How do you start drawing from observation?

Question

You can start by picking your drawing subject: it can be a “real life” subject, such as live model, still life, or a landscape. It can also be an image on your screen, as your reference. You need to have a sheet of drawing paper, average size, and your choice of a drawing media, such as pencil, willow charcoal, or a pen. You may need an eraser, if you are drawing using pencil, or a small piece of cloth, f you are using charcoal. You also need to have a “sighting stick”, a long, (about 12”) thin stick (such as a barbeque skewer, a knitting needle, or a long, wooden stick. That is going to be used for your measuring proportions (I teach that in detail). The place where you work needs to be well-lit, whether it is a room, or, if you are outside, a sunny weather.

Answer 1

I would start by drawing from observation; choose things that are not too complex to start with. Drawing from observation will help you see things the way they are and then use your own style to express yourself. I recommend starting to draw with basic graphite pencils, a medium surface 9x12 sketchbook of decent quality, and experiment with how each type of pencil HB, H 2H, 4H, 2B, 4B, 6B, etc. makes different types of marks. Learn about the various erasers, blenders, paper types. I'd start by sketching something sitting in front of you from observation; maybe a coffee mug, a vase, or a toothbrush. Drawing from nature is also a great way to do landscape drawing. Try to observe all the little details. What does tree bark really look like. How do the leaves grow out of the tree trunk, to the branches, to the stems, etc. Having formal drawing lessons will help you see things in a new light, and get you to focus on line, contour, shadow, forms, and design. Copying other drawings or trying to draw from photographs are good practice to try out techniques. But creating art is often times more than just drawing or painting what you see. It's about creating something that you as the artist want other people to see, feel, or experience. So, first practice on your realism and techniques, and then use your imagination and pair it with the technique to create something new that the world has never seen before! Happy to help you on your artistic journey.

Best,

Eddie

Answer 2

Drawing from observation is the greatest way to improve your drawing skills. As we practice seeing, we then can draw using our knowledge of the world alone. Start by asking yourself some basic questions about what you see? "What shapes do I see?" For example, a farm pasture scene has rectangles that are the sky and the grass and maybe some circles or triangle that are trees. Consider their relationship to each other. What items are larger than others? Are they higher or lower in your view than the other? Where is the horizon? Then ask, "What are the values I see?" "Where is the darkest area and the lightest?" Start by using a scratch piece of paper to draw these items quickly before you start your "keeper" drawing. Think of values as numbers from one to ten. One is white and 10 is black. Is that shape a 3 or a 7? Your drawing will emerge through the relationship the things in your view have to each other. Remember, the purpose of drawing is not always to record what you see. Sometimes the artist has the opportunity to draw beauty into a scene with their imagination.

Answer 3

You can start by picking your drawing subject: it can be a “real life” subject, such as live model, still life, or a landscape. It can also be an image on your screen, as your reference. You need to have a sheet of drawing paper, average size, and your choice of a drawing media, such as pencil, willow charcoal, or a pen. You may need an eraser, if you are drawing using pencil, or a small piece of cloth, f you are using charcoal. You also need to have a “sighting stick”, a long, (about 12”) thin stick (such as a barbeque skewer, a knitting needle, or a long, wooden stick. That is going to be used for your measuring proportions (I teach that in detail). The place where you work needs to be well-lit, whether it is a room, or, if you are outside, a sunny weather.

Depends whether the drawing is the begnning of your project, such as a sketch for your painting, or it it the final outcome, you need to make sure that your drawing is mesured correctly and that your proportions are right. I teach that step-by-step.