Artclass challenge

Draw Stonehenge in Pencils Demonstration

2019-04-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Stonehenge a stone circle in Wiltshire, England is the ideal subject matter for drawing. Shading technique and blocking in have been practiced. Here, I expressed Stonehenge in silhouette against a big sunset, creating drama.

Negative space of Stonehenge

The first image shows Stonehenge’s negative shapes within a narrow rectangle. The central dividing line makes plotting this enigmatic stone circle easier. Notice the interesting shapes where the sky peeks between the stones. Negative space is a great technique for practicing drawing freehand.

Gridlines over the Stonehenge drawing.

1 Onto a sheet of A5 sketching paper, a rectangle of 10x5cm was divided into 5 sections via a HB and ruler. The lines have been drawn lightly but have been emphasized here. The bottom segment is where Stonehenge will inhabit. This segment has been split in half to make the freehand drawing easier. The image showing Stonehenge’s negative shapes can be used a drawing reference.

Watch my video clip.

Shading in the zenith of the sky

2 The four segments above Stonehenge serve as signposts for where tones in the sky will shift in value. The zenith will be darker than the horizon. There is also ample room for expressing a dramatic sunset. I sketched out uneven horizontal lines across the sky to represent banner clouds melting at sunset. With a 2B pencil, I began at the zenith, expressing dark, but not too heavy shading, working downwards.

Shading the sky towards the horizon

3 The background sky will exhibit a gradual tonal shift as it moves towards the horizon. This provides the perfect backdrop for clouds that appear lit up by sunset. I worked the pencil past the upper banner cloud, easing the pressure off as I worked towards the horizon. Keep the pencil moving in an organic manner to create soft effects.

Applying paler shading further down.

4 I worked past the second banner cloud, creating progressively paler tones as I worked the pencil towards the horizon. Be careful not to shade too heavy here or the sky won’t appear to glow behind the stone circle.

Shading lightly behind the stones

5 The negative shapes of Stonehenge seem to glow against the rest of the sky. The pencil shading was very light here, adding a little shading to the far left and right of the scene. This will help suggest a single light source.

Dark shading on the banner cloud

6 For the banner clouds, I expressed heavy shading on the upper edges of their formations, easing off toward the cloud base. This will help suggest oblique sunlight hitting the cloud base. Notice the tones veer steeply on the clouds against a sky of a gradual tonal shift.

Step tonal gradations on the cloud

7 Horizontal streaks and highlights were expressed here and there to inform upon the texture of melting clouds. I shaded out from these streaks to create softness.

Notice streaks in the cloud base.

8 I worked similarly on the other banner clouds, creating a progressively steeper tonal shift upon the cloud base. Notice each banner cloud appears narrower as they recede towards the horizon. This helps create the illusion of distance.

Working similarly on the other clouds

9 I deliberated over the texture of the clouds so that they contrast against the smoothness of the background sky. This creates interesting focal points within an otherwise empty sky.

Refining the shading on the clouds.

10 The third banner cloud is the narrowest of all and therefore would exhibit the steepest tonal shift of the three. I left pale streaks and expressed darker streaks adjacent. Although not the main subject matter, the sky provides the setting for Stonehenge.

Blocking in Stonehenge.

11 With the stage set, I shaded in Stonehenge itself. I applied heavy shading via the 2B pencil, moving the marks in various directions with the stones. The effect sought after is not a solid block of black, but marks of various weights, betraying expression from the human hand. High contrasts between the sky and the silhouette, provides the central focal point of the drawing.

Working dark shading over the stones.

12 I continued to shade in Stonehenge, moving the pencil organically. This is great practice for getting to know how pencils behave under various pressures. As can be seen, only one pencil has been used throughout this drawing, proving lots of art equipment is not necessary for drawing practice.

The finished drawing

This exercise has practiced freehand drawing via awareness of negative space, basic plotting, followed by the expression of a multitude of shading. These pencil techniques can be used with increasing challenge with added techniques.

Stonehenge stone circle against a big sunset provides perfect opportunities for practicing these basic shading techniques in pencil.

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Draw a Cathedral Window in Ballpoint Pen

2019-03-28T12:55:00.001-07:00

I conducted a pen drawing of a church window during a trip to Coventry Cathedral. The trees breaking up the sky captivated me and I liked the linear aspect. This is why I used a ballpoint for the drawing. I had taken HB pencil, ruler, A5 sketchpad and a couple of ballpoint pens (not the cheap sort that fade or blotch). I used Bic. This ink drawing was not intended to be a draughtsman’s finish, but loose and expressive.

Close up of church window drawing

I took a quick measurement of the window’s proportions and transferred a grid onto the page. The lines were then used as a guide to ensure the drawing did not end up wonky or lopsided which can easily happen when working close to a drawing. The rectangular part of the window drawing measured 10cm by 12cm, adding an extra 4cm for the arch at the top.

Grid used as a guide for the drawing

1 and 2 As can be seen in the first image, I had divided the rectangle in half and then half again where the window panes will fit. I then sketched in the arch at the top freehand using the grid as a guide. I have darkened the grid for visual purposes here, but these guidelines were in fact drawn faint with a HB pencil.

Applying the initial lines for the church drawing

3 and 4 I got on with the drawing, being brisk and loose with the ballpoint pen. It doesn’t matter if the drawing looks scribbly at this point. In fact, I want it to have a scribbly aspect. Perfection isn’t the aim.

Heavier marks were added to the slats

5 and 6 I continued to move the ballpoint into the direction of the window slats, allowing marks to remain. I then made rudimentary marks on the ornate decoration, allowing some of the white paper to show between the marks.

Brickwork expressed via crosshatching

7 and 8 Once the window slats were illustrated to the required width, I embarked on the brickwork on either side of the window. I conducted crosshatching marks, where horizontal and vertical lines cross over one another to suggest regimental brickwork. The mortar was left blank for now.

Definition is added to the slats before expressing the trees

9 and 10 I continued to work briskly over the background brickwork using crosshatching marks. Care was taken not to get bogged down with detail, but to keep the pen moving. In order to retain balance, I worked over the window slats again, reinforcing the dark lines. I then made faint marks to suggest tree branches breaking up the sky.

Lines of varying thickness expresses the trees

11 and 12 I kept moving the pen over the branches, allowing the lines to vary in width as the branches reach into the sky and adding depth to tone. Notice how they curve up in various directions. With faint marks, I began shading in the upper section of sky.

