Drawing faces is hard. The tiniest mismeasurement can ruin a likeness, and make the proportions look a bit odd, which I think they do here. Having said that, I’m pretty happy with this (drawn from a reference photo, not from life). I captured at least some of what I was trying to.
Not that I’m a very skilled or experienced artist yet (I do respect the word), but I’m definitely in that mindset. And in the Men’s at work the other day, I noticed this button on the top of the toilet cistern. I loved the dark, abstract shapes in the reflection, and I knew I had to draw it.
(Don’t worry, I didn’t stand in the stall and draw it. I took a photo and drew it at home. 🙂 )
When you tackle trees, don’t try to draw every leaf. Use broad pencil strokes to define areas of leaf rather than individual sprigs. Concentrate on getting the main shape of the tree correct, and the way the leaves clump together in dark masses.
Barrington Barber, The Ultimate Drawing Book
I went for a couple of months recently without drawing or painting anything, mainly because I was distracted by work. But I’ve started sketching again, with a little help and inspiration from this book.
All of the below images are exercises or copies from the book. Click on them to see the full image.
Drawing is foundational – the basis for all art making. If you don’t know how to draw, it’s more difficult to construct shapes and good painting compositions. It’s difficult to communicate your ideas to others. It’s difficult to do any pre-planning drawings or value studies for your paintings.
David M. Kessler
