Drawing The Human Figure - Tips For Beginners

Figure drawing is challenging. The act of rendering the human form accurately on paper can be intimidating and frustrating if you try to tackle everything all at once. It is for this reason that you should take things one-step at a time and most importantly, practice! The following article will provide you with some of the basics for understanding how to approach your next figure drawing project.

The very first thing you will need obviously is your drawing supplies. Drawing does not have to be a very expensive art form. You can get started with a pencil and paper if you so desire, but there are certain supplies that will produce better results. It is quite difficult to recommend the perfect materials as every artist is different and therefore will have different preferences. Only time and experience will tell you what materials work best for your particular style. Your choice of materials will also depend on the chosen subject matter.

The best advice would be to get a variety of different pencils and papers and simply experiment. You will eventually come to like certain materials over others. Get your self a pad of newsprint paper. Newsprint paper is fairly inexpensive and excellent for practice drawings, although you should not expect these drawing to last very long. They will more than likely yellow over time. For your permanent drawings, a good quality paper is recommended. Strathmore is a good brand to look into. You may want to start with a medium textured paper as it has enough "tooth" to hold a fair amount of medium, but smooth enough to allow for detailed work. You will also need a good size drawing board that is smooth and flat for your drawing surface.

Before you even lift a pencil, you should have a basic understanding of human anatomy. When you study anatomy, you will learn more about the construction of the human body and its proportions. You will also have a basic understanding of the muscles and tendons and how they direct and control the body. There is no need to get carried away and memorize every muscle, bone, and tendon in the human body; just a fundamental understanding should suffice.

Getting the proportions correct in your figure drawing is one of the biggest challenges you will face as a beginner. It is for this reason that a unit of measurement was established using the models head. This is the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin. 7 ½ to 8 heads is the standard measurement that has been developed for the height of an erect figure. This measurement can vary depending on the subject so you may have to make adjustments to your figure drawing. You should realize that the measurement of 7 ½ heads corresponds to the figure when it is standing erect. If the pose of your figure changes, adjustments will obviously have to be made.

Artists will often use a pencil to take the head measurement. Stand a reasonable distance from your subject. Grab your pencil from the bottom as if you were holding a hammer and extend your arm out fully in front of you toward the subject. Try and keep your head as still as possible. Make certain that you are standing in the same spot each time you take measurements. Now closing one eye match the tip of the pencil with the top of the subjects head. Place your thumb on the pencil and slide it down until it matches with the bottom of the subjects chin. You now have taken the "head" measurement of your subject, which will now serve as a reference for measuring the rest of your subject.
When deciding on the type of pose for your figure drawing make sure you choose one that looks natural. Your model will be holding his or her pose for a long period of time and should be comfortable and relaxed. Give your model adequate time to move around and get settled. The more relaxed and natural the pose, the more believable the final drawing or painting will be. If your model looks uncomfortable or awkward, your painting or drawing will reflect that as well.

There are number of different lighting situations that you can create for your figure drawing or painting. Will you be working indoors or outdoors? If indoors, will you be working in a room that has natural sunlight or will you be using artificial light? What direction will the light source come from? Will there be multiple light sources? If you are a beginner, you may want to create a lighting effect that strikes your model from only one direction and illuminates your figure only partially, thereby creating more shadow. This will make for a much easier figure drawing. As you gain more experience, you can then move on to more complex lighting effects.

When you begin your drawing, you should not be overly concerned with getting every detail correct in your figure or other objects that make up your drawing. Many beginners fall into this trap and ultimately wind up with a drawing that is out of proportion or that just looks wrong. Study your subject, squint your eyes and try to locate the basic shapes that make up your subject.

Figure drawing and painting is a vast subject and this article only touches on some of the basics. You should definitely take classes or workshops and practice your figure drawing with live models. Purchase a few good books on figure drawing and anatomy. Join discussion groups and ask questions. Most importantly though, keep practicing and never give up.