The sky is shaded in and the brickwork reinforced

13 and 14 I continued to shade the sky with light scribbles, leaving the sky at the bottom white, to suggest a glowing aspect. With the window done, I worked over the brickwork again. I could do this last part at leisure, adding depth to tone and refining edges. The mortar required light shading here and there.

Church Window at Coventry Cathedral

As can be seen, the humble ballpoint pen can be used for artistic expression. The linear aspect of the cathedral window and the branches breaking up the sky lent itself to expressing lines and marks.

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How to Draw Using the Grid Method Demonstration

2019-03-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

A tip for drawing is to use the grid technique. Here, I have simplified the grid into four sections. Drawing from life is made convenient and easy. This drawing demonstration requires HB and 2B pencils, ruler scalpel, A5 sketchpad and eraser.

The head fits into left
quadrant of the grid

I set myself up in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral where an interesting statue happened to roughly fit into a grid of four. This was ascertained by holding the pencil to eyelevel and measuring width to height proportion. The head and torso of the statue was twice as high as it was wide. The photograph of the statue shows how this works. Of course, the photo and a drawing from life will always look different.

As can be seen from the rudimentary sketch, the face of the statue roughly fits into the top left of the grid.

On the page, I drew a rectangle of 18cm high by 9cm wide. I then divided the rectangle into four quadrants. Take care not to sketch too dark at this stage. I have emphasized the lines in the image for clarity.

Drawing with the grid method

Key marks are made, bearing in mind the four quadrants of the composition. Notice the left arm moves in right angles down the right quadrant to join the hand in the bottom left. Similarly, the right hand fits neatly in the bottom right grid beneath the left arm.

The left hand fits into the bottom right quadrant. These basic shapes are ideal for practicing the grid method for the first time.

Only once the first lines are reasonably accurate and fit together like a jigsaw, can detail and shading be worked into.

Lines are made a little darker.

Here, the lines are darkened a little, making adjustments along the way. With a HB pencil, I shaded in the water stains on the statue. Once happy with the drawing, I rubbed out the grid.

I shaded over the upper section of the statue, varying the pressure on the pencil to attain different values.

Shading in the waterstains and shadows.

I shifted to a 2B pencil to attain darker shades for the shadows on the statue. The side of the pencil is used for softness. Detail is applied with the sharp point of the pencil around the eyes and hair. Being soft, the pencil tended to wear down quickly, so a scalpel will come in useful. I worked over the hands, arm, torso and face. Working simultaneously ensures tonal balance is maintained.

Shading in the darkest areas and background.

Finally, I shaded in the background, bringing the statue into its environment.

Statue at Coventry Cathedral

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Raise Student Motivation in Art Class

2019-03-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

How to Raise Students’ Enthusiasm in Painting and Drawing Lessons

Classroom management includes motivating students in art lessons otherwise the students may not reach their creative potential.

According to Reece & Walker’s book Teaching, Training and Learning – a Practical Guide (Business Education Publishers, 2004) a student of low ability but high motivation can experience greater success than a student of high ability and low motivation. For this reason, motivational issues should be treated with equal gravity as a learning need or a disability.

The Causes of Low Motivation in Art Classes

Before tackling this problem, the causes of low motivation must be identified. The following might be worth exploring:

A messy art studio

The learning environment looks unwelcoming, messy or uncared for. Paint spills and dirty pots full of unusable art brushes can be visually off-putting.

The area might also appear impersonal and clinical with strip-lighting and insufficient natural daylight.

There is insufficient differentiation in the lesson plan to accommodate those who have a natural flair for drawing and those who might cringe at the thought of drawing a line

The learning objectives are unclear, leaving students unsure of what is expected of them

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs has not been applied, leaving issues such as tiredness, hunger and stress to hamper creative expression. This means addressing issues such as external stress and breaks in class.

Unchecked disruption in class hindering the focus required for completing a painting or drawing

Tips for Art Teachers on Promoting Creativity in Students

A dreary art room with no daylight.

Although there might be limitations on what a teacher can do, the following alterations might enhance the learning experience for art students.

Displaying the students’ work on the walls shows their creations are valued. Altering the display periodically will refresh the view and provide a talking point

Adjusting the differentiation in the lesson plans in order to accommodate those who enjoy a challenge as well as those who have little confidence in painting, is more likely to ensure both will experience success in learning. This may involve blending both the cognitive and the Behaviourist approach to teaching.

Ensuring objectives are clear, achievable and on constant display on the whiteboard will help students feel secure in what is expected of them.

Identifying issues such as tiredness in the evenings or hunger near lunchtime will help students focus on the task at hand.

If disruption occurs, splitting the class into still life groups will often provide focus and settle the class down.

Using Praise Appropriately when Teaching Art

Last, but not least, praising has fundamental effect upon motivation. The student for instance who finds it hard to draw a straight line will feel liberated by small achievements, as well as the more able student who has been stretched creatively. Finding any opportunity to praise will often compel the student to venture further within their learning experience.

Stimulating Creative Processes When Learning Art

The causes of low motivation in art classes must be identified before they can be tackled effectively. Issues such as a dour and tatty-looking environment will do little to encourage creativity. Creating clear and visible objectives will also provide clarity for what is expected of students. This will also involve stretching the differentiation in order to accommodate the students’ diverse drawing and painting abilities. This will in turn will provide opportunities for success in learning by making the objectives achievable. And of course, making them achievable means opportunities for praise.

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How to Conduct an Assessment for Art at the End of the Course

2019-03-25T13:09:00.002-07:00

What happens at the end of an art course? The answer is the end of course assessment. How is such an assessment conducted properly?

Students may be given an allotted time to attend the assessment with all the work as set out in the criteria requirement. The agreement as set out in the mock assessment may be referred to if necessary or appropriate. Again, praise whenever the opportunity arises. The final marking should never be a surprise and the student should be informed on exactly why a particular marking has been awarded. This will prevent nasty surprises.

Criterion for Assessments

The teacher may write a short feedback on the student’s work, relating to the creative use of materials, the painting style and willingness to try new ideas.

How to Evaluate Art Work

The student has the opportunity to write a feedback on the learning experience, which might include the teaching, the resources or the institution’s policies. The teacher may collate this information and use it for self-evaluation. Recurrent themes may crop up, which might highlight a need for change. The feedback may inform on anything relating to the learner’s experience within the module and indeed can be invaluable to the teacher. The following list serves as a guide.

