Drawing I | How We See (Getting from Here to There)

Course Developer: Jordon Schranz
Instructors: Jordon Schranz, Elke Sudin
Layout: Patricio Sarzosa
Editors: Gordon Drummond, Clara LaFrance

How We See (Getting from Here to There)

Drawing is a language. And just like you can learn French or Spanish, I believe that you can learn to draw, and with practice, become fluent.

In this course, we will explore the fundamental grammar of drawing. I will help you develop techniques for capturing mass, perspective, value, and color in your work. We will also experiment with different drawing media and explore their potential as we go.

The stages of a drawing

The lessons and exercises that follow focus on the practice of drawing from direct observation. The goal is for you to learn to draw by becoming more aware of your surroundings and how they visually interact. You will be creative, building drawings that demonstrate an understanding of the elements of design and the expressive qualities of different types of marks.

Your first practical assignment will explore the use of charcoal in gesture drawing. But first, I'll review some fundamentals to make sure everyone is on the same page.

As I mentioned in the introduction, drawing is a language with its own grammar and syntax. When we draw, we are communicating visually. We are assembling a series of marks in a specific way, in a specific order, to communicate information for others to interpret visually and metaphorically.

In order to communicate, we need to understand the language. We need to fundamentally understand the importance of drawing what we see. We also need to have a grasp of some basic drawing terminology.

Students who have taken my Intro to Drawing Sessions course will already have a foundation in these concepts. If any of you have not taken that course—don't worry! This course is designed for any student with a basic understanding of and proficiency in drawing. Beginners and intermediate drawers alike will benefit from reviewing the essentials and tackling new creative challenges in the assignments.

So, let's begin with a brief review of key concepts and terms!

The Process of Looking

As I discuss in the Intro to Drawing course, it's important to approach each drawing with the goal of capturing what your eyes actually see.

When we are actively looking at a drawing subject, our eyes are being bombarded by light. Our eyes work as a sensor, absorbing raw visual information. We can direct this sensor by focusing our attention on a particular object in space, capturing very specific information.

From there, our minds take over and we begin to interpret that information. Our minds recognize contrasts and relationships. What do you see in this photo of an apple, for example?

You may first see the apple as separate from its surroundings. We would describe this as the positive space occupied by the apple in relation to the negative space of the void around the apple.

The black area represents the positive space; the white area is the negative space.

You may also notice the overlapping edges of the form of the apple. A contour drawing uses line to illustrate the three-dimensional form of a subject.

Contour drawing

Certain areas of this object are lighter and others darker. These lights and darks are a range of values within the object.

Black and white photograph showing the range of value in the image

You may see contrasts and relationships of hue (color) and saturation (intensity of color). The apple has some areas of deep red and some areas of light red.

When we learn to draw, we learn to capture the essence of what we see in our subjects. Instead of trying to draw our preconceived idea of a shiny, round, red object called an apple, we need to interpret the hues, edges, and values as forms—forms that we bestow meaning upon.

Here are some fundamental form concepts that everyone should know. I'll be referring to these terms throughout the course.

Elements of Form

A line is the path between any two points. Line is a primary component of drawing.

A shape is made is up of a series of enclosed lines.

Each shape rests on a series of planes in space.

When shapes combine, they create a form that appears to take up three dimensions and have the characteristics of weight and bulk. When this happens, we tend to regard these forms as an object rather than a flat shape.

To capture the three-dimensional aspect of an object, consider its mass (weight) and volume (depth).

It also helps to think about any drawing subject in terms of its basic forms. Basic forms are the primary geometric forms that all forms can be broken down into. Basic forms consist of cubes, spheres, cylinders, cones, and pyramids.

Even the most complex forms can be broken down into their basic formal components. Drawing is the process of capturing the essence of what you see.

Here's a video tutorial that further discusses how to draw what you see:

 

Sculptural Drawing
Working with Basic Forms

How do you represent these basic forms in your work?

One useful concept to remember is that drawing is a lot like sculpting. Even though you're using a pencil or charcoal stick and drawing on a flat piece of paper, rather than working with clay, you still need to think three-dimensionally about what you are drawing. With each line you make, you are creating the illusion of cutting into the space of your drawing, carving out the form you are trying to draw.