By: Ralph Serpe

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3 Tips For Drawing Noses The Right Way

When drawing faces, one of the most prominent features is the nose. This is because, quite frankly, it is one of the largest on the face and sticks out. So artists, need to know, when drawing faces, how to do this correctly. Some artists tend to overlook this feature and then find their drawings off. This should not be overlooked and is quite simple to get the basics down with these tips.

First, you should know the basic set up and structure of the nose. Knowing what’s underneath the skin and the musculature and bone structure of the face will help. It is important to note that everyone’s noses are different and unique and to draw them as such.

Some artists like to keep the drawing of a nose simplified and use the technique of two lines and a ball for the tip of the nose. Some artists start off with a prism to guide them along. This article focuses more on some tips and mistakes to avoid when drawing the nose and not so much the technique.

First when placing the nose on the face, start with your blockin of the head. Carefully draw a line through the forehead and the mouth to give you the starting midpoint on the face. This will help you to keep your alignment right. Then use the thumb and pencil technique for measuring to find the exact placement of the nose.

One of the common mistakes beginning artists make when drawing the nose is in outlining and shading. New artists sometimes make the mistake of drawing the outline of both sides of the nose. This will flatten the nose and make the drawing of the face look off.

Take extra care when you are shading the nose. You should avoid outlining and use lighting and shadow and directional shading to help create the effect. Usually the shadowed side of the nose will provide the depth and dimension to give the 3D effect. When drawing the nose, be careful not to make the nose too long. Some artists do this. Also, just a quick refresher in what we discussed…

First, sketch out or block in the outline of the nose. Check the placement of the nose on the page using the thumb n pencil method of measuring. Start defining the shape using shadowing, defining the nostrils, etc. Finish shading the nose. That’s it in a nutshell. Take care when drawing the nose because if you don’t and hurry though it, it can ruin your drawing. The nose is a prominent feature, treat it that way and you’ll be more likely to achieve a likeness to your subject.

Copyright 2006 Todd Harris

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Todd Harris is a master artist who is working as a concept art director for a multi-billion dollar company. He is trained in the Florence Academy Method and loves art. Learning2draw.com is a resource web site devoted to aspiring artists wishing to explode their figure drawings to new heights. For more information on how to draw people and faces visit www.learning2draw.com . You can also sign up for a free newsletter with hundreds of tips, tricks and techniques of the masters.

Easy Tips For Figure Drawing Like The Masters In Minutes

Drawing people and faces is not very hard to do. Well, that’s not one hundred percent accurate if you want to achieve a likeness to the person that you are drawing. This is very challenging and hard to do because each person is unique and poses their own individuality. Figure drawing and drawing faces is an artists ultimate challenge because of this uniqueness, everyone is different. Mastering the human form can be difficult but with these tips, it may be a little easier.

First, when you are starting out, draw everyone you know. Draw your friends and family. Draw at church, the baseball diamond, the park, a funeral, a wedding, wherever you go! Take a sketch pad with you everywhere.

Another good tip is to copy an old master’s painting. Take a Bougereau or Da Vinci or some other master’s painting and copy it. This is a tip that a lot of artists find the most useful when trying to master figure drawing. What is it that makes their work great? Study their technique and line usage, make notes so that you are able to incorporate these into your drawings. Observe the boldness of their lines, what about their hatching and cross-hatching, or shading? Make notes!

Do a self portrait. Check yourself out in the mirror and get drawing. The reoccurring theme with these tips are get drawing people.

Do studies of the hands, eyes, mouths, and noses. Draw hundreds of each of these trying to get the anatomy right and also focusing on the likeness of the persons or illustration you are sketching.
Do several gesture drawings every day. These will help you in your efforts to bring life and vitality to your drawings. Gesture drawings help in capturing the emotion of what you are trying to convey in the portrait.

Take a digital camera with you everywhere. This will help you when you come across something that strikes your eye for a reference. I use mine also for interesting textures or if I see a piece of clothing that would make an interesting practice piece. Never go on a trip without one!