Assessing the final Artwork

Evidence of creative use of materials.

Competent use of mediums.

Research work.

Experimental and/or developmental work.

Participation in tutorials and critiques.

Written work such as project proposals, essays and dissertations.

A creative log.

A presentation.

Completed artwork.

At least 80% attendance.

But the following outline the typical requirements to pass a single painting module:

Evidence of experimentation and competent use of mediums which might be oils, acrylics or alkyd mediums. A clear progression to the final piece should be evident.

Completion of the artwork as set out in the criteria at the start of the course.

Written work showing evidence of critical evaluation, reflection, research as well as a creative log.

Presentations as set out and participation in tutorials.

Attendance as agreed on the outset of the course.

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How to Assess Art Work in Painting Class

2019-03-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

How does the teacher grade artwork properly? The summative assessment must be fair or it will not be valid.

Assessing artwork objectively may seem impossible, but a fair system of conducting the final assessment of any art course can be done. This involves using the same criteria from which to judge all art students’ creations.

The Criteria to Pass an Art Course

Making Art Marking Fair

At the beginning of the art module, the teacher may provide a brief for each student. Not only should this outline the theme or topic of the art course, but also the requirements to pass, get a merit or a distinction. Each criterion should be clearly outlined and the final work measured only against these criteria. Below is an example of the requirements to pass a single painting module.

A creative diary evidencing self-evaluation. This might be in the form of a reflective log of the student’s aims, problems encountered and how solutions were found during the creative process. The log should be 500 words or longer.

2 pieces of experimental and/or developmental work.

1000 word assignment as outlined on the project brief.

The final artwork.

Evidence must be shown in creative use of materials, competent use of mediums and research work.

Guide for Art Teachers in Writing Course Objectives

Determining the criteria to pass a course is very similar to writing objectives for a painting class, as both must be clearly set out. The mnemonic SMART serves as a useful guide. SMART objectives stand for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. This means that each criterion should reflect the level of the course, be realistic under the time and resources available and can easily be measured. Such matters such as more than 20% absences from art classes or late submission of work (which should be set out on the brief) will impact upon the final marking.

How Not to Assess Art Work

The art teacher must not assess students’ work against anything not stated, for example, marks should not be deducted from a written assignment if the views expressed by the student are controversial. As stated on the brief, evidence of research, a thorough bibliography, fewer than 5% typos and grammatical errors, neat presentation, evidence of logical thought and at least the required word count should be used as a yardstick instead.

Differentiation in Art Class

How to Grade Artwork

Special needs students, such as those with an individual learning plan may be given grace to submit work late or be given extra time to catch up with good reason. With such a concrete agreement set out, the student concerned should not be penalized so long as the work has been submitted as set out in the ILP.

Issues that persist, such as incomplete coursework without good reason, will award a fail. However, the teacher must handle such situations with sensitivity and decorum and give the student concerned prior warning and a chance to put the issue right.

How to Make an Art Assessment Fair

Conducting an assessment of artwork should never be subjective, in that any two art teachers should agree what the final marking will be. The measuring tool should be unequivocal assessment criteria. Creative use of mediums, a written assignment of a particular word count as well as a complete portfolio as set out in the project brief should award a student a pass. Additional issues such as lateness, absences or missing work should be made cautionary to students in that they may detrimentally affect the final marking. Of course, the brief should set out such criteria fully and clearly. Students work should be judged only against the stated criteria as set out, but students with special needs may be granted extra time or resources if agreed.

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Paint Stones with Flower Illustration in Acrylic and Oil Paint

2019-03-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

Painting on stones is an easy and cheap way of creating ornaments for the garden, gift ideas or dedications. Here is a demonstration on painting red pansies onto stone. Pansies possess punchy colors and bold shapes.

I prefer smooth stones or those with interesting shapes and nodules. Avoid porous stones like pumice or those that are liable to erode such as limestone or sandstone. I go for granite, slate or marble. Smooth pebbles are ideal.

Gift ideas: The Painted Stone

Art Materials needed are: several tough sables that have worn or grown a little stiff through use. They can withstand the surface of the stone, particularly when it comes to getting paint into the crevasses. Reserve separate sables for dark and pale colors. No.s 3’s or 6’s are good for detail. A number 6 flat bristle is suitable for the background.

Black acrylic paint, then oil colors of the following: white, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, black and viridian green. Artist varnish will weatherproof the stone. A good photo is needed.

Paint to Use for Painting Stones

1 Firstly, I will fix the surface with acrylic paint. This forms a good bond on which the oil paint to rest. Oil paint remains workable for a few hours, enabling smoothing out, refining or blending at leisure.

Black Acrylic Paint Applied as undercoat

Here, I have painted pansies onto a chunk of granite. As the background will be dark on which the pansies will stand out, I have applied a coat of black acrylic paint first. Two coats should suffice.

Pastel chalk pencil is used for drawing on stone

2 Next, I will conduct a rudimentary sketch of the flowers onto the stone. Here, I have selected bright red pansies. A good photo with bold colors and basic shapes will make the illustration effective and eye-catching on the stone. I have used a white pastel pencil so it stands out against the dark background. Chalk will do. Don’t worry if the drawing isn’t accurate.

Apply yellow oil paint onto the stone with a fine sable.

3 And now the oil paint. With a fine but worn sable (a tough bristle is best for the stone texture), I applied pure white dots to represent the eye of the pansies. I then worked cadmium yellow onto the palest areas of the flowers, which are around the edges and the central demarcations. Be liberal with the yellow as it can be easily dominated by the cadmium red, to be applied next.

Blocking in cadmium red onto the petals

4 Cadmium red is then blocked into the petal shapes, keeping the color bold and the brush marks within the designated areas. Be careful not to go over the yellow areas. Work over rough areas if necessary.

Dab black oil paint onto the central demarcations.

5 Black oil paint is then applied onto the central demarcations of the pansies. If necessary, work over previous areas. To avoid constantly cleaning the brushes between colors, I will employ several fine brushes simultaneously. A couple for bright colors, such as yellow and white; others for darks.

Blocking in the foliage in the background with a flat brush

6 Work a medium bristle loaded with viridian green or similar over the background. Allow the paint layer to vary so that the black acrylic paint shows through in places, suggesting shadow. Darker greens will be worked over. Aim for a webbed or patchy suggestion.

