Here are some blind contour drawings of my kids. Except for a slight hint of likeness in the first one (of my son), they look nothing like them. But at least they look like faces! I find the middle one (of my eldest daughter) the most interesting—and the last one (of my youngest daughter) aContinue reading “Blind contour drawings”
Tag Archives: sketching
My eldest daughter
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.
Funny the things you notice (as an artist)
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 hadContinue reading “Funny the things you notice (as an artist)”
Some helpful guidance on drawing trees
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
Drawing exercises
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.
