Guide to Drawing PDF

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(2) Drawing by Lauren Jarrett and Lisa Lenard. 201 West 103rd Street In d ian ap olis, IN 46290 A Pearson Ed u cation Com p an y. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(3) Text Copyright © 2000 by Amaranth Illustrations Copyright © 2000 by Lauren Jarrett All righ ts reserved . No p art of th is book sh all be rep rod u ced , stored in a retrieval system , or tran sm itted by an y m ean s, electron ic, m ech an ical, p h otocop yin g, record in g, or oth erwise, with ou t written p erm ission from th e p u blish er. No p aten t liability is assu m ed with resp ect to th e u se of th e in form ation con tain ed h erein . Alth ou gh every p recau tion h as been taken in th e p rep aration of th is book, th e p u blish er an d au th ors assu m e n o resp on sibility for errors or om ission s. Neith er is an y liability assu m ed for d am ages resu ltin g from th e u se of in form ation con tain ed h erein . For in form ation , ad d ress Alp h a Books, 201 West 103rd Street, In d ian ap olis, IN 46290. THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO an d Design are registered trad em arks of Pearson Ed u cation , In c. In tern ation al Stan d ard Book Nu m ber: 0-02-863936-7 Library of Con gress Catalog Card Nu m ber: Available u p on req u est. 02. 01. 00. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. In terp retation of th e p rin tin g cod e: Th e righ tm ost n u m ber of th e first series of n u m bers is th e year of th e book’s p rin tin g; th e righ tm ost n u m ber of th e secon d series of n u m bers is th e n u m ber of th e book’s p rin tin g. For exam p le, a p rin tin g cod e of 00-1 sh ows th at th e first p rin tin g occu rred in 2000. Printed in the United States of America Note: Th is p u blication con tain s th e op in ion s an d id eas of its au th ors. It is in ten d ed to p rovid e h elp fu l an d in form ative m aterial on th e su bject m atter covered . It is sold with th e u n d erstan d in g th at th e au th ors, book p rod u cer, an d p u blish er are n ot en gaged in ren d erin g p rofession al services in th e book. If th e read er req u ires p erson al assistan ce or ad vice, a com p eten t p rofession al sh ou ld be con su lted . Th e au th ors, book p rod u cer, an d p u blish er sp ecifically d isclaim an y resp on sibility for an y liability, loss or risk, p erson al or oth erwise, wh ich is in cu rred as a con seq u en ce, d irectly or in d irectly, of th e u se an d ap p lication of an y of th e con ten ts of th is book.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(4) Publisher Marie Butler-Knight Product Manager Phil Kitchel Managing Editor Cari Luna Acquisitions Editors Mike Sanders Susan Zingraf Book Producer Lee Ann Chearney/Amaranth Development Editor Amy Gordon Production Editor Billy Fields Copy Editor Amy Borrelli Illustrator Lauren Jarrett Cartoonist Jody P. Schaeffer Cover Designers Mike Freeland Kevin Spear Book Designers Scott Cook and Amy Adams of DesignLab Indexer Greg Pearson Eric Schroeder Layout/Proofreading Angela Calvert Mary Hunt. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(5) Contents at a Glance Part 1.. Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing. 1. 1 Th e Pleasu res of Seein g an d Drawin g Drawing is all about learning to see.. 3. 2 Toward Seein g for Drawin g Rediscovering seeing as a child.. 15. 3 Loosen Up Right brain practice.. 33. Part 2. Now You Are Ready to Draw. 45. 4 Th e Pictu re Plan e Drawing on plastic—and on your patio door.. 47. 5 Fin d in g th e View Using the viewfinder frame.. 59. 6 Negative Sp ace as a Positive Tool Seeing what’s not there.. 67. Part 3. Starting Out: Learning You Can See and Draw. 77. 7 A Room of You r Own Creating a place to draw.. 79. 8 How To Get Started Tips to start you on your way.. 91. 9 Step Up to a Still Life: Com p osition , Com p osition , Com p osition Learning to draw the still life.. 101. 10 Toward th e Fin ish Lin e Finishing touches.. 115. Part 4. Developing Drawing Skills. 125. 11 At th e Fin ish Lin e: Are You Read y for More? Balancing all the elements of a drawing.. 127. 12 Th e Jou rn al As a Path Your drawing journal.. 141. 13 Th is Is a Review—Th ere Will Be a Test Putting it all together in one handy chapter.. 151. 14 All Arou n d th e Hou se: A Few New Drawin gs to Try Household objects as drawing subjects.. 165. 15 In to th e Gard en with Pen cils, n ot Sh ovels Botanical drawing and more.. 179. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(6) Part 5. Out and About with Your Sketchbook. 195. 16 W h at’s You r Persp ective? Getting technical about perspective.. 197. 17 Th is Lan d Is You r Lan d Landscape drawing.. 213. 18 Mad e by Man : Ou t in th e Lan d scap e Drawing what you see outside.. 229. 19 Hou ses an d Oth er Stru ctu res Making your structures real.. 241. Part 6. Drawing Animals and People. 255. 20 It’s a Ju n gle Ou t Th ere—So Draw It! A guide to animal drawing.. 257. 21 Th e Hu m an Bod y an d Its Extrem ities Drawing the human anatomy.. 271. 22 Dress ’Em Up an d Move ’Em Ou t It’s all in the details.. 287. Part 7. Enjoying the Artist’s Life!. 299. 23 Ju st for Ch ild ren Teaching your kids to draw.. 301. 24 Decorate You r World Using your drawings to decorate your world.. 315. 25 Exp ress You rself Using your drawings as vehicles of self-expression.. 327. 26 Th e Artist’s Life Living the good life, artist’s style.. 337. Appendixes A You r Artist’s Materials Ch ecklist. 345. B Resou rces for Learn in g to Draw. 347. C Drawin g Glossary. 349. In d ex. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. 353.