Work over previously painted areas to neaten and blend

7 Add a little black or similar dark color to the green and dab around specific areas to reinforce the feeling of shadow around the pansies. The pansy heads should really stand out against the dark background.

Once the oil paint is dry, varnish to make the paint weatherproof.

8 Leave the stone to dry for a week or two in a warm place. Oil paint takes a while to dry, but this is why I prefer it. The color can be neatened and worked over at leisure if necessary for an ultra sharp and punchy finish. Once the stone is dry, apply a coat of varnish to make the stone weatherproof.

The stone can be placed in the garden as an ornament, meditation stone, a paperweight or gift idea. Here, I have placed it onto a plot of a relative.

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The Behaviorist Approach to Teaching in Class: A Guide for Art Teachers

2019-03-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

What is Behaviorism and how can it be Utilized in art schools?

Highly directed class for Behaviourism

Behaviorism is a tenet based on the idea, that behavior can be learned without involvement of the mind. But how can this principle be used in art education?

Behaviorism is a theory expounded by the psychologist B F Skinner, who argued that cause and effect is what controls behavior, not the mind or reasoning. The keyword to Behaviorism is “conditioning” or “training.” The story about Pavlov’s dogs illustrates this idea.

All About Pavlov’s Dogs

Pavlov noticed that his dogs salivated at feed time at the smell of food. He decided to explore this reaction and accompanied feed time with the ringing of a bell. This he did over a long period, which is what conditioning requires. One day, he rang the bell but did not bring food. The dogs continued to salivate. Through this, Pavlov learned that the dogs had made a mental association between the sound of the bell and the experience of food. The dogs had “learned” a response through conditioning to a particular stimulus, in this case, the bell.

Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

There are two sides to the Behaviorist Approach:

Classical Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Classical conditioning is simply about conditioning through a neutral stimulus. Nothing else is involved. An example of this is the sound of the bell in schools or and other educational institutions that encourages the automatic response of pupils to go to class.

Operant Conditioning means reinforcing a particular behavior through punishment or reward. An example of this is to give someone a treat if they behave or to berate bad behavior.

In both Operant and Classical conditioning, Behaviorism is all about behavior only, and not about the Cognitive thought processes of the higher brain. This can come in useful in a boisterous art class of young learners.

Basic Colour Mixing Exercise for Highly Directed Learning

Different Levels of Learning

Bloom’s Taxonomy illustrates the pyramid of learning. The lowest tier is simply to recall. This can be seen in young children who recite the colors of the rainbow. The pinnacle of Bloom’s Taxonomy is evaluation. This means being able to reflect upon the information and formulate a fresh view.

In the context of art education, the Behaviorist model for learning is teacher-directed, pedagogic and concrete. It is all about “do as I say.” This involves the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. This might be applied to basic colour mixing or learning about vanishing points.

The more gifted learner who is at the top of the learning pyramid might not benefit from a Behaviorist-dominated lesson. Exploring art techniques is one example.

Appropriate use of Discipline in Art Lesson Plans

The behaviorist view in terms of teaching includes highly-structured lesson plans. Strategies include approaches such as lectures, demonstrations on mixing tones and directed instruction on applying varnish. This can help keep the class in order and encouraging desired behavior. This will preserve healthy teacher pupil boundaries. The Behaviorist approach to teaching is easy to evaluate, for it is structured, directed and concrete.

When the Behaviourist Approach is Appropriate Within Art Class

The Behaviorist approach might be best suited to a class of young or less able learners, for the objectives are clear and are easy to measure. This form of teaching might also be necessary for moving things along, keeping to deadlines such as exams, discouraging late-comers and people texting during art class (which I have experienced). The Behaviorist approach might also be appropriate for a class full of unruly teenagers, but a different approach might be needed if a pupil is at risk of becoming excluded.

Behaviour Management in Art Class

The Behaviorist approach is only one theory that can be applied to teaching and learning. More able students might become fidgety if too much Behaviourism is applied, the gifted student for instance. There are other approaches that can be used such as the Cognitivist or Humanist approach, but no lesson plan can work if it is completely Behavioural-free. A little discipline helps keep the lesson structured and moving along.

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Simple Exercise in Oil Color: Oil Painting the Profile of a Dog’s Head

2017-10-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

This simple oil painting exercise in how to paint a dog’s head has been taken from my art instruction book, 10 Bite-Sized Oil Painting Projects: Book 3, (also included within my bundle art book: 30 Bite-Sized Oil Painting Projects). Each describes oil painting projects for the artist simply wishing to have a go at oils without having to pore over photos hoping to find inspiration.

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Here, we can see this dog’s profile displays flat areas of white and russet, ideal for practicing how to paint sleek fur without intricate detail. Highlights and shadow exists side by side, suggesting softness. The arrows in image B represent the directions of the brushstrokes used. An abridged step by step demonstration on this dog painting begins with the drawing.

Image A shows the dog’s head can fit within basic shapes such as a triangle and rectangle, ideal for calculating the outlines. The sketch was conducted upon primed board 10 by 12in. The only other requirements were fine, medium and wide sables, blue and brown acrylic paint and oil colors: titanium white, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow and burnt umber. A YouTube clip on how this demonstration was completed can be found at the bottom of this article.

Drawing and Painting a Dog's Head

1 The dog sketch was lightly conducted via a soft pencil onto the artboard and then overlaid with blue acrylic paint, to help the drawing stand out beneath the ensuing wash.

2 Once the drawing was dry, I applied a dilute wash of brown acrylic paint over the art surface by use of a wide brush.

3 Once the wash was dry, I applied a few more coats of brown acrylic paint over the background, for an even, opaque finish. This will help the highlights of the dog stand out when the oil color is applied.

4 Once the acrylic paint was dry, I began with the oil painting. Cadmium yellow, burnt sienna and mostly white was drawn via a fine sable from the snout towards the ear. These highlights gather around the temple, cheek and the piping around the ear.

5 A dose of burnt sienna was added to the brush and drawn from the edge of the eye and snout towards the ear. Residual paint was then blended into the edges of highlight, retaining brush marks.

6 Highlights were blended into deeper rustic tones to suggest fur. A little burnt umber was then added to reinforce shadows around the underside of the ear and around the eye.

7 More burnt umber was applied to the outlines of the ear, back of the head and around the eye. This adds definition.

8 With a clean, medium sable, titanium white was dragged into the direction of the furs’ growth. The white was then ‘scumbled’ around the snout and sections of the dog’s neck.