When you make any mark in your drawing, it must adhere to a plane. Your marks must represent the surface of the people or objects that you are drawing.

A plane, intersecting with other planes, creates a feeling of form and the illusion of space. You can see this most readily in the planes that make up geometric, regularly-shaped objects:

A cube consists of six flat planes, one for each side. A sphere is trickier; it is actually made up of a seemingly infinite number of planes intersecting at different angles, giving the impression of being round. A cylinder is comprised of two circle-shaped planes at the top and bottom, and a series of planes that wrap around the two circular planes.

Objects in the real world are rarely quite so regular, so it's important to be able to see the underlying basic forms of your subject. This is why still life drawing is such a great discipline. It gives you the opportunity and technique to tackle objects that you might initially shy away from drawing.

Take this water vase from my studio, for example. At first glance, this form is not clearly geometric. It appears very fluid, almost a one-of-a-kind object.

How would you draw me?

Looking closely, you can see that the shape can be simplified to a series of interlocking basic forms:

I see a circle, a sphere, and many cylinders.

Even the most complex object is made up of interconnected simple planes. Identifying these planes and basic forms will help you break up complicated shapes into their simple components, and maintain perspective in your drawing.

Gesture Drawing

In your first exercise, we are going to practice gesture drawing. If you already have a basic proficiency with contour drawing (and even if you don't) gesture drawing can help you develop a looser approach for your drawing work.

Gesture drawing is a loose but vigorous drawing technique that uses many lines to convey the physical mass of objects. The formal definition of the word "gesture" is "the act of moving the limbs or body to show, express, or direct thought." This is the key to the special meaning of the term for artists.

Keep your lines loose, being aware of the physical movements you make in order to capture the mass of the subject. This type of line is called gestural because it communicates the physical gestures made by your arm and hand during the process of making a mark.

Still life objects	A loose, gestural drawing

Gestural drawings can be done almost anywhere. Gestural drawings can be done while you're waiting for a subway or bus, or even done in a room in your house or studio.

My studio

A quick gesture drawing should aim to capture the mass of the objects in the drawing and their relationship to each other. Gesture drawing is a good way to focus on the positive and negative space in a drawing, a concept that we'll be revisiting later in the course.

Notice the composition of the objects and the positive and negative space created by their grouping and placement on the page.

Here's a video tutorial that shows my approach to gesture drawing:

How to Do It: Representing Mass

When you're doing gesture drawing, it's important to draw quickly, without second thoughts. Don't use an eraser during this type of drawing. Remember, your goal is to capture the gesture, a suggestion of where the mass of the objects is.

Start in the middle of each object and work your way out. Focus on the interior of the object and how much mass it takes. Areas that are thicker and take up more mass should have more line. Be sure to continually compare your drawing to the still life in front of your eyes.

Don't think about shading or drawing an outline and then filling in shapes. The idea isn't to draw shapes and shade them in. The goal is to build shapes out of lines like you would build a sculpture out of clay. Use many lines to create an area of mass.

This is a drawing of a mug, an egg, and some broccoli. With a gesture drawing, don't worry too much about the details, just get the masses situated.

Don't even worry about having smooth or straight edges in your drawing and don't try to make this look realistic. What's important is that you begin to understand the mass that each object takes up on your page, and the voids around them. Focus on the positive and negative space.

Make sure not to spend too much time on each drawing (one to two minutes). Move around your drawing quickly and evenly; don't systematically finish one object at a time. If your subject has several objects, try to take turns working on all of the objects, working them evenly. Get in the practice of working your whole drawing together.

Gestural drawing can seem kind of rough and scary at first, but give it a go! Practicing a loose, fluid approach will help you develop the fluidity you need to create more nuanced works down the road.

Drawing Materials

Supplies for this class are available for 10% off at Utrecht.com. Visit Utrecht.com, add your chosen items to your cart, and use discount code 86572 at checkout. 10% discount not available on sale or clearance items.

Be sure to check out the Materials List.