(7) Contents Part 1:. Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing. 1 The Pleasures of Seeing and Drawing. 1 3. W h at Is Drawin g? ..........................................................................3 Drawing is … ................................................................................4 The Artist’s Answer ......................................................................5 Exp ress You rself ............................................................................6 Why You Draw, and Why Sometimes You Stop Drawing ................7 Looking Through the Barriers ........................................................8 Learn in g How to Look ..................................................................8 Open Up Your Eyes ........................................................................9 The Gallery of Life ......................................................................10 Seein g You r Way to Drawin g ......................................................11 Techniques as Tools of Expression ................................................12 Developing a Way of Seeing and Drawing ....................................13. 2 Toward Seeing for Drawing. 15. Free You r Min d , You r Eyes Will Follow ......................................15 The Wonders of the Human Brain ..............................................16 Are You a Lefty or a Righty? ........................................................17 From “Logical Left” to “Relation al Righ t” ..................................18 Right-Left-Right: Your Brain Learns to Follow Orders ....................18 The Art of the Child ....................................................................19 Sim p le Materials to Begin ..........................................................21 Paper ..........................................................................................21 Pencils ........................................................................................22 Eraser ..........................................................................................22 Drawing Board ............................................................................22 A Few Other Things ....................................................................22 Exercises to Get You on th e Righ t Sid e (of th e Brain ) ................23 Profile/Vase-Vase/Profile ..............................................................23 Reviewing the Exercise ................................................................24 W h en th e Fam iliar Gets Un fam iliar ..........................................26 Right Side Up/Upside Down ........................................................26 Copy a Complicated Drawing ......................................................28 Keep Up the Good Work ..............................................................29 Exercisin g You r Righ t(s) ..............................................................29 Your Sketchbook Page ..................................................................31. 3 Loosen Up. 33. Now You See It ............................................................................33 Warm-Up for the Eyes and Hand ................................................34 Entering the Flow ........................................................................35 To Begin ....................................................................................36 Th e Next Set—Sen d Off th e Logical Left ....................................36 Contour Drawing of Your Hand—Without Looking ......................37 Contour Drawing of Your Hand—While Looking ..........................38. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(8) An oth er Set to Keep It Gon e ......................................................40 Contour Drawing of an Object—Without Looking ........................40 Contour Drawing of an Object—While Looking ..........................41 Farewell, Old Lefty ......................................................................42 Your Sketchbook Page ..................................................................43. Part 2:. Now You Are Ready to Draw. 4 The Picture Plane. 45 47. W h at Is a Pictu re Plan e? ............................................................48 How to Use a Picture Plane ..........................................................48 Historical Uses of Drawin g Devices ............................................49 How a Pictu re Plan e Works ........................................................50 Prep arin g a Plexiglas Pictu re Plan e for Drawin g ........................50 Isolate a Su bject with th e Pictu re Plan e ......................................52 Tran sfer th e Drawin g to Pap er ....................................................54 Your Sketchbook Page ..................................................................56. 5 Finding the View. 59. A Viewfin d er Fram e ....................................................................59 Makin g a Viewfin d er Fram e ........................................................60 Usin g th e Viewfin d er Fram e ......................................................63 Draw W h at You See in th e Viewfin d er ......................................65 Your Sketchbook Page ..................................................................65. 6 Negative Space as a Positive Tool. 67. Fin d You r Sp ace ..........................................................................67 The Virtues of Negative Space ......................................................68 Learning How to Use Negative Space ............................................68 Select an Object to Draw: Th ey’re Everywh ere! ........................69 A View Th rou gh th e Viewfin d er ................................................69 Where to Start—Location, Location, Location ............................70 Draw the Holes, not the Thing ....................................................71 See th e Object Th rou gh th e Sp ace Arou n d It ............................72 Gettin g Negative ........................................................................73 Your Sketchbook Page ..................................................................74. Part 3:. Starting Out: Learning You Can See and Draw. 7 A Room of Your Own. 77 79. Fin d in g Sp ace an d Tim e ..............................................................79 Setting Up Your Drawing Room or Table ......................................80 Studio Beautiful 101 ....................................................................80 The Best Time to Draw ................................................................82 What About Drawing Classes? ....................................................83 Begin n in g Materials You ’ll Need ................................................83 On Paper ....................................................................................83 Drawing Instruments ..................................................................84 Storing Your Materials and Work ................................................85 Begin n in g Tech n iq u es to Use ......................................................85. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(9) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. The Marks That Can Make a Drawing ........................................85 Simple Geometric Shapes to Practice ............................................86 Your Sketchbook Page ..................................................................88. 8 How to Get Started. 91. W h at Are You Goin g to Draw? ..................................................91 Select Your Objects and Pick Your Subject ....................................92 Choose the Format and the Paper ..............................................92 How Will You Arran ge th e Objects? ..........................................92 Seeing Arrangement and Composition ..........................................93 See the View and the Distance ....................................................93 On th e Page ................................................................................95 Next Step: Establish Eye Level ....................................................96 Site the Image on the Paper Using the Center Lines ....................96 Makin g a Sim p le Con tou r Drawin g ............................................96 The Lightest Sketch to Begin ........................................................97 Check It Over ..............................................................................97 Correct It Now, Render It Later ....................................................97 Your Sketchbook Page ..................................................................98. 9 Step Up to a Still Life: Composition, Composition, Composition. 101. W h at Is a Still Life? ..................................................................101 Picking Objects: Classic, Contemporary, and Out There ..............101 Why Artists Love to Draw Fruit and Vegetables ........................104 A Few Th ou gh ts on Com p osition ............................................104 Off Center Is Often Better ..........................................................105 Centering on Purpose ................................................................105 Charming Diagonals ................................................................105 Other Shapes to See in the Shapes of Things ..............................105 Com p osin g a Still Life ..............................................................106 Choosing from a Group of Possibilities ......................................106 Filtering and Framing for the View You Want ............................106 Sp ace in a Still Life ....................................................................106 Vantage and View ....................................................................106 More Work on Eye Level ............................................................106 Makin g Th in gs Sit Down , or Roll Over, an d Stay ....................107 Ellipses Are Your Friends ............................................................107 When a Cube Is a Cube, in Space ..............................................108 When a Cylinder Is a Rectangle, with Curves ............................109 Fitting Other Shapes into the Boxes They Came In ....................110 Drawin g Th at Still Life ..............................................................110 See Your Still Life in Space ........................................................110 Site the Arrangement on the Page ..............................................110 Start with a Light Sketch to Position ..........................................111 Check Your Spacing ..................................................................111 See the Detail in Each Object and Draw What You See ..............111 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................112. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. viii.

(10) Contents. 10 Toward the Finish Line. 115. Lin e an d Sh ap e Are in th e Lead , Form Follows Close Beh in d 115 Weigh t Is in th e Rear, bu t Com in g Up Fast ..............................119 First Th in gs First: Sh ap e an d Sp ace ..........................................119 Now Start Again ......................................................................119 Gettin g to Th at Fin ish Lin e ....................................................122 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................123. Part 4:. Developing Drawing Skills. 11 At the Finish Line: Are You Ready for More?. 125 127. New Materials ............................................................................127 New Papers ..............................................................................128 More Drawing Tools ..................................................................128 More Tech n iq u es ......................................................................130 Drawing in Circles Is not Going in Circles ................................130 Scale Is Sizing Things in Space ..................................................131 Measuring Angles in Space ........................................................131 Back to Th at Race to th e Fin ish Lin e ......................................132 And It’s Details in the End—by a Hair ....................................132 Take a Closer Look and See the Detail ......................................133 Nature’s Detail Is Unending ......................................................133 At th e Fin ish Lin e Again ..........................................................136 On ward s an d Ou tward s ............................................................138 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................139. 12 The Journal As a Path. 141. W h y Keep a Sketch book Jou rn al? ............................................141 Artists on Th eir Work ..............................................................142 How They Feel About Their Studios and Tools ..........................142 How They Feel About Drawing ..................................................142 Differen t Kin d s of Jou rn als ......................................................144 Travel Journals ..........................................................................144 Closer to Home ........................................................................144 You r Jou rn al Is All Abou t You ..................................................146 Usin g You r Jou rn al ....................................................................146 Expressive Drawing ....................................................................147 Drawing as a Form of Healing ..................................................147 Therapeutic Drawing ................................................................148 Spontaneous Drawing ................................................................148 Zen and Drawing ......................................................................148 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................149. 13 This Is a Review—There Will Be a Test. 151. Th rou gh th e Lookin g Glass ......................................................151 Seeing as a Child ......................................................................152 Look/Don’t Look ........................................................................152 Gu id es Are W h at You Make Th em ..........................................152 Plastic Picture Plane Practice ....................................................152. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. ix.