9 Ultramarine and a little burnt sienna were added to achieve a slate blue. This shadow color was worked over the underside of the neck. Lighter strokes enabled the blending of shadow colors into pales.

10 Ultramarine, white and a little burnt umber were tracked around the rim of the eye to add definition. Burnt umber and ultramarine was then tracked around the dark outer edges. The iris comprised pure burnt sienna, darkened with ultramarine for the pupil. A dab of blue-white just above the pupil and around the snout suggests moisture.

11 A blend of burnt umber, ultramarine and white illustrated the nose and mouth. Notice the nose is almost triangular in form and the mouth exhibits a soft ridge. Strands of pale fur traverse this ridge, moustache-like. A little white was dragged over in places.

The finished painting

12 Finally, I sketched patches of ultramarine and white onto areas of background. The remainder of the background was darkened with burnt umber. Blue and dark brown were blended around the edges for a mottled effect.

As can be seen, painting a dog’s profile can be made simple. Patches of Russet upon white exhibit bold shapes where soft textures reside. Care is needed around the dog’s features, where a little detail can be found.

My YouTube Clip showing how this demonstration was completed.

Further step by step projects can be found within my art book, which includes a flamingo, a daffodil head, a sunset, topiary gardens and more.

My art books

Draw Better Portraits: Avoid Four Mistakes when Drawing the Face in Three-quarter View

2016-07-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

Drawing portraits is one of the most difficult subject matter to tackle, particularly when the face in the three-quarter view. The subject is not in profile, neither is it full frontal. Such a dilemma can cause skewed looking portrait drawings. Here are four mistakes to avoid when drawing portraiture in a three-quarter view.

This demonstration has been taken from my art book, Oil Painting the Angel within Da Vinci’s the Virgin of the Rocks: Unleash the Right Brain to Paint the Three-quarter Portrait View.

Leonardo da Vinci's angel within the Virgin of the Rocks

Here, I have used Leonardo da Vinci’s angel within his masterpiece ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’ as example, which is exhibited within London’s National Gallery. Here, the angel’s face is in three-quarter view, which can be tricky to draw.

Every drawing begins with a rough linear sketch. And unless the drawing is accurate, mistakes can be inherited within the shading and the painting. Here I have used two drawings to demonstrate common pitfalls portraitists can encounter when drawing the portrait in three-quarter view.

Drawing Errors to Avoid in Portrait Drawing

Common pitfalls students encounter within my drawing class are due to forgetting to ‘look’ at the portrait being rendered. Often, the beginner draws what is imagined rather than what is in front. Symbols or an idealized version of the feature is drawn rather than absolute reality. The face is more complex than the simplified view of what is imagined.

These issues can sneak into the drawing in the most subtle of ways, ruining the portrait drawing, even once the basic ‘egg’ template for the head has been rendered. Here are four common mistakes to avoid when drawing the portrait in three-quarter view.

Mistakes in Drawing the Portrait

Image A represents an accurate line drawing.

Image B represents common drawing errors in portraiture.

1 Illustrating the eyes in a simplified or symbolic way, often as almond shapes or a mixture of what is evident and the almond shape. The eyes often take on complex forms which need sensitive observation.

My Painting of the Angel

2 Not paying due attention to the pupils, as these form the focal point of any portrait. The slightest deviation from reality can have a fundamental effect upon the appearance of the portrait drawing. Ensure both pupils are similar in size and that the quantity on show beneath the eyelids is accurate. Too much, and the subject will look startled; too little and the subject will look unduly sleepy.

3 Beware of illustrating both sides of the nose if only one side can be seen. Here, only one nostril can be seen and one nub. Don’t illustrate both nostrils because the left brain ‘knows’ what is there. In three-quarter view, the nose will often take on an abstract form that does not fit what a nose ‘should’ look like. Often problems with the portrait can be down to the nose.

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4 Be careful not to illustrate the Cupid’s bow dead centre of the lips or near the centre, as this will not be the case in the three-quarter view. Also don’t be ‘tricked’ into illustrating a Cupid’s bow if none can be seen. Many subjects do not have a Cupids’ bow.

In conclusion, drawing a face in three-quarter view means dispelling all rules about what a face ‘should’ look like. This is because the face is not in profile nor is it in full frontal view. Facial features will take on odd abstract forms that in isolation do not really resemble a facial feature at all. The secret is to constantly be aware of how one feature ‘relates’ to another.

The Croquis Template for Fashion Illustrators

2016-07-10T02:39:00.003-07:00

How to Draw the Fashion Figure for Dress Design Illustration

A guide on how to sketch the fashion form for those who wish to present their dress designs in a portfolio.

Having fantastic ideas for dress designs is no good if the artist fails to come to grips with the proportions of the fashion figure. With such guesswork, the fashion design sketch is unlikely to impress.

The Fashion Croquis

The Beginners Guide to Drawing the Fashion Form

The idealized figure, upon which, fashion illustrators drape their dress designs on, is also known as a “croquis.” The word “croquis” comes from the French word, meaning, “to sketch.”

Drawing the Idealized Human Form Made Simple

The croquis is a means of communicating fashion concepts via an idealized fashion form. This form, which can be made into male or female, measures nine to ten heads high. A normal human, measures seven to eight heads high. The legs are elongated for effect, but the proportions between the head and crotch, retains realism with the human form.

How to Sketch the Fashion Form Step-by-step

Fashion Croquis Skeleton

The proportions of the fashion figure are easy to remember and the instructions easy to follow, but practice will make perfect.

Draw a straight line for the central axis of the figure.

Divide the line into nine equal segments.

Number each line from one to ten. See Fig.

The Croquis Head and Torso

Draw an inverted egg shape for the head within the top segment.

Draw the shoulder line halfway between lines two and three.

Make the shoulder line two head lengths wide and center it on the axis.

The Lower Abdomen and Crotch

For the waist, draw a line at line fours.

Make the waist one head length wide and center it on the axis.

Form an inverted triangle by bringing it to just below line five.

The Arms

Drape the upper arms (shoulder to elbow) from shoulder to waist.

Bring the lower arms (elbow to wrist) from the waist to the crotch.

The hands are three-quarters the head in length. Attach to the wrists so that they drape half way down the thigh.

The Legs and Feet

Bring each leg from the edge of the lower triangle to line ten.

The knees should be at line seven.

The feet should be half a head in length as viewed from the front.