In the first exercise, we will be using charcoal along with a kneaded eraser. We should also discuss what else we need to set up a proper work environment.

Charcoal comes in variety of forms such as sticks, pencils, and compressed blocks.

Two charcoal sticks, a charcoal pencil, and compressed charcoal

Charcoal can also come in a variety of weights to create marks of different values: softer for darker lines, and harder for lighter, sharper lines.

You can use either vine or willow charcoal sticks. Each type has different qualities. In my opinion, vine charcoal sticks to the paper better, but willow charcoal is more fluid and easier to use. I prefer the willow charcoal for its rich, dark tones. I just need to be careful where I rest my hand and spray-fix my drawing when I'm done to avoid unwanted smudges or smearing.

You should be holding your charcoal either width-ways or palm-in way, depending upon what the drawing calls for.

The palm-in way to hold charcoal

Notice how the edge of the charcoal runs along the tips of the fingers and the area of pressure is between the thumb and the middle finger. The other fingers guide the direction and hold the charcoal straight.

If you are drawing with the palm-in approach and using the tip of your charcoal you should be using pieces that are several inches long. Hold the charcoal by the end of the stick.

If you are drawing width-ways, your charcoal need only be an inch long. Make sure that you have enough charcoal to work with. Use too small a piece, and you may make accidental marks with your hand.

Holding charcoal width-ways

The kneaded eraser can be shaped to make different marks. You can make thin and wide marks depending upon how you shape the eraser. Tear off little pieces to make thin and controlled lines. I find it gives me greater control over the mark.

You can also shape the eraser and pad areas to lighten them. This is useful to lighten an area without losing the qualities of the mark-making.

A shaped kneaded eraser (left) and the eraser used to make marks (right)

Drawing Paper

For these charcoal drawings you will either be using your newsprint or a heavier drawing paper with a tooth that is good for working with charcoal.

The tooth refers to the texture of the paper. Paper can be very smooth, and have very little tooth, or very rough with greater tooth for capturing drawing materials. Paper with more tooth may be easier to make deep marks on but will also be more difficult to erase.

I recommend a drawing paper with a medium weight: 80-120 lb. paper. The weight refers to the amount of the pressure placed on the paper during its fabrication to make it flat.

Newsprint

Newsprint is a cheaper, often slightly gray paper. Its affordability makes it appealing to use when doing preliminary sketches or warm-up exercises. However, newsprint is not very archival; it tends to yellow and become brittle when exposed to the elements and direct sunlight for too long.

Drawing Board

You will also find it useful to lean on a drawing board when working. A drawing board is a smooth piece of wood, not much larger than your drawing paper and typically made of hardboard. You can purchase a drawing board at an art store that may have clips for holding your paper attached.

I find using a piece of hardboard found at a hardware store works just as well and may be cheaper.

Hardboard

It is important that you work on a drawing board or some other surface other than your pad of paper as you may make marks that will indent the pages below, making unnecessary and unwanted marks in future drawings.

Masking Tape

You will be using masking tape to secure your paper on your drawing board. There is a special type of masking tape called artist tape. Strathmore is a recommended brand of artist tape. Artist tape is a better quality than the masking tape you would find in a hardware store. It is often white or blue in color. Artist tape is easier to lift off your paper without tearing. If you can afford it, I would recommend the artist tape; if not, any masking tape will do. When taping your drawing to your drawing board, it isn't necessary to use a lot of tape, just enough to secure your drawing.

Using an Easel

If you can afford it, I suggest purchasing an easel to use for this course. Several different types of easels are available on the market. I would recommend a small, portable, metal easel. These are very useful and can be set up almost anywhere. Don't feel you need to spend a lot of money when purchasing an easel, but do get your money's worth. Thin, cheap easels tend to fall over and break very easily.

Drawing board with taped paper on an easel

It's all right if you don't have an easel, just make sure that your drawing board is well supported. You could sit on your bed and prop your board against the wall or with some pillows or even try using another chair.

Discussion Share your thoughts and opinions on drawing with other students. Exercise Create four gesture drawings, focusing on the variety and quality of marks