(11) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. A View Through Your Viewfinder Frame ....................................153 Or, Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide ......................................154 Accen tu ate th e Negative ..........................................................154 Makin g Arran gem en ts ..............................................................155 Slowly You Draw, Step-by-Step ..................................................156 Making a List and Checking It Twice ........................................157 Form and Function ....................................................................157 Getting Some Distance on Your Work ........................................158 You r Learn in g-to-Draw Ch eat Sh eet ........................................158 A Form for Form ......................................................................160 Exercising Your Rights ................................................................161 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................162. 14 All Around the House: A Few New Drawing Ideas to Try 165 You r Hou se is Fu ll of Id eas for Drawin g Practice ....................165 Tim e Is of th e Essen ce ..............................................................166 You r Kitch en Is a Storeh ou se ....................................................166 Silverware ..................................................................................167 Pitchers and Bowls ....................................................................168 Not Ju st for Sleep in g An ym ore ................................................168 Fabrics ......................................................................................169 Shoes ........................................................................................170 Hats and Gloves ........................................................................170 Drawin g in th e Livin g Room ....................................................171 Try Another Chair ....................................................................171 Antique Lamps—and Antique Things ........................................171 Objects Th at Reflect You ..........................................................172 Bath room Basics ......................................................................172 A Su n n y Win d ow ....................................................................173 Ou t of th e Hou se an d on to th e Patio (Door) ..........................174 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................176. 15 Into the Garden with Pencils, not Shovels. 179. Botan ical Drawin g Is an Art ......................................................179 Take Your Sketchbook with You ..................................................180 It Started with Eden ..................................................................181 Be a Botan ist ..............................................................................182 Work on a Blooming Stem ........................................................183 Butterflies, Insects, and Seashells, Too ........................................183 Go Wild! ..................................................................................184 The Almighty Vegetable ............................................................185 Garden Pots and Tools ..............................................................186 Gard en s Oth er Th an You r Own ................................................187 W h at Else Is in You r Gard en ? ..................................................188 From Figures to Frogs—And a Few Deer and Gnomes ................188 Birds, Birdhouses, Feeders, and Squirrels ....................................189 Chairs in the Grass ..................................................................191 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................192. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. x.

(12) Contents. Part 5:. Out and About with Your Sketchbook. 16 What’s Your Perspective?. 195 197. Un d erstan d in g Persp ective ......................................................198 Perspective Simplified ................................................................198 Perspective and the Picture Plane ..............................................199 Perspective in Pieces ..................................................................199 Tools for Lan d scap e an d Persp ective ........................................203 Gettin g Sm all an d Sm aller in Sp ace ..........................................203 Learn in g to See, Measu re, an d Draw in Persp ective ................204 Closing the Roof ........................................................................205 Measure for Measure ..................................................................206 A Few More Tips on Planes in Space ..........................................208 Detail, Detail, Detail: God Is in th e Details ..............................209 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................210. 17 This Land Is Your Land. 213. Go Ou t for a View ....................................................................213 But Which One? ........................................................................213 Framing the View ......................................................................214 On th e Lin e—th e Horizon Lin e ................................................215 On the Page: Siting Your View ..................................................215 Some Thoughts on Landscape Space ..........................................215 Tools for Lan d scap e an d Persp ective ........................................216 Seein g an d Drawin g th e Lan d scap e ..........................................216 Ph otograp h s: To Use or Not to Use, Th at Is th e Qu estion ......217 Th e Lan d scap e in Pieces ............................................................217 Trees and Shrubs ......................................................................217 A Tangle of Textures, Vines, and Grasses ..................................220 Beaches, Rocks, and Cliffs ........................................................221 Sky and Clouds ........................................................................222 Water and Reflections ................................................................223 The Best for Last: The Small Things ..........................................224 As You r Drawin g Progresses ......................................................225 Light, Shadow, Atmosphere, and Contrast ..................................225 Detail Is, As Always, Detail ......................................................226 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................227. 18 Made by Man: Out in the Landscape. 229. Evid en ce of Hu m an In flu en ce ..................................................229 Roads, Fences, Gates, and Walls ................................................230 In the Farmyard ........................................................................231 Sp ecial Uses, Sp ecial Stru ctu res ................................................232 On th e Dock of th e Bay an d Beyon d ........................................232 Docks, Harbors, and Shipyards ..................................................232 From a Canoe to the QE2 ..........................................................234 Th e World of Veh icles ..............................................................235 Bridges, Trains, and Tracks ........................................................235 Moving Vehicles ........................................................................236 You r World Is W h at You Make It ..............................................237 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................238. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xi.

(13) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. 19 Houses and Other Structures. 241. A World of Bu ild in gs ................................................................241 City Mice and Country Mice ......................................................241 The Old and the New ................................................................243 Makin g It Stan d ........................................................................244 Informal Perspective ..................................................................244 Formal Perspective ....................................................................245 Keeping the Pieces in Proportion ................................................245 It’s in th e Details ......................................................................245 In the City ................................................................................247 In the Country ..........................................................................247 Materials and Techniques ..........................................................248 Period Pieces an d Sp ecial Places ................................................249 Classical Beauty ........................................................................249 Down on the Farm ....................................................................250 Out on the Edge ........................................................................251 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................253. Part 6:. Drawing Animals and People. 255. 20 It’s a Jungle Out There—So Draw It!. 257. Drawin g An im als ......................................................................257 In a World of Action, Gesture Is First ........................................258 Basic Proportions and Shapes ....................................................258 Bulking Them Up ......................................................................260 Fur and Feathers, Skin and Scales ..............................................260 Go Ou t W h ere Th ey Are ..........................................................261 Your Backyard and in the Neighborhood ....................................261 Field and Stream, Mountain and Lake ......................................263 Natural History Museums and Centers ......................................263 Farms, Stables, and Parks ..........................................................264 Zoos, Circuses, and Animal Petting Parks ..................................265 Safaris ......................................................................................265 An im al Portraits ........................................................................265 Problems in Portraiture ..............................................................267 A Bit on Materials and Techniques ............................................267 An im als in You r Drawin gs ........................................................268 Scale and Detail, Indoors or Out ................................................268 Detail and Scale, Close Up or Far Away ....................................268 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................269. 21 The Human Body and Its Extremities. 271. Drawin g th e Figu re ....................................................................271 Getting Some Practice and Help ................................................272 Use Your Sketchbook ..................................................................272 Th e Gestu re of Life ....................................................................272 Direction and Gesture ................................................................272 Thoughts on Quick Action Poses ................................................273 Bod y Parts an d th e W h ole: An atom y, You Say? ......................274 The Hip Bone Is Connected to the … ........................................274. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xii.

(14) Contents. Muscle Is Good ..........................................................................275 Some Basic Proportions ..............................................................276 Age an d Gen d er: Som e Basic Differen ces, As If You Did n ’t Kn ow ............................................................................278 Body, Age, and Proportion ..........................................................278 Where’s the Beef? Where the Ice Cream Goes ............................280 What We Have to Look Forward To ..........................................280 Extrem ities: Gettin g Over Han d an d Feet Ph obias ..................281 Hands ......................................................................................281 Feet ..........................................................................................282 Head and Neck ..........................................................................283 More Form an d Weigh t, Now ..................................................283 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................285. 22 Dress ’Em Up and Move ’Em Out. 287. Ad d Th at Hu m an Tou ch ..........................................................287 No Flat Head s Here: Head s an d Faces ......................................288 Types and Proportion ................................................................288 Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat ....................................................289 Especially for Children ..............................................................290 Liken ess an d Portraitu re ............................................................290 Some Basic Proportions and Shapes ............................................291 Setting a Scene for a Portrait ......................................................292 When You Are Your Subject ......................................................293 Fold s, Drap es, Bu tton s, an d Bows ............................................294 Over and Under: Folds and How to Draw Them ........................294 Detailing: Make the Clothing Fit the Woman or Man ................294 Pu ttin g Peop le in You r Drawin gs ..............................................295 Where Are They? ......................................................................295 What Are They Doing? Action, Gesture, and Detail ..................296 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................297. Part 7:. Enjoying the Artist’s Life!. 23 Just for Children. 299 301. From Sym bols to Realism ..........................................................301 Ed u catin g th e Righ t Sid e ..........................................................302 From Hunter to High Tech ........................................................303 Visual Learning for All Reasons ................................................303 We All Love to Draw ................................................................304 Kids Draw at Any Age ..............................................................305 The Very Young ........................................................................305 Stages from Symbol to Image ....................................................305 Tactics ........................................................................................307 Materials for Kids ......................................................................307 Reference Materials ....................................................................308 Retraining the Critic ..................................................................308 See the Basics ............................................................................308 Pick Simple Terms to Explain Things ........................................309. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xiii.