Fleshing out the Fashion Figure

Adding the curvy contours around the skeleton of the fashion form requires a little practice. Studying fashion figures in magazines with improve the drawing technique. This will help acquire a feel for this final process.

Masculinity can be suggested by slightly broader shoulders and a little narrowing of the hips. The facial features will be more angular than the female features. Facial features should remain simplistic and suggestive, but could provide a signature to the individual artist.

Postures of the Fashion Form Sketch

Arms and legs can be pivoted to suggest different postures, and the proportions will be retained, for example, standing legs akimbo, or legs apart. The angle of the shoulders and the hips can be angled to suggest jauntiness. However, the proportions will not apply if there is any foreshortening effect, for example if any of the limbs are pointing towards or away from the viewer.

The Perfect Fashion Design Figure for Dress Designs

The croquis is an idealized version of the human figure that is not a realistic version of the human form. The exaggerated proportions serve as a suitable blank canvas onto which a fashion illustrator may demonstrate their fashion concepts. Becoming familiar with the proportions and in drawing the fashion form, the designer will enhance the appearance of their portfolio and increase their chances of being commissioned within the fashion industry.

Dropout of Art School Prevention: NEET Risk Factor in Further Education Art Students

2016-06-23T03:18:00.000-07:00

Studying for an art diploma, degree or A level can be as stressful as any other subject, despite first impressions. Art students have to possess more autonomy than students of other prescriptive subjects such as History or English Literature.

A Degree in Fine Art, Graphics or similar in the Visual Arts demands creativity, independence and a knack for inspiration. With little guidance from teachers or lecturers, art students are expected to come up with the goods. This can be quite a shock after following a structured curriculum at school. Art is not an easy option and in fact sees a high risk of dropouts compared to other subjects.

Exclusion from Art Education

But just like other subjects, the reason for dropping out of art school needs to be explored, which must begin with the basics.

Art students’ behavior might be governed by unresolved conflicts during childhood, leading to emotional and behavioral dysfunction. Such issues often become a barrier to learning but can also be used as a means for expression within the context of creativity. Many great artists centered their works upon emotional dysfunction such as Francis Bacon and Vincent Van Gough. The German Expressionists explored mark-making and color in order to convey a particular mood, such as Kandinsky and Miro.

Keeping Art Objectives Simple and Achievable

However, negative experiences will often kill inspiration, leading to a drop off of productivity. Lack of motivation can be the biggest killer of creativity of all.

What Does NEET Mean?

NEET stands for Not in Education, Employment or Training. This happens when a student drops out of university or college and becomes excluded from society. During my term at Art University, I saw many art students drop out of studies, only to find it hard to get a job or to embark upon another course. This can be soul destroying.

Becoming NEET is more likely in certain individuals than others, including:

Students from broken homes, negative parenting styles and drug abuse. Furthermore, males more than females are likely to drop out, as well as those from minority groups or has a special need in learning.

Those who fall under the under the 18 age-group may call upon The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), which is part of Special Education Needs (SEN). ChildLine can also be called upon for emotional support. Every college or university must have a dedicated counsellor to help resolve problems. Sadly however, many vulnerable art students slip through the net.

So what can the art teacher do to prevent art students from dropping out?

Every Child Matters has put in place strategies the teacher may use to preserve student attendance in art class. However, in my teaching experience, I have found the following guidelines apply also to adults.

1 Place emphasis upon effort rather than merely achievement.

2 Practice good listening skills. Demonstrate the student’s views are important.

3 Give the art student responsibility.

4 Observe body language and tone of voice. These convey more than the words spoken. Practice open and positive gestures.

5 Praise. This is most important.

Praising Student's Progress

Differentiation is also vital. The student must experience success. This means tailoring aims and objectives that suit the student. Low motivation stems from low confidence. Ensure objectives comprise small increments that are always achievable. Simply making a few marks on a page can be a great achievement for a student who has suffered lifelong criticism.

Confidentiality in Art Class

If the student discloses of a personal difficulty that could become a barrier to learning, the teacher can advise and refer to the appropriate agent. But it is up to the student to follow up this advice.

A student under 18 who opens up about child abuse means the teacher must inform the Child Protection Officer (CPO). This means the teacher cannot promise confidentiality. Records must be logged with dates and signatures.

Lack of Art Student Graduates

The prospect of becoming NEET must be avoided at all costs, or the student will become more vulnerable. In my experience, retaining a routine of going to college and keeping up to date with deadlines formed a safety net against becoming a drop out. The dropout of art school is likely to exacerbate a downward spiral of self esteem.

The Color Wheel in Art Books is Sometimes Wrong: Myths of Art Pigments Dispelled

2016-06-22T05:21:00.005-07:00

Art students may be frustrated when muddy colors result from a box of pigments purchased from an art shop. Often the true primary colors are not included, and worse, the color wheel shown in some art instruction books is not correct.

Not every red, yellow and blue produces a clean violet, orange or green. In fact the mixture can be muddy and dull. The reason for this problem is simple: the true primary colors are often not displayed in certain artbooks nor are they included in a typical beginners box of art pigments.

The Color Wheel Myth

Not any blue pigment is a primary color, and often contains other pigments in small amounts. Ultramarine, for instance, is a vibrant blue, but contains a lot of red, as this blue has a violet slant. Cadmium red is a vibrant red, but actually contains a lot of yellow. The true primary colors are in fact those that resemble the pigments of printing ink, which are magenta, yellow and cyan. Art colors that resemble the pigments of printing ink would create clean secondary colors.

Useless Pigments in Art Boxes

Although the following pigments are useful, can actually be surplus to requirement when one considers that they can be achieved by the mixture of other pigments. However, the true primary colors cannot be attained by mixing two other colors.

So the non-essential pigments are:

Yellow ochre, sap green, cadmium orange, Prussian blue, raw sienna, raw umber, flesh tone, Naples yellow and others. These pigments contain various amounts of opposing pigments, which means they contain a lot of impurities.

However, the following pigments should be included in every beginner’s art set of pigments:

A large tube of titanium white (not a tube the same size as the other pigments).

Lemon yellow, permanent rose and cyan blue (or Pthalo blue). These pigments are quite close to the appearance of the fundamental hues of printing ink.

Essential secondary colors that I would include are: viridian green, French ultramarine and cadmium red. Vibrant pigments can easily be toned down by the inclusion of opposing colors (for example, blue can be toned down with a little red and yellow or an earth color). But somber colors cannot be made more ‘vibrant’ unless these bright pigments are included within the artist’s kit.

