to return to this page. Click here to go to the exercise.

Done all that already? Well done! You might like to try practising some of these a few more times. The next steps in this course will be posted shortly. In the meantime, you can post any questions on the Drawing/Sketching Forum.

Tips:

• Don't be disheartened with 'failures'. How many times will someone fall over learning to rollerblade?
• Practice often. You need to train your hand and eye.
• Don't think of everything as a masterpiece. Exercises might just be scribbles, but will help your technique. Think of a musician playing scales.
• Enjoy! Draw subjects you like, and have fun!