(15) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. W h en Problem s Arise ................................................................310 Distractions and Quiet ..............................................................310 Tension, Frustration, Fatigue, and Short Attention Span ............310 Fu n Drawin g Exercises for Kid s ................................................310 A Place for Everything: How to Start ..........................................312 For “Mistakes” or “Problems” ....................................................312 Above All, Have Fu n ..................................................................312 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................313. 24 Decorate Your World. 315. Have Sketch book, Will Travel ..................................................315 Usin g You r Own Im ages ............................................................316 Trad in g In form ation : How-To’s or Recip es ..............................317 Illustrating an Idea or a Technique ............................................318 Illustrating an Idea ....................................................................318 The Story of You ........................................................................319 Illu m in atin g You r Person al Life ................................................320 Rein ven tin g You r World ............................................................321 Cabinets and Furniture ..............................................................321 Ceilings, Walls, and Floors, but No Driveways ..........................321 Exp an d ed Uses for You r Skills ..................................................322 Focus on Fashion ......................................................................322 Cartoons: Humor or Opinion? ....................................................323 That Twisted Look: Caricatures ................................................323 Fu rth er Ou t: You r Fan tasies ......................................................323 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................324. 25 Express Yourself. 327. Movin g In to th e Realm of Color ..............................................327 Some Brief Words on Color ........................................................328 New Materials You Could Try ....................................................328 Into the Field of Color ................................................................329 Taking a Stab at a Colored Drawing ..........................................330 Carin g for You r Work ................................................................330 On Storage ................................................................................331 Matting and Framing ................................................................331 Tu rn in g a New Page: Fin e Art Meets Tech Art ..........................331 Creating a Virtual Sketchbook ....................................................331 Scanning Your Images ................................................................332 Printing Your Images ................................................................332 E-Mailing with Your Own Art ....................................................332 Creating Your Own Illustrated Home Page ..................................332 How to Learn Abou t Drawin g on th e Com p u ter ....................333 Computer Art Programs You Can Learn ....................................333 How to Choose a Computer Art Class ........................................334 Your Sketchbook Page ................................................................335. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xiv.

(16) Contents. 26 The Artist’s Life. 337. Followin g th e Mu se ..................................................................337 Where Artists Find Inspiration ..................................................338 What They Have to Say About Their Work ................................338 Mu seu m Walks ..........................................................................340 The Wealth of Museums ............................................................340 Styles of Drawing Through History ............................................340 Learn by Looking, Then Try a Copy ..........................................341 What Do You Like? ..................................................................342 Sh arin g You r Work ....................................................................342 To Show, to Publish, or Just to Draw ..........................................342 Take a Path to th e Zen of Drawin g ..........................................342 Encourage and Support Your Creativity ......................................343 Knowing When to Push Yourself Higher ....................................343 One Inspiring Tale to End ..........................................................343 With Ou r Best Wish es ..............................................................343. Appendixes A Your Artist’s Materials Checklist. 345. B Resources for Learning to Draw. 347. C Drawing Glossary. 349. Index. 353. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xv.