Finally, you know where you struggle. Look at these areas carefully and practice, practice, practice. Go back to the basics. Get a good look at your weaknesses and turn them into your strengths. Is it drawing hair? Drawing clothes? Or is it mastering eyes, or capturing a likeness to your subject? Whatever it is, study it out and get drawing. You can do it. These tips will help you get started.

Copyright 2006 Todd Harris

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Todd Harris is a master artist who is currently working for a multi-billion dollar company as a concept art director. He is trained in the Florence Academy Method of Art. Learning2draw.com is a site devoted to aspiring artists, helping them to master the human form and achieve their artistic talents. For more information on drawing people or faces and to receive a free newsletter with hundreds of tips and tricks, visit www.learning2draw.com .

Drawing Hands Made Simple, Great Tips To Help You Master Hands

Artists consider drawing hands one of the hardest parts of the human form to draw. It takes a lot of practice to master drawing hands, however, it can be learned and less daunting than the task seems. Hands are a very expressive part of the body, much like the face, this is why it is sometimes so hard to draw. There is a formula to the process that makes it easier for artists to master drawing hands. Let's take a look at the process.

Start with blocking in the hand. Artists do this differently, do it the way you feel comfortable. A quick block-in might look a little like a fisted hand outline, with fingers outstretched.

hen you are drawing the hand, you do not have to worry about all of the detail, this will come later. You always want to start with the overall shape and then work the finer details last. Break down the hand with simple shapes.

Then form the fingers. Notice the shape of them and the space between them. Make sure your proportions are correct. Once you have everything in the right position, then and only then, can you begin to refine the hand. Make sure the thumb is in the right position relative to the other fingers. You can use the thumb and pencil method to check these proportions.

Once your block-in or lay in is complete, you can finish with some shading and refining. Draw the main visible wrinkles, shadows, nails and then refine the lines.

Add some rough shading to bring the form out. Then refine with more subtle shading while observing the fine lines of the hands. It's good to know where your light source is coming from so you know where the shadows will fall on each finger.

There are some tips that you can consider when drawing hands that are helpful. First, draw your own hands. Set your hands in various poses and look for how the light falls on them. Next, know what's underneath the hand. Have a good understanding of the structure of the hand from an anatomical view point. This should give you a good understanding and help you with how the shading should be handled.

Start with easier poses and then work on more complex poses as you become more familiar.

Get critiques of your drawings. Feedback is very important when learning to draw anything. Get new perspective from others comments and don't be afraid to try them out.

Lastly, drawing takes a lot of practice. Don't get discouraged if your first few hands don't turn out. You'll get it, with persistence and practice, you'll be mastering hands in no time.

Copyright (c) 2006 Todd Harris

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Todd Harris is a master artist who is working as a concept art director for a multi-billion dollar company. He is trained in the Florence Academy Method and loves art. Learning2draw.com is a resource web site devoted to aspiring artists wishing to explode their figure drawings to new heights. For more information on how to draw people and faces visit www.learning2draw.com . You can also sign up for a free newsletter with hundreds of tips, tricks and techniques of the masters.

Must Knows In How To Hold A Pencil When Drawing And Sketching

How to Hold Your Pencil When Drawing and Sketching
When learning to draw, sometimes it's difficult to know what techniques are available to artists, which ones you should use, and which ones you should not use. How to hold a pencil seems to be trivial in nature but can make a huge difference in your drawings and sketches.

In this article you will learn a few different ways to hold the pencil and how to adopt them into your drawing practices. This is important because most people don't realize that there are more ways than one to grip a pencil when drawing and sketching. They generally pick it up like they were taught in school for writing. But writing and drawing are a lot different. So the way you hold your pencil should be different as well. A lot of problems such as hatched lines and unsteadiness originate from holding the pencil incorrectly.

The first grip is the basic tripod grip. It is the technique that they teach young children in school. It's probably the same one that you use for writing. You grip the pencil with the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger to form a tripod or triangle. This tripod is usually supported by your ring finger and pinky fingers. The grip allows the pencil to be controlled when making fine strokes and is great when applying fine details.