In other words, somber colors are not as vital as vibrant colors. A mixture of vibrant colors can create somber colors, but a boxful of somber pigments cannot create a vibrant color. Such restrictions upon the artist can be frustrating.

My YouTube Clip Explaining the Basics of Color Mixing

Beginners’ Art Pigments

So let’s look at the common terminology used when mixing pigments.

Primary Color: is one that cannot be made from other color mixtures. The primary colors of paint are those that resemble magenta, cyan and yellow of printing ink.

Secondary Color: is produced by mixing 2 primary colors. These are violet, green and red (not orange).

Tertiary Color: is achieved by mixing a primary and a secondary color. Mixing red with yellow will create orange. Green and yellow will produce yellowy-green.

Black is created by mixing all three primary colors in similar quantities.

Bright colors: Courtesy of Joseph Busby

Color Mixing Chart for Beginners

Understanding the basic laws of color will result in more satisfactory color mixes. Look for art boxes that contain clean, vibrant colors, not an array of earth colors and black. Pigments that resemble the fundamental colors of printing ink will produce many clean secondary colors. I find lemon yellow, permanent rose and cyan blue (pthalo blue is a darker version) quite close to the mark.

Vibrant secondary colors such as viridian green, French ultramarine and cadmium red will also come in handy.

Why do My Drawings Look Childish? Answer: Your Left Brain is Ruining Your Drawing

2015-12-15T04:32:00.000-08:00

During my term teaching life drawing, I came across students who struggled to draw. These were adult students who had plucked the courage to begin drawing after bringing up children or pursuing a career. Others were young adults who had yet to move on from cartoonish drawings that are highly stylized. This is often a disguise for frustration at capturing what is really in front.

So why so some intelligent adults who have great skills or talents in other sectors find it hard to draw?

Shut Up Left Brain!

Hemispheres of the brain

The answer lies in how the brain is wired, causing a sort of picture dyslexia. Our brains are split into two hemispheres, the left and the right. The left hemisphere is where the speech centre is located, and therefore is verbal, bossy, labels things and edits the world to make it make sense. The right hemisphere is silent, has great spatial awareness and sees things how they really are.

Hemispheres of the Brain and Drawing Ability

Skewed ellipses

Ever noticed how hard it is to draw whilst having a conversation? This is because the speech centre in the left brain is being engaged, but it is the right brain that possesses drawing ability. Drawing whilst talking is like juggling several balls at once. This is not desirable for drawing.

The right brain does not label things, but sees the world as it really is. It has good spatial and visual awareness. In order to draw well, the left hemisphere needs to be subdued and the right brain promoted.

This means to stop seeing the world with ‘objects’ with labels, such as, ‘this is how a how a house looks. It has windows, a door, a roof and a chimney.’ From some angles, none of these might be visible. Some houses look odd from certain vantage points. Photographs will testify, yet our left brains insists upon making things make sense.

Signs the left brain is interfering with the right brain whilst drawing might some or all of the examples:

Limbs on figures are too thin and/or short. Similarly, hands and feet too small.
Eyes on portraits are too far up the head.
Skulls of human profiles are too shallow.
Angles on buildings recede at impossible angles in foreshortening.
Ellipses on objects are wonky or skewed.
Impossible vanishing points in streets.
In general, the drawing might appear lob-sided squashed up or just plain wrong, for no identifiable reason.

Drawing is cornerstone to painting

You see, the left brain edits the world. Facial features are perceived as more important than the spaces between, such as the forehead or the depth of the skull, so these are rendered smaller than they actually are. The same applies to hands and feet, as they are noticed less than the other features of the body.

And so it can be seen that those who struggle to draw are experiencing a dilemma between the two brains. They see the world in different ways. Betty Edwards’ book, ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain’, as well my book ‘Draw What You See Not What You Think You See’ explores this dilemma in full.

For now, be assured that a lack of drawing ability is simply due to a lack of brain training. This means recognizing when the pesky left brain is ruining your drawing.

Tips for Improving Drawing

Try the following exercises, designed to forestall the left brain. These will subdue your left brain and encourage your right brain to come through.

During the drawing process, turn your drawing upside down now and again. This will cut off the left brain’s familiar view of the world, and render your drawing into a series of lines and contours that are less familiar. You may notice skewed angles, wonky lines and accuracy issues.

View your drawing through a mirror. In similar fashion to viewing it upside down, this will create an unfamiliar view of your drawing.

Get some distance. Yes, get out of your chair and look at your drawing from afar. Your right brain sees things as a whole rather than in its parts. Getting a distant view means mistakes can more easily be spotted, as it will be seen in context of the rest of the drawing.

Leave the room for two minutes. Not looking at the drawing for a few minutes will have the effect of rebooting the brain and gaining a fresh view. You can also leave the room periodically during drawing to improve your visual memory.

Remember to keep looking at the objects in front whilst drawing. Often, I have seen my students sit close to their drawings without even looking at the subject matter. They are more concerned with polishing off the shading or straightening a line. Disappointment awaits once they stand back and realize their perfectly-fashioned drawings are inaccurate.

Handedness and Drawing Ability

I personally don’t believe that handedness has any relevance to drawing ability. This is to quash the pervading belief that left handed people are better drawers than right. I don’t find this to be true, although creativity and style are a separate matter.

Right handed people can be as good at drawing as left handed people, as drawing entails good hand to eye coordination and accuracy. Having said this, I have noticed that people who have ambidextrous tendencies, i.e., those who have low lateralization in a preference for which side of the body they use to perform tasks (brushing hair, kicking a ball, etc..) experience difficulty with drawing. Low lateralization also seems to come in tandem with poor coordination, incidences of dyslexia and directional difficulties. After research, I have also found higher frequency of drawing difficulties within people who have low lateralization.

More Articles on Drawing Exercises

Cure for wonky drawings

Take this test for visual awareness

Drawing symmetrical shapes

Improve visual memory

What art materials do I need for oil painting

Why Artists Cannot Mix Any Color from Artist Starter Kits: Missing Vital Colors and Useless Pigments

2015-12-10T03:23:00.001-08:00

My students often lament that they cannot mix any color they want from a so-called artist kit of pigments brought from the art shop. It is little wonder when I see the range of colors supplied. More often than not, you will find a ‘red’, ‘yellow’ and a ‘blue’ of some sort. You will also find a brown or a range of browns, a black, a green and (incredibly the same tube size as the other colors of) titanium white.