(17) Foreword W h en d id you stop d rawin g? As a p rofession al artist I am often asked : W h en d id I begin to d raw? Or in oth er word s, h ow lon g h ave I been d rawin g. I h ave tried to an swer th is q u estion , bu t th e tru th is th at I’m n ot exactly su re. I d o kn ow th at I h ave d rawn as lon g as I can rem em ber. Most ch ild ren en joy d rawin g as on e of th eir gam es. I gu ess I ju st n ever stop p ed . I h ad th e great fortu n e to be born in to a fam ily sen sitive to th e visu al arts: My m oth er was a p rofession al ceram ist before m arryin g m y fath er. My fath er h ad an ad vertisin g agen cy an d h is best frien d (an d h is agen cy’s p rin cip al illu strator) was th e acclaim ed p ain ter Ezeq u iel Lop ez. It seem s p erfectly n atu ral to m e th at in ad d ition to m yself, two of m y fou r siblin gs are p rofession al artists. Growin g u p in Sp ain , I rem em ber m y m oth er always en cou ragin g ou r artistic an d cu ltu ral in terests, takin g u s to visit m u seu m s an d galleries an d keep in g u s well stocked with art su p p lies. You see, wh en sh e was a little girl, Sp ain was goin g th rou gh th e p eriod in its h istory kn own as “p ost-gu erra,” th e d ecad e wh ich followed th e Sp an ish Civil War. Art su p p lies were a lu xu ry at th at tim e. My m oth er rem em bers wan tin g to d raw as a little girl an d , h avin g n o p en cil or p ap er, scratch in g th e wh ite stu cco walls of h er h ou se with coin s to create gray m arks, cratin g a kin d of ru stic silver-p oin t graffiti th at u n d erstan d ably d rove m y gran d p aren ts n u ts. So as a p aren t, m y m oth er m ad e certain th at h er ch ild ren always h ad arts an d crafts m aterials available for p lay. W h en I was abou t ten years old , m y m oth er took u p p ain tin g as a h obby. Sh e arm ed h erself with all th e p rop er tools for m akin g art, in clu d in g an en cyclop ed ia on h ow-to-d raw-an d -p ain t. I rem em ber th e first tim e I set eyes on th e black cloth h ard bou n d cover of its first volu m e. Prin ted across its au stere cover in bold wh ite letters was “Drawin g is Easy” (“Dibu jar es fácil”). I op en ed th e book an d d iscovered step by step m eth od s for creatin g im ages th at, u n til th at m om en t, h ad seem ed im p ossible to p u t d own on p ap er: p ortraits, lan d scap es, figu res, an d an im als. I was am azed ! From th at p oin t on , I d evou red th e in form ation in th at en cyclop ed ia, com p letin g m ost of th e assign m en ts th at th e books p rop osed ju st for m y own en joym en t. As th e years p assed , I received exten sive train in g in art: As a teen ager I en rolled in a p rivate acad em y th at tau gh t trad ition al d rawin g an d p ain tin g. Later, I atten d ed th e Un iversity of Mad rid , th e Marylan d In stitu te College of Art an d Towson Un iversity. I h ave been teach in g college cou rses in art for th e p ast fifteen years. Th irty years later, th e lesson s I learn ed in th at en cyclop ed ia are still p resen t in m y m in d . I u se th em in m y own work as well as m y in stru ction of oth ers. W h ich brin gs m e to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. Don ’t let th e fu n n y title fool you . Th is book is a seriou s an d p ractical in trod u ction for th ose in terested in learn in g th e basic asp ects of d rawin g. Its ton e is casu al an d frien d ly. It assu m es th at you d on ’t kn ow an yth in g abou t art, bu t are seriou s an d willin g to learn . Its con ten ts are ap p roxim ately th ose of a basic com p reh en sive cou rse in stu d io d rawin g at a first rate art college. In oth er word s, it is ligh t years beyon d m y beloved “Drawin g is Easy,” wh ich , sin ce it was p rin ted in 1968, is by n ow q u ite lim ited an d d ated . The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing, on th e oth er h an d , in corp orates all th e cu rren t id eas on h ow to learn to d raw. Desp ite th e h u m orou s n am e, th is is n ot a book fu ll of “tricks” th at wou ld sh ow you h ow to d raw flash y p ictu res if you can d o certain effects. You won ’t fin d a sin gle recip e in sid e on h ow to d raw a “h ap p y clou d ,” like you wou ld in th ose m islead in g “learn to p ain t” television p rogram s. Th is is th e real th in g. W h at you get from th is book are th e basic con cep ts for seriou s art m akin g. You will learn to see like an artist, to ch oose a su bject, to com p ose a p ictu re, an d to brin g it to com p letion . An d of cou rse, you ’ll learn h ow m u ch fu n th is all can be. Drawin g is th e basis for all form s of visu al fin e arts. Pain tin g, p rin tm akin g, scu lp tu re, illu stration , p h otograp h y, m ixed m ed ia, grap h ic d esign , fibers an d d igital art all rely on id eas th at are gen erally exp lored by first learn in g to d raw. W h atever you will even tu ally d o artistically, wh atever m ed iu m or style, you will ben efit greatly from bein g exp osed to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. So d on ’t waste an oth er p reciou s m in u te—let’s get started ! W h at are you waitin g for? José Villarrubia, MFA, is a p ain ter, p h otograp h er an d d igital artist, born in Mad rid , Sp ain , bu t resid in g in Baltim ore for th e p ast twen ty years. Sin ce 1986, h e h as been in clu d ed in over n in ety in tern ation al solo an d grou p exh ibition s in th e Un ited States, Eu rop e, an d Latin Am erica. His work is in th e p erm an en t collection s of th e Baltim ore m u seu m of Art an d th e In ter-Am erican Develop m en t Ban k. He is a fu ll tim e facu lty m em ber at th e Marylan d In stitu te College of Art, wh ere h e h as been teach in g d rawin g an d d igital art for th e p ast fou r years. He tau gh t for twelve years in th e art d ep artm en t of Towson Un iversity, an d h as tau gh t at th e Walters Art Gallery an d for th e Brigh t Starts Program . His n u m erou s lectu res in clu d e th ose at th e Joh n s Hop kin s Un iversity an d th e College Art Association . En tertain m en t Weekly h as called h is work “Grou n d breakin g, a treat for th e eyes!” Sin ce 1992 Mr. Villarru bia h as been th e art reviewer for th e literary m agazin e Lam bd a Book Rep ort. He is cu rren tly writin g Koan , a book abou t th e p ain tin gs of Jon J. Mu th an d Ken t William s to be p u blish ed later th is year by Allen Sp iegel Fin e Arts.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(18) Introduction If you ’ve got d raw-o-p h obia, you ’re n ot alon e. Million s of Am erican s (in clu d in g, u n til th is book, on e of its coau th ors) are afraid to p ick u p a p en cil to try to rep resen t an im age on a p age. You d rew as a ch ild —we all d id —bu t m aybe you were lau gh ed at by you r p eers or siblin gs early on , or m aybe a “ well-m ean in g” art teach er d iscou raged you r earliest efforts. Su d d en ly, you felt critical of you r d rawin gs, u n h ap p y with you r attem p ts, worried th at you wou ld fail, an d u n willin g or afraid to try. Drawin g is th ou gh t of as m agic by som e, an d an in h erited trait by oth ers, bu t n eith er of th ose id eas is tru e. Th e good n ews is it’s n ever too late to learn to d raw or learn to d raw m ore con fid en tly an d sen sitively. Th e first step , in fact, is as sim p le as p ickin g u p a p en cil an d som e p ap er an d ju st d rawin g a sim p le im age on th e p age. Pick a sin gle flower, leaf, or bran ch , an d sit an d see it for th e first tim e, th en m ake a sim p le lin e d rawin g. Give you rself a little tim e to d raw. Try it n ow, h ere:. How d id you feel wh ile you were d rawin g? Did you relax an d en joy it? Did you feel n ervou s abou t h ow you wou ld d o? Workin g th rou gh th e exercises in th is book will h elp you get p ast th ose fears an d th e ten d en cy to be too critical. You will h ave fu n d rawin g an d exp erien ce you r own creativity. See? It won ’t be so h ard . Th e rest of learn in g to d raw will be a breeze, too.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(19) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. How to Use This Book Drawin g is a basic skill, like writin g, or rid in g a bicycle—it m u st be learn ed an d p racticed , bu t is with in you r grasp . We’ve arran ged th is book so th at you start off with easy stu ff, like seein g, an d th en slowly m ove th rou gh exercises th at will take you fu rth er an d fu rth er alon g in you r d rawin g skills. Th is book is d ivid ed in to seven p arts: Part 1, “Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing,” in trod u ces you to th e p leasu res of d rawin g an d seein g, in clu d in g d iscoverin g th e d ifferen ce between you r critical left brain an d you r creative righ t brain . Tap p in g you r own creativity m ay be th e m ost excitin g th in g you h ave ever d on e. Plu s, righ t off th e bat, we’ll be p rovid in g exercises to h elp you loosen u p an d exercise you r d rawin g h an d , en tice you r creative righ t brain , an d ban ish th e left sid e, “Old Lefty,” ou t to left field , wh ere h e belon gs. Learn in g to ju st “see,” an d to d raw wh at you see, is fu n an d th e begin n in g of an ad ven tu re in d rawin g th at can take you alm ost an ywh ere. A con tou r lin e d rawin g of an object is th e p lace to start. In Part 2, “Now You Are Ready to Draw,” you ’ll m eet som e of th e tools of th e trad e, in clu d in g th e viewfin d er fram e an d th e p lastic p ictu re p lan e. We’ll sh ow you h ow to m ake you r own viewfin d er fram e an d p lastic p ictu re p lan e to take with you wh erever you go, an d h ow to u se both of th ese tools to h elp with you r d rawin gs. Th en you ’ll exp erim en t with n egative sp ace, th e sp aces in an d arou n d an object or objects. Seein g th e n egative sp ace can greatly h elp you r com p osition an d d rawin gs. Part 3, “Starting Out: Learning You Can See and Draw,” h as a lot of work to d o. First, you n eed som e m aterials an d a p lace to work, becau se you n eed to take you rself an d you r work seriou sly. We’ll begin with sim p le grou p s of objects in a d rawin g an d th en m ove on to th e fu ll still life, exp lorin g wh y artists th rou gh ou t th e ages ju st love th ose fru its an d veggies. We’ll also h elp you begin to ch oose wh at to d raw, wh at to d raw it with , an d h ow to m ake you r way from a con tou r lin e to a con sid eration of form an d weigh t. Th en we will look at th ose all-im p ortan t d etails. By Part 4, “Developing Drawing Skills,” you ’ll be feelin g m u ch m ore con fid en t abou t you r d rawin g skills. We’ll d iscu ss som e n ew m aterials an d h ow to acq u ain t you rself with th em . Jou rn als an d sketch books are n ext, a way for you to p ractice d rawin g every d ay. We’ll p eer in to som e workin g artists’ stu d ios to see wh at’s beh in d th ose ligh t-filled win d ows an d we’ll look at th eir views on d rawin g, th eir stu d ios, an d th eir feelin gs abou t th eir work. Th en , we’ll work on you r p ortable d rawin g kit to take on th e road , an d p oke arou n d you r h ou se an d gard en (an d ou rs) to fin d som e good su bjects for you r sketch book. In Part 5, “Out and About with Your Sketchbook,” we’ll get you ou t of th e h ou se. We’ll look at p ersp ective, th at all-im p ortan t way of seein g th ree-d im en sion al sp ace th at all artists u se, an d th en we’ll get you ou tsid e to u se you r n ewfou n d kn owled ge. We will look at th e lan d itself, elem en ts in th e lan d scap e, an d th en h ou ses an d oth er stru ctu res, so you will feel con fid en t to tackle an y an d all th e d rawin g ch allen ges in you r n eigh borh ood or an ywh ere in th e world . Part 6, “Drawing Animals and People,” looks at an im als, h u m an s, an d th e h u m an figu re as d rawin g su bjects. Action , gestu re, p rop ortion , sh ap e, an d form are th e bu zzword s h ere, for an im als an d th e h u m an an im al. We’ll exp lore wh y th e n u d e h as always been th e object of artists’ affection s—an d wh y it m ay tu rn ou t to be you rs as well. We’ll also look at gestu re an d m ovem en t—an d h ow to ren d er th em on th e p age. Part 7, “Enjoying the Artist’s Life!” will p u t it all togeth er, h elp in g you exp ress you rself in you r d rawin gs. We’ll d iscu ss h ow to fram e an d care for you r work an d h ow to exp an d you r skills in to n ew m ed ia, p rojects, or in to cybersp ace. We’ll also go to th e m u seu m with you , an d h elp you learn h ow you can learn m ore abou t you rself by fin d in g wh at art you ’re d rawn to. Last, in th e back of th is book, you ’ll fin d th ree ap p en d ixes, in clu d in g a list of m aterials you m ay wan t to p u rch ase, a list of books for fu rth er read in g, an d a glossary, ch ock-fu ll of art-y word s. An d , in th e fron t of th e book, you ’ll fin d a tear-ou t referen ce card to take with you wh erever you d raw.. Extras In ad d ition to h elp in g you learn h ow to d raw, we’ve p rovid ed ad d ition al in form ation to h elp you alon g. Th ese in clu d e sid ebars like th e followin g:. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xviii.