The fingers are in control of the pencil when using the tripod grip. It's also nice when doing the finer details because your hand can rest on the page as it lays these in.

Sometimes smudging can be a problem, but no fear, just lay down a sheet of paper to keep your drawing free from the smudges.
The problems of this grip are that it is a frustrating way to draw. A flowing line is impossible to do this way, your hatching and cross-hatching isn't done correctly and the lines become curved, the pencil pressure is off, and it's not the most comfortable.

The position that is closely related to this position is called the extended tripod grip. It is essentially the same as the basic tripod grip with the exception that the tripod is formed further up on the pencil. This benefits the artist because only a small movement of the fingers can produce greater movement of the pencil tip. One thing to remember with this is to not squeeze it too tightly.

he technique that a lot of artists use is called the overhand grip. This grip is where the pencil is held almost as if you were holding a bow for a violin. Your hand goes over the pencil and is held lightly against the fingers and the flat of your thumb.

This overhand grip is ideal for sketching with the side of the pencil and is the preferred grip among artists. It doesn't need a propped arm and the limitations are only your arm span. Not nearly as many limitations as the other grips have.
This overhand grip produces flowing, sweeping lines and is great for sketching, hatching, cross-hatching, value work, with the side of the lead. It is a huge preference for academic drawing. It's great when using a drawing surface such as an easel. One common rule in whichever grip you choose to use and whatever works for you is to never, ever choke the pencil tip. This is never a good thing to do for artists.

Just remember to use a grip that you are comfortable. There are many variations of these grips and do what you are comfortable with and you will see your drawings come alive.

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Todd Harris is a master artist who is currently working as a concept art director for a multi-billion dollar corporation. He is trained in the Florence Academy Method. Learning2draw.com is a resource based website devoted to aspiring artists wishing to master figure drawing. Visit www.learning2draw.com to get tips, tricks, and techniques to master the human form.

Car Paintings - Do It Yourself

To do a good Porsche painting, Ferrari painting or whatever you going to paint, it is very important to not to be in a rush while doing it. I can guarantee you that 99% of all those great car paintings you have seen, has taken lots and lots of time to do, not just 30 minutes! And that is why it is so important that you do not just draw a little bit and then give up because it does not look like what a professional would paint a car.

I often start by looking at the outward lines of the car and then just try to get them on the paper, and I don’t start shading and all that until I’m fully satisfied with the general proportions of the car. And one thing I always do it to not draw the wheels until I’m happy with the other proportions of the car, because the wheels are always so hard to get right and if they look bad, then they will make your whole car painting look bad. So starting out, just look at the car you want to paint for a while, and then start drawings some thin lines of the outward of that car. And then just go ahead and add a few details here and there.

When you feel you have most of the car outlined well on your drawing, start to work on the shading. One hint here is to start at the left upper corner if you’re right handed and move slowly to the center area, because that will help you not to get the whole drawing messy with your arm over the painting.

When you feel the drawing is done, put it away for a while and then get back to it, perhaps the next day or so. Doing this will probably make you realize a few things on the painting that you can improve, that you would not otherwise have seen.
And remember; you don’t need tons of talent to make a car painting look great because patience is everything!

Lukas Niklasson is the associated editor to the website Car paintings.

It is a website that focus on car paintings of all sorts. It get updated regurarly with new drawings and interesting information regarding car artwork.

By: Lukas Niklasson

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Abstract Paintings

If you think abstract paintings are a phenomenon of the 20th century, you can’t be further from the truth. Islamic and Jewish religions have from their very beginnings prohibited the depiction of human forms. As a result, these religions developed a high skill in decorative art. And artists as early as James McNeill Whistler had begun talking of art as a depiction of visually appealing colors, just as music was a presentation of appealing sound. Perhaps, Pablo Picasso and his style of painting, known as cubism (which used geometric figures to simplify or exaggerate complex structures such as the human form), firmly established and set in motion a trend of what came to be known as abstract painting.

