Welcome back for another tutorial!
The goal of this tutorial is to help you improve your line control and hand-eye coordination when drawing. A common issue for those starting out drawing is using clean, smooth lines. It usually stems from the fear of messing up a shape, but this technique helps overcomes some of that issue.
A line is a basic element of art.
This tutorial was inspired by @artwatch 's and @jimdraw 's drawing challenge. The goal of the exercise was to use one continuous line to make the whole drawing. However their main aim is to improve the speed of drawing and tgey plan to have more various exercises so check them out and the #justspeed tag for more. There is no time limit for your drawings.
These are some additional drawings I made for practice before creating the tutorial. I wanted to draw different elements, to see what they have in common in regards to the technique.
Let's get started!
The tools:
I recommend using a pen, because it's not erasable, doesn't smudge and it's easier to photo.
I used a 0.4 ink pen as it allows me to shade dark areas more easily. .
Paper: try an A5 format as it will take you much less time than an A4, but any smaller size will make it difficult to add details.
Below the tutorial I will also show a second drawing example using the same steps. You can follow along or try applying the steps to another photo study. I'll provide several photos you can choose from at the end of the post.
It's importand that once you put the pen on the paper, you don't lift it until the end of the drawing. If your hand slips or you need a break, it's ok, but please try to continue where you left of.
Don't worry how your drawing turns out! Have fun and at least try it out.
First you have to find the interesting focus of your drawing. The you draw it's outline, but keep it very simple and don't press hard.
It's important to do outlines first, because you can camouflage any mistakes later with shading. Moreover, it's easier to fill in details after the outline is done.
Next you have to outline the rest of the image like the background elements. You do all of this with one continuous line.
Whenever you reach an end of a detail, it's easiest if you follow the previous lines until the next point in the drawing. This step is to make sure everything fits in your drawing. If you make mistakes, simply draw the correct lines. The mistakes will not be noticeable after the shading step.
Now, this step is where the drawing gets it's flair. Shade all of the dark areas, use pressure to get stronger and softer shades. You should also strengthen the outline of the main object to make it stand out better.
A5 size sketch of the same photo
The drawings may look messy and less appealing, but this exercise will benefit you with drawing in general.
After you are done with the drawing, you can try drawing once freehand the same thing and you may notice that it's much easier.
This contest's reward pool was donated by @tonyr, thank you very much for the support!
Prizes
1st Place- 3SBD - I pick based on effort
2nd Place- 2SBD- random pick
3rd Place-1SBD (An extra small reward from me to complete the set)- random pick
You must follow the rules to qualify for prize :)
The rules:
Read the tutorial instructions and follow them to your best ability.
You can only enter with your own drawings.
Make a post with your drawings and use #tutorialpractice as one of your tags.
Resteem and upvote this post to spread the contest.
Your post must contain your drawing. Bonus points if you do more drawings than required.
Deadline: 2 weeks from now, 9th of April. A bit more time :)
Please leave the link to your post in the comments, so I don't miss it!
Important!! You can only use reference that I'm providing in this post, to avoid any art theft.
References
Easy
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/rose-blossom-bloom-flower-nature-2417334/
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/landscape-nature-tree-sky-panorama-3257640/
Medium
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/turtle-beach-water-sand-sea-ocean-3069468/
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/snow-mountain-nature-waters-ice-3257401/
Difficult
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/sculpture-statue-art-ancient-face-3257604/
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/auto-jaguar-oldtimer-vehicle-3258349/
https://pixabay.com/en/architecture-old-travel-water-3256219/
If you enjoy crafts, I recommend checking out my brother's origami contest here:
Thank you for reading and participating!