(20) Introduction. Artist’s Sketchbook. Back to the Drawing Board. These margin notes introduce you to the language of drawing, so you’ll understand the terminology as well as the how-to’s.. These margin notes can help you avoid making drawing mistakes— as well as learn from the ones you do make.. Try Your Hand Everyone could use an extra tip here and there, and this margin note is where you’ll find them.. The Art of Drawing This is the place you’ll find those extra tidbits of information that you may not have known about learning to draw.. Acknowledgments We both th an k Lee An n Ch earn ey at Am aran th , for gu id in g th is book th rou gh its assorted h oop s. Lau ren th an ks th e lon g list of frien d s, stu d en ts, an d fam ily m em bers wh o h ave agreed to th e u se of th eir work as exam p les in th is book. Sh e esp ecially th an ks Stan , h er gran d fath er, h er m en tor as an artist an d h er sou rce of in sp iration , an d Virgin ia, h er m oth er, an d a fin e artist h erself, wh o h as always en cou raged h er in an yth in g sh e tried , in clu d in g th e writin g of th is book. An d Lau ren th an ks Lisa for m on th s of in sp irin gly ap t an d fu n n y e-m ails an d h elp writin g th is d rawin g book.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xix.

(21) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing. Lisa th an ks h er sister in lau gh ter, Lau ren Jarrett, for m akin g th is book a p articu larly easy an d fu n -filled jou rn ey. Not on ly d o we sh are warp ed sen ses of h u m or, Lau ren can ou td raw th e best of ’em .. Special Thanks to the Technical Reviewer The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing was reviewed by an exp ert wh o d ou ble-ch ecked th e accu racy of wh at you ’ll learn h ere, to h elp u s en su re th at th is book gives you everyth in g you n eed to kn ow abou t d rawin g. Sp ecial th an ks are exten d ed to Dan Weld en . Dan Weld en took tim e from h is own bu sy sch ed u le of p rin tin g, teach in g, an d writin g a book abou t h is own sp ecial solar etch in g tech n iq u es. He is u n failin gly h elp fu l an d en cou ragin g to all wh o ask h is h elp an d exp ertise. Dan Weld en is a p rin tm aker an d p ain ter wh o h as h ad m ore th an 50 in tern ation al solo exh ibition s in Au stralia, New Zealan d , Belgiu m , Switzerlan d , Germ an y, an d th e Un ited States. His teach in g exp erien ce in clu d es 10 years of fu ll-tim e teach in g at th e State Un iversity of New York at Ston y Brook an d Cen tral Con n ecticu t State Un iversity, as well as m an y years as an ad ju n ct p rofessor at Su ffolk Com m u n ity College an d Lon g Islan d Un iversity. As a Master Prin tm aker, Dan Weld en h as collaborated with or p rin ted for m an y p rom in en t artists in clu d in g Willem an d Elain e d e Koon in g, Esteban Vicen te, Ibram Lassaw, Eric Fisch l, Lou isa Ch ase, Robert Rau sch en berg, Jasp er Joh n s, Dan Flavin , Jim Din e, Robert Moth erwell, an d Ku rt Von n egu t. Dan Weld en is d irector of Ham p ton Ed ition s, Ltd ., an d resid es in Sag Harbor, New York.. Trademarks All term s m en tion ed in th is book th at are kn own to be or are su sp ected of bein g trad em arks or service m arks h ave been ap p rop riately cap italized . Alp h a Books an d Pearson Ed u cation can n ot attest to th e accu racy of th is in form ation . Use of a term in th is book sh ou ld n ot be regard ed as affectin g th e valid ity of an y trad em ark or service m ark.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. xx.

(22) Part 1. Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing Learning to draw is learning a skill, and, like other skills that require practice, you can do it if you try. Getting past your fears and the thought that “you can’t draw” is the first step. It will help to discover the difference between your critical left brain and your creative right brain—and then learn how to banish “Old Lefty” out to left field, where he belongs. He is no help when learning to see and draw, and learning to “just see” will send him packing. In this section, we provide exercises to help you loosen up and warm up your drawing hand, as well as help you begin to see as an artist does.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(23) www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(24) Chapter 1. The Pleasures of Seeing and Drawing. In This Chapter ➤ Realizing the magic of drawing ➤ Learning that drawing is seeing ➤ Looking through the barriers ➤ Understanding the two sides to every brain. When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it and shows there are still more pages possible. —Robert Henri, Th e Art Sp irit (1923) You m ay th in k of d rawin g as som eth in g m agical, m aybe even as som eth in g beyon d you r grasp or u n d erstan d in g. Bu t d rawin g is really an elem en tal skill, on e th at you can learn with n o m ore effort th an learn in g to walk, rid e a bike—or even tie you r sh oes! Qu ite sim p ly, d rawin g is a way of sh owin g oth ers wh at an d h ow you see. Even at its m ost basic stage, d rawin g is abou t seein g th e m iracle of all th in gs, of ad m irin g th e essen tial p oetry in th in gs. Viewed th is way, d rawin g isn ’t an y m ore m agical th an an yth in g else— it’s sim p ly p art of th e larger m agic th at is life itself.. What Is Drawing? A way of u sin g lin es to con vey m ean in g, drawing is on e of th e m ost basic ways to com m u n icate. Tod ay, we kn ow th at d rawin g p reced ed th e written word —an d it m ay h ave p reced ed sp oken lan gu age as well. For early h u m an s, d rawin g was as essen tial a resp on se to life as. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(25) Part 1 ➤ Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing. kn owin g wh ich roots were good to eat an d wh ich were good to ru b on wou n d s. In p reh istoric tim es, d rawin gs were u sed to ➤ Exch an ge id eas an d in form ation . ➤ Celebrate an d record th e d etails of life. ➤ Solve m ysteries. ➤ Revere an d give th an ks. ➤ Wish an d d ream .. There’s no magic to drawing—it’s as simple as recording what you see.. Alth ou gh th ese d rawin gs were, accord in g to scien tists, very u tilitarian in n atu re, th ey are con sid ered works of art by th e artistic com m u n ity, in th at th e works were d on e with “h eart”; n o two d rawin gs are id en tical—som e d em on strate m ore exp ression th an oth ers.. Artist’s Sketchbook Drawing is a way of representing what we see by placing lines onto a surface.. Drawing is … W h ile you m ay believe th at d rawin g is on ly for artists, it’s really a basic skill like talkin g, read in g, or walkin g. On ce you ’ve learn ed to d raw, in fact, it becom es au tom atic, alth ou gh —as with an y basic skill—th e m ore you p ractice, th e m ore you ’ll be able to im p rove on it.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. 4.