Synonymous with abstract painting, cubism developed as a backlash to the impressionist era, which emphasized light and color. Painters of abstract art believed they could show, through the use of geometric figures, views of an image that cannot actually be seen in real life. Famous among the many abstract paintings, are Pablo Picasso’s Guernica and The Guitar Player.

Georges Braque was another cubist. He used to shade his cubes in a way that made them look both flat and three-dimensional at the same time. His famous paintings include The Fruit Dish and Violin and Pitcher.

Abstract paintings thrived with artists such as Piet Mondrain, who took cubism a step further and established what came to be called neoplasticism. The underlying belief of this art form was that art should not reproduce real forms, but express the absolutes of life, which, according to them, were only vertical and horizontal lines and primary colors.

After neoplasticism came abstract expressionism, an art form that celebrated not forms, objects or images, but colors and brush strokes. Mark Rothko’s painting Red, Orange, Tan and Purple is one of the best abstract paintings in this from.

Abstract paintings, in essence, moved away from depicting life forms as they appeared, toward depicting them as interpretations, and showing emotions through colors.

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Oil Painting Reproduction - Add Glitter To Your Home And Office Decor

It is the dream of every homeowner to beautify his house so as to attract gazes of wonder and admiration from their guests and visitors. A person’s living room is the focal point of everyone’s attention. As such, it should be well furnished and decorated. You can now use elegant oil painting reproductions at a very low price for decorating your house. While decorating your house with some of the fine art works of famous painters, it is always not easy to find the right painting. Whether it’s an original painting or an oil painting reproduction, a connoisseur of art will have a tough time in selecting the perfect painting among the many. People often love to decorate their house with the painting they want. Due to the high price of an authentic painting, they are keen to buy oil painting reproductions according to their choice at low prices.

Oil painting reproduction enterprises create copies of the authentic oil painting masterpieces of renowned artists. It has become a popular trend for people to decorate their houses and offices with beautiful masterpieces of renowned artists. People are showing a keen interest in oil painting reproductions to decorate their homes and offices that are available at an affordable price. Oil painting reproduction is a perfect solution in such cases where an artist can reproduce the masterpieces of world-renowned artists.

Oil paintings are available in various themes, shapes and sizes. Original oil paintings painted on canvas or cardboard are very costly. Majority of the original oil paintings are displayed in museums and art galleries. Private collectors also buy few original art paintings for personal enjoyment or for decorating office and home. There are large numbers of companies who provide reproductions of well-known artists’ artworks at a very low cost.

You can even decorate your office walls with oil painting reproductions of famous artists if you are on a tight budget. In order to add color and glitter to your office décor, you can use various oil painting reproductions. Now at an affordable price, you can hang famous painting reproductions by skilled artists. Your wall décor will become the attention-seeker for all the guests entering your room. An ordinary dull wall can be smartening up by hanging gorgeous oil painting reproductions.

Various companies are selling oil painting reproductions using skilled artists. Such companies hire artists who create oil painting reproductions according to their clients’ choice. Companies even offer people an extensive online art gallery where they can browse and choose the paintings for their home or office. Majority of art galleries have art reproductions from all master painters like Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, Paul Gauguin, Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh and many more.

Oil paintings of friend and loved ones are one of the best gift options available these days. You can also gift an oil painting reproduction to your friend and bring a smile to his or her face. A beautifully painted portrait on canvas is the most effective way to convey a message to your loved one that you truly care about his or her happiness.

Art reproductions are recreations of classic masterpieces that are hand-painted by talented artists to capture the true colors and significance of famous paintings from the past. Oil paintings can spruce up your office walls as well as can smarten up your home décor. Many art fans collect oil painting reproductions as a hobby hoping to earn a return made on the investment in the future.

Wain Roy is an internet marketing professional expert in various industries like real estate, web design, finance, medical tourism and oil painting reproduction.

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