Master the Art of Drawing

Drawing: A Comprehensive Guide

• Drawing is a form of visual art where an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surfaces.

• Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, erasers, markers, styluses, and metals (such as silverpoint).

• Digital drawing is the act of drawing on graphics software in a computer.

• Drawing is often exploratory, with considerable emphasis on observation, problem-solving, and composition.

• There are several categories of drawing, including figure drawing, cartooning, doodling, and freehand.

• Drawing is also regularly used in commercial illustration, animation, architecture, engineering, and technical drawing.

• The centuries have produced a canon of notable artists and draftsmen, each with their own distinct language of drawing.

• Shading is the technique of varying the tonal values on the paper to represent the shade of the material as well as the placement of the shadows.

• Measuring the dimensions of a subject while blocking in the drawing is an important step in producing a realistic rendition of the subject.

• The basic tools of drawing are a drawing board or table, pencil sharpener and eraser, and for ink drawing, blotting paper.

• Artists use their hands and fingers to apply the media, with the exception of some handicapped individuals who draw with their mouth or feet.

• Paper comes in a variety of different sizes and qualities, ranging from newspaper grade up to high quality and relatively expensive paper sold as individual sheets.Drawing Techniques and Artistry Summary

• Drawing the underlying construction is a fundamental skill for representational art.

• A refined art of figure drawing relies on the artist possessing a deep understanding of anatomy and human proportions.

• Linear perspective is a method of portraying objects on a flat surface so that the dimensions shrink with distance.

• Depth can also be portrayed by several techniques in addition to the perspective approach.

• The composition of the image is an important element in producing an interesting work of artistic merit.

• The illumination of the subject is also a key element in creating an artistic piece.

• The skilled artist pays attention to both the area within the silhouette and what lies outside.

• Studies can be used to determine the appearances of specific parts of the completed image or for experimenting with the best approach.

• Investigative studies have aimed to explain the reasons why some individuals draw better than others.

• Perception of objects being drawn is the most important stage in the drawing process.

• Short-term memory plays an important part in drawing as one's gaze shifts between the object they are drawing and the drawing itself.

• Artists spend more time thinking strategically while drawing.