(26) Chapter 1 ➤ The Pleasures of Seeing and Drawing. As this sketch of ancient petroglyphs shows, humans have been using drawings to communicate for millennia.. Th e secret of d rawin g is n o secret at all: It’s all abou t seein g, an d th en rep resen tin g wh at you see on to th e p age. In Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (New York: Jerem y P. Tarch er/ Pu tn am , 1999), artist/ writer Betty Ed ward s con sid ers learn in g to see an d d raw a collection of five skills: 1. Th e p ercep tion of ed ges. Try Your Hand. 2. Th e p ercep tion of sp aces 3. Th e p ercep tion of relation sh ip s, or sighting 4. Th e p ercep tion of ligh t an d sh ad ow, or form 5. Th e p ercep tion of th e wh ole, or th e gestalt. The Artist’s Answer We believe th at d rawin g m akes life rich er, every sin gle d ay. Drawin g is a skill th at op en s u p th e world , an d so it can p u t you in tou ch with th e balan ces an d beau ties of n atu re. Drawin g an d seein g allow, if n ot d em an d , th at you live in th e m om en t, see th e n ow, stop th e ch atter, an d sim p ly look. In th e silen ce wh ile you look, th ere is a p eace an d cen terin g th at can tran sform you r life.. Beyond these basic skills are memory and imagination, which are used by artists to create new works and move beyond the beginning skills necessary to learn to draw. The more you draw, the more you will progress from seeing and drawing line to space, shape, form, value, weight, light, shadow, texture, and detail.. This is a travel drawing by Lauren’s grandfather, who was a fine draftsman and painter of landscapes.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. 5.

(27) Part 1 ➤ Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing. The Art of Drawing We like to think of drawing as a door to the world that many, for one reason or another, don’t use. This same door opens to the miracle of life and the myriad of rich detail that you can experience, and is a way into your (and others’) thoughts and emotions. This door is also a window to the soul—maybe, for the soul—and so it’s a way beyond the cares and preoccupations of daily existence to an altered state that is at once a challenge and a rest.. Express Yourself Learn in g to d raw is abou t learn in g to see th in gs in a n ew way. Let’s start by takin g ap art you r brain . Well, n ot literally. For n ow, we’ll ju st sep arate it in two. Scien tists n ow accep t th at th e brain h as two h em isp h eres. You h ave a ration al, logical, verbal, an alytical, an d seq u en tial way of th in kin g or p rocessin g in form ation , wh ich is on th e left sid e of you r brain , an d an in tu itive, visu al, p ercep tive, sim u ltan eou s, an d h olistic way, wh ich is on th e righ t sid e of you r brain . You r left brain p rocesses p arts of th in gs an d word s, tries to id en tify an d organ ize, an d works to m ake sen se of th in gs. You r right brain p rocesses th e wh ole, in p ictu res an d relation sh ip s between th in gs.. Artist’s Sketchbook The brain is comprised of two hemispheres, the analytical and logical left brain and the more intuitive and holistic right brain. While Westerners tend to use their left brains far more, drawing is largely a function of the right brain.. 6. Drawin g is a skill th at u ses righ t-brain p ercep tion s, wh ich m an y p eop le—esp ecially th ose in th e western world —h ave d ifficu lty accessin g. Bu t th ere are ways of en cou ragin g th e righ t sid e of th e brain to take over th e m ore d om in an t left sid e. Th ese exercises can actu ally ch an ge th e way you see. You can m ove from bein g largely verbal an d an alytical to bein g visu al an d in tu itive. An d , learn in g to u se you r righ t brain is th e first step in learn in g to d raw. In th e logic-cen tered western world , you sp en d m ost of you r life workin g on th e left sid e of you r brain —a ban ker, for exam p le. You ’re tau gh t to th in k cogn itively, ration ally, an d logically. Th is is fin e for m an y tasks, bu t for th e m ore creative an d , we th in k, m ore reward in g p u rsu its in life, you n eed to cu ltivate th e righ t sid e.. The Left Brain. The Right Brain. p rocessin g is: rational verbal analytical sequential looks at: the parts. p rocessin g is: intuitive visual perceptive simultaneous looks at: the whole. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(28) Chapter 1 ➤ The Pleasures of Seeing and Drawing. The Art of Drawing In order to help children learn to develop both sides of their brain rather than just the left, educator David Galin suggests three tasks for teachers. 1. Teach to both the left- and right-sided functions: the verbal, symbolic, logical left, and the visual, relational, holistic right. 2. Teach the ability to use the style of thought best suited to a particular task. 3. Teach the ability to integrate both systems to maximize potential.. Why You Draw, and Why Sometimes You Stop Drawing You learn m ost of you r basic skills wh en you ’re you n g, so you ’re largely u n aware of th e tim e you p u t in to learn an d p ractice th ose skills. Som e of you m ay rem em ber learn in g to read , esp ecially if it was d ifficu lt for you , bu t m ost p eop le d on ’t rem em ber th e learn in g itself, on ce a skill is acq u ired . On th e oth er h an d , you m igh t rem em ber th e learn in g in volved for skills you learn ed later, su ch as learn in g to rid e a bike or learn in g to write, or you m ay rem em ber wh en you learn ed to d rive a car. If you ever learn ed to ski or p lay th e p ian o, you p robably rem em ber som e of th ose lesson s (an d m ay h ave som e p retty fu n n y stories to tell, too—we kn ow we d o!). W h at all of th ese later skills h ave in com m on is th at you accep ted th e n ecessity of p ractice an d learn in g in stages. For som e reason , m an y seem to th in k th at th e skills n eed ed to d raw are m ore d ifficu lt to acq u ire, esp ecially wh en th ey take in to con sid eration ou r n eed as ad u lts to accom p lish th in gs q u ickly. Maybe th e fact th at we d esire su ch im m ed iate gratification is p recisely th e reason we th in k we can ’t learn to d raw. Bu t it’s really n o m ore d ifficu lt th an an y n ew skill, an d it’s certain ly easier—an d safer—th an learn in g to d rive a car! Creativity research su ggests th at th e reason ad u lts are so afraid of th eir creativity is th at th ey’re literally afraid of “m akin g a m ess.” By th e tim e you ’ve reach ed ad u lth ood , you ’re carryin g m an y m ore voices in you r h ead th an m erely you r own ; you ’ve got you r p aren ts, you r teach ers, you r frien d s, an d p ossibly even you r bosses, all tellin g you wh at you ’ve d on e wron g. No won d er you cen sor you rself before you even try! In th is book, we’re goin g to h elp you go ou t an d p lay again with ou t th ose voices tellin g you th ere’s a righ t an d wron g way to d o so.. Back to the Drawing Board Children are more immersed in the moment, or the now, than adults, and so it’s easy for them to draw. Children are less concerned with judgmental responses to their efforts, a concern that seems to develop as we try for greater accuracy and specificity as we mature. In fact, the more we develop our largely analytical skills, the more trouble we have drawing. We lose the spontaneity and joy that simply making a mess can bring.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. 7.

