Monday, June 27, 2011

Drawing Exercises for Improving Your Skills

There are several easy exercises that are very beneficial to developing the skill of drawing. Today I did a blind contour drawing from life. I used one of my potted flowers as a model.


Drawing elephants is fun and easy too! Because of their unique shapes, seeing them seems easier to do. I've used my figurine elephant collection on numerous occasions in my workshops as models. One of my favorite exercises is to do 2 minute gesture drawings with them. We turn the object 1/4 turn after each two minutes is up. In just eight minutes, you should have four different views. It's a great exercise to get you loosened up and really makes you see shapes instead of things! I've taken four different shots of our red elephant here and I hope you will try this exercise for our next sketching challenge. Even if you have no intention of turning it in, just do it OK? Eight minutes is all you need. And all you industrious people, please feel free to finish and add some details to your favorite pose. You will have to use your imagination and some artistic license as this elephant is not very detailed.


See more information about doing these exercises on your own here. 




2 comments:

  1. How on earth do you keep from losing your place with something as detailed and complicated as this flower grouping?? :-O That's fantastic!

    I've jumped in and done the elephants. I really enjoyed it too! Thank you for the new challenge.

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  2. Hey Susan - I looked down when I came to the end of a flower or a leaf. I then repositioned my pencil and did not look at my pad while drawing as I drew the next part. I'd finish that, stop look down, reposition my pencil then look up again. Never looking at my paper as I drew. It's really not hard, just methodical.

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