how to draw and paint, lesson two

how to draw and paint, lesson two

EXERCISE TWO IN MEASURING

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Just a couple of points to keep in mind. We aren't going to start any detailed drawing, just measuring and getting the correct proportions. We simply mark out the composition (like the example left) . It's easier to make corrections in the marking out stage. Once you're happy with the marking out of the subject, then you can start the actual drawing, applying shapes, shading and so on.
Before starting the exercise, please read through it until you get an understanding. Then set-up a still-life of your own, using similar items to mine, and have a go. Remember, it will take practice and patience.

1. JUST A REMINDER from lesson One. Hold your pencil as shown, CLOSE ONE EYE. STRETCH OUT YOUR ARM, EYE-LEVEL. Note how the pencil is locked between the fourth and little finger. Loosely and relaxed.	2. Practice moving your thumb up and down in the verticle position...	3. ...moving your thumb up and down. Okay, you should be used to this by now. Let's start measuring out.
4. We'll use the same subject. Remember, we must find out how the maximum width compares to the maximum height.	5. ...As we discovered in lesson one, it's slightly wider. This is important as it determinds the format to draw on, either landscape or portrait.	6. Portrait will be best. In landscape, because the height & width are virtually the same, we can fill the width of the paper knowing that we'll certainly get the height in. If landscape were chosen, we'd have a lot of space to left & right.
7. Yes, best to work in the portrait format.	8. Let's find a reference by which to measure everything against. Okay, let's again use the bottle width. It's a convenient size.	9. Holding this measurement, Let's divide it across the widest part of the subject... it's going one...
10. ...two - Keep your eye closed, hand outsretched...	11. ...three...	12. ...four...
13. Mark out the subject area. It's good practice to use all the paper, working from edge to edge.	14. We learned that the width of the bottle divided 4 times across the subject, we must divide the subject area on our paper by 4. Note: you will have to have several attempts to achieve this measurement. Adjust your finger position on the pencil and keep trying until successful... one...	15. ... two...
16. ... three...	17. Four! Great. Keep this measurement - don't move your fingers! and transfere this measurement to the top of your drawing. (the reason will be obvious in a few minutes)	18. Because our reference, the bottle width, is in the middle of the subject, it's difficult for learners to work from the centre out. Best to work left to right when marking out. Double check that the line you've just drawn at the top of your drawing divides 4 times across your drawing

caution It is the following problem that trips most learners up at the beginning, so let me explain it again. When you take your reference from the subject, in this instance the bottle width in the still-life, it's easy to take this measurement straight to your drawing and use this measurement to divide by 4! If you do, you'll end up with small drawings - in the middle of your paper! A reminder: you must divide your subject area on the drawing by 4 - Why? Because the bottle width divides 4 times across the subject. Again note: if your drawing, or canvas, was 6 feet wide, you would still need to divide it by 4 to opbtain the correct proportions. Okay, the next subject you measure, lets say a landscape, and your reference divides 8 times across the landscape, then you must divide your drawing area by 8. Whatever your reference divides across your subject, it must divide the same across your drawing or painting. The following illustrations explains the point I've just made.

19. Most learners fall into the following mistake! Yes, they take their reference, width of the bottle and bring...	20. ...that measurement direct from the subject... one... two	21. ... three...
22. ... four. As we can see, it hasn't divided totally across 4 times! It's only divided as far as the centre. This confuses learners because they cannot understand why the drawing is so small! It's because you've forgotten to go back to your bottle width reference at the top of your drawing!	23. It's this measurement, top of the drawing, that divides 4 times. Not the measurement direct from the subject. Because the subject is some distance away from you it only appears small. This can be a hard lesson to learn.	24. now go back to the subject, take your meassurement (width of the bottle) compare this measurement to the width of the apple.
25. ...it's slightly less than the width of the bottle.	26. Now take the bottle width from the top of your drawing, hold that measurement...	27. bring that measurement down and mark out the width of the apple - note, it's slightly less than the width of the bottle...
28. go back to the subject, take the reference from the bottle width again, and...	29. compare it to the height of the apple. It's slightly smaller in comparison to the width of the bottle...	30. ...go to the top of your drawing, take the bottle width reference, bring it down...
31. ...and mark out the height, remembering it's slightly smaller than width of the bottle...	32. The next item to measure is the width of the bottle itself - But we know the width of the bottle, it's at the top of our drawing...	33. ...simply bring that measurement down against the side of the apple and mark in width of the bottle...
34. We now have the space between the bottle and cup. Remember? This is called "negative space" but can still be measured. Again, take your reference - width of the bottle...	35. ...and compare. The negative space is half the reference (width of the bottle)...	36. ...go to the top of your drawing, get your reference...
37. ...bring it down and mark it in...	38. ...go back to your reference...	39. ...and compare bottle width to the width of the cup - Yes, they're the same...
40. I have the bottle width (my reference) to the left. Or I could still get it from top of the drawing, the choice is yours. Once you've taken the width of the bottle on your drawing, put in the cup width...	41. Go back to the subject and take your reference	42. ...and measure it against the height of the cup. One...
43. ...two. The cup is slightly higher than width of the bottle...	44. ...get your reference, either at the top of the drawing, or width of the bottle that's now marked out. Both are the same measurement ...	45. ...and put in the measurement...
46. Find the height of the near lip of the cup, same way you found the other measurements, and draw in the elipse. (Don't worry it won't be perfect. You'll improve as time goes on 0...	47. Now measure the orange's width and height as the previous items by using bottle width and comparing. Already we can see that the subject fits neatly onto the width of the paper. Now for the height of the bottle.	48. Once again take your measuring reference, width of the bottle, and divide it up the bottle...
44. ...One...	49. ... Two...	50. ... Three...
51. ... Four. The width of the bottle divides slightly under 4 times into the height.	52. Okay, take your reference, either from the bottle width in your drawing, or top of your drawing. Both measurements are the same.	53. ...and divide up your drawing 4 times... one
54. ...two...	55. ...three...	51. ...four...
56. measure the neck of the bottle as you have the other items...	57. Now, let's measure the lable. First measuring your reference...	58. and finding where the lable begins - again, about the width of the bottle...
59. ...take your reference, width of bottle...	60. ...and mark it out...	61. back to the subject, take your reference...
62. ...and the height of the lable? Yes, width of the bottle...	63. ...back to your drawing, take the reference, either from the top of the drawing, or the bottle width on your drawing, both are the same...	64. ...and mark it out...

drawing of a nude

65. As we can see, the drawing fits neatly into the width of the paper and the proportions look fine. Any adjustments can be made easily without spoiling a well developed drawing. And now you could start the actual drawing process in the full knowledge that measurements and proportions are correct. For a painting, you don't need to do more than I have here - Simply outline the main items. Remember, if you draw up too much detail for a painting, it's the same as painting by numbers - too restrictive. To see how I've painted this still-life, go to LESSON FOUR.

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