(29) Part 1 ➤ Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing. Anyone can draw! This simple line drawing was done by a 7-year-old boy who managed to really look and draw the contours and shapes of a sleeping dog very accurately, because he was following what he could see.. Looking Through the Barriers Th e ability to d raw is really th e ability to see—to see wh at’s really th ere, an d tran sfer it to p ap er. Th e key is to see as an artist sees.. Try Your Hand The ability to draw is really the ability to see something and then transfer it to paper. It’s as simple as that!. Artists p rocess visu al in form ation d ifferen tly from th e way m ost Western ers d o. Most are tau gh t a m ean s of p rocessin g th at’s m ore su ited to oth er tasks, so to learn to p rocess (or see) as an artist takes som e p ractice. Most p eop le get d iscou raged before th ey’ve tried very lon g, an d soon feel th ey’ll n ever get th ere. Th ey th en say, “I’ll n ever learn to d raw,” forgettin g th at all skills (an d d rawin g, rem em ber, is a skill) take p ractice.. Learning How to Look Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see—to see correctly—and that means a good deal more than merely looking with the eyes. —Kimon Nicolaides, Th e Natu ral Way to Draw (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1990). Back to the Drawing Board Because of our analytical approach to thinking, a common belief among Westerners is that creativity is limited to artistic endeavors such as drawing, creative writing, or musical performance. Nothing could be further from the truth! Creativity takes many forms. You may be someone whose talents lie in putting others at ease, or you may take a creative approach to getting from point A to point B. What’s important is to let your right brain do the work; it’s got a lot to offer, and it’s just waiting for a cue.. 8. In th e ch ap ters th at follow, we will be en cou ragin g th e righ t sid e of you r brain to d o th e work. To h elp you , we’ll be p rovid in g exercises th at will sh ow you h ow to see wh at’s before you r eyes, with ou t th in kin g m u ch , an d to d raw wh at you see. As you p ractice, it will becom e easier an d easier for you to d o th is; you ’ll soon be able to switch con sciou sly from left brain to righ t for th e sp ecific p u rp ose of d rawin g, or to access you r in tu itive sid e ju st to relax an d en joy it! Ch an gin g from th e verbal p ercep tion of id eas to th e visu al p ercep tion of in tu ition is of trem en d ou s valu e for m ore th an ju st d rawin g. With in ou r in creasin gly h igh -tech , h igh -sp eed , 24/ 7 world , you ’ll d iscover great p leasu re in ju st th e accom p lish m en t of learn in g to u se you r righ t brain . At th e sam e tim e, as you learn to u se th e righ t sid e of you r brain to see an d d raw, you r own in n ate creativity will becom e m ore read ily available to you . To tap you r in ven tive an d creative en ergy is a great p ower. You m ay feel trem en d ou sly en ergized by th e p rocess, wh eth er you d raw or. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

(30) Chapter 1 ➤ The Pleasures of Seeing and Drawing. ch oose an oth er exp ression , su ch as writin g or m u sic. Even con ven tion al p roblem solvin g is en h an ced by creative growth . Drawin g is first abou t seein g, an d a few basic skills an d su p p lies are n eed ed to get started . Th en cu riosity, en ergy, an d p erson al in terest take th e p rocess to its n ext stage. At th e very least, d rawin g will en h an ce you r life. At th e m ost, wh o kn ows? As you r righ t brain will be th e first to tell you , th e p ossibilities are en d less!. Open Up Your Eyes It is the unexplainable thing in nature that makes me feel the world is big far beyond my understanding—to understand maybe by trying to put it into form. To find the feeling of infinity on the horizon or just over the next hill.. Artist’s Sketchbook Filter is the word we use to describe the process of noticing only what we need to in any given scene. A frame is a similar sensory device, where we ignore what’s outside of what we want to look at.. —Georgia O’Keeffe, 1976 So ju st h ow d o you learn to op en u p you r eyes an d see wh at’s arou n d you ? Let’s start by talkin g abou t filters an d fram es, two im agin ary sen sory d evices th at you u se every m in u te you ’re awake. W h en you look at an y given scen e, you filter ou t all th at isn ’t im p ortan t to wh at you ’re lookin g at. You d on ’t read every word on every billboard as you ’re d rivin g d own th e h igh way, for exam p le; th is wou ld p u ll you r atten tion away from th e task at h an d —d rivin g. At th e sam e tim e, you p ay little atten tion to th e traffic on th e oth er sid e of th e h igh way m ed ian . Th is is fram in g wh at you see, an d ign orin g everyth in g th at’s ou tsid e th e fram e. In Ch ap ter 5, “Fin d in g th e View,” we’ll be in trod u cin g you to th e viewfin d er fram e, a d evice th at artists u se to d o ju st th is. W h at’s im p ortan t to rem em ber n ow is th at filterin g an d fram in g are alread y p arts of th e way you see every d ay, so you ’ve alread y taken th e first step to learn in g to d raw.. Drawings can be scenes from every part of your everyday life.. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br. 9.

(31) Part 1 ➤ Drawing and Seeing, Seeing and Drawing. The Gallery of Life In Ap p en d ix A of th is book, you ’ll fin d a list of m aterials you ’ll p robably wan t to h ave on h an d as you read th is book. Bu t to begin , even if you h ave n on e of th e oth er m aterials, at th e very least we’d like you to h ave som e blan k, u n lin ed p ap er an d a p en cil. In fact, go fin d th ose n ow. Are you back? Con gratu lation s—you ’ve ju st taken th e secon d step in learn in g to d raw! Ch an ces are th at, righ t n ow, you ’re sittin g in a room in you r h ou se, read in g th is book. Look u p from th e book. W h at d o you see? Use you r p ap er an d p en cil to sketch th at im age. Don ’t worry th at you kn ow n oth in g abou t learn in g to d raw—ju st d o th e best you can . (Note: We realized th at m akin g a list was very left-brain ed , so rep laced th is with a m ore righ t-brain ed en d eavor.) W h at d id you see? You p robably n oticed th e fu rn ish in gs in th e room , th e p ictu res on th e walls, m aybe th e titles of som e books in a bookcase, or som e h ou sep lan ts th at you kn ow by n am e. Th at’s good ; you ’re seein g wh at’s in th e room you ’re in . Bu t n ow, look again , ign orin g all of th e th in gs you ju st d rew above. Th at’s righ t—look beyon d th e books an d p lan ts. W h at d o you see n ow? W h at d id you see th is tim e? Did you n otice a p lace th at n eed s som e tou ch -u p p ain t on th e wall? Did you see th e p attern of you r ru g or carp et, wh ich you h aven ’t really n oticed sin ce you first bou gh t it? Maybe you saw a face in th e wallp ap er th at isn ’t really th ere, or you r own face, reflected in th e television screen . W h en you start seein g th ese d etails, you ’re begin n in g to see like an artist. Pretty excitin g, isn ’t it?. 10. www.carlosdamascenodesenhos.com.br.

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