Overrated Pigments in Artist Kits

Art Kits with Redundant Pigments

It is little wonder that the beginner in oil painting or acrylics cannot mix the colors desired. This is because, for starters, the misconception of what a primary color is. You see, it is believed that any color can be mixed by the inclusion of red, yellow and blue in the kit. But some reds, yellows and blues are not primary colors. Cadmium red is not a primary color because it contains a lot of yellow. Thin this pigment down and you will see a slightly yellowish tinge in the wash. A clean purple cannot be achieved by including cadmium red in a red/blue mix. Similarly, ultramarine is not a primary blue as it contains a lot of red, bringing a violet hue. Therefore clean greens will not be possible by including this color.

An artist kit is only as good as the vibrancy of secondary colors it can bring. These are violet, green and red (orange is in fact a tertiary color). Overly bright secondary colors can always be muted down by adding brown or an opposing color, cannot be made more ‘bright’. The primary colors are cyan, yellow and magenta, not any red, yellow or blue.

Why Black Pigment is not Vital

Another problem is black. I say black, because I do not understand why black is included at all, except for a monochrome project. Black can be achieved by mixing any red, yellow and blue and is seldom needed in everyday art. And why would black be added to any color, except to create unconvincing shadows or to dirty a color.

The same applies to ‘yellow ochre’ and ‘sap green’. Because of their association with the old masters, modern artists believe these pigments to be vital to any pigment selection. I personally find them useless and dirty.

We Need More White Pigment in Artist Kits

And finally, the most important pigment of all: titanium white. Why do these artist kits include white of the same tube size as the other pigments? Colors can be darkened by adding its complimentary color (the opposite color, for example by adding violet to yellow). But a color cannot be lightened without white. Lightening a color forms a fundamental part of color mixing. And yet the artist kit often contains the same tube size of white as the other colors.

Below find my evaluation of the pigment choices found within the artist paint kit:

Daler Rowney Graduate Oil Selection Set.

Within you will find: lemon yellow, cadmium red (hue), crimson, ultramarine, sap green, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt umber, ivory black and titanium white.

Issues: There is no primary red. Both cadmium red and crimson contain yellow to some degree. Sap green, ivory black and yellow ochre are not needed – unless you want to mix dirty colors. The tube of white is the same size as the other pigments.

Daler Rowney Georgian Oil Color Introduction Set

Within you will find: lemon yellow, cadmium yellow hue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, cadmium red hue, alizarin crimson, French ultramarine, sap green, lamp black and titanium white.

Issues: Yellow ochre, sap green and lamp black are not needed unless you like dirty colors. There is no primary blue, so mixing a clean green will be virtually impossible. The tube of white is the same size as the other colors.

Winsor and Newton Watermixable oil colors set of 10

Within you will find: lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, cadmium red (deep), alizarin crimson, ultramarine, cerulean blue, pthalo green, yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white.

Issues: Yellow ochre. It is not needed. Titanium white is the same tube size as the other pigments. Mixing a clean violet may be tricky, as cadmium red (deep) is the closest approximation to a primary red. Other than that, the pigment is not too bad compared to the artist kits.

Winton’s Oil Color Paint Starter Set Ten

Within you will find: cadmium yellow pale hue, cadmium red deep hue, French ultramarine, phthalo blue, viridian hue, permanent green light, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ivory black and titanium white.

Issues: Permanent green light, yellow ochre and ivory black are not needed. With such as limited choice of colors, every pigment should be made to count. Titanium white is the same size tube as the other pigments. Secondary colors will be possible but not the cleanest, most vibrant sort. Quite a few colors here will remain relatively unused.

Winton’s Watermixable Artisan Starter Kit of 6

Within you will find: permanent alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow, phthalo green-blue shade, French ultramarine, yellow ochre and titanium white.

Issues: yellow ochre is not a vital pigment, unless dirty colors are the aim. Titanium white is the same size as the other pigments. Other than that, not a bad selection compared to the others.

The Best Artist Selection Kit of Pigments for Beginners

I will often select my own art pigments individually rather than purchase a box of pigments. would recommend lemon yellow, cadmium yellow (pale), cadmium red, permanent rose (quite close to magenta, but don’t buy art tubes labeled ‘magenta’ as this may contain impurities).

Also recommended are ultramarine, pthalo blue (or cerulean). Both have some properties of cyan. Finally, I find burnt sienna and burnt umber creates warm, rich neutrals and darks. And finally, a big tube of titanium white. Luxuries are alizarin crimson (and old favorite) and viridian green. Yes, criticized for its overuse in painting foliage, but it can be tempered with other colors to create lovely greens.

Some pigment manufacturers sell pigments with the word ‘process’ or ‘permanent’ to denote a color close to the true primary color, for instance, ‘permanent blue’ will resemble ‘cyan’ of printing ink, a true primary color.

Mare Articles about Primary Colors and Pigments

Myths of the color wheel
The four states of colour
color temperature and opacity
My science of color site
Advice on buying artbrushes

I’ve Never Used Oil Paints Before: What are Oils and How Can I Use Them?

2015-12-09T02:42:00.000-08:00

Starting out in oil painting? Well you might notice that every art shop will stock traditional oil paints. Tubes bearing the word ‘oils’ or ‘oil paint’ (meaning the same thing) will also bear other labels, such as the brand name, grade and quality. It all seems overwhelming. However, oil paints all have one thing in common. The pigment is simply suspended in oil. This mean the paint cannot be cleaned or thinned with water but artist spirits and special oils.

Oil Painting Exercise for Beginners in Art

Using Oils for the first time

Deposit a little oil paint onto an art board, and you will find a creamy, rich substance rather like butter. What you see is finely ground pigment blended with a little oil. The pigment aspect might be ground organic substance or a synthetic substitute. This provides the color. But the pigment is nothing without a vehicle in which it can travel. With watercolors, it is water; in this case of, oils, it is, well, oil.

The Thickness of Oil Paint

But not any oil is used in the paint, but one that is stable and resistant to darkening over time. So you will not find household cooking oil, but linseed oil. Linseed oil will be found in most tubes of oil paint with the exception of white, where poppy oil will be used, as it is paler.

Oils can be applied in many ways.

Applied neat, oil paint will leave ridges and troughs, rather like the textures after a rough session of plastering. Such a technique is known as ‘impasto’. Artists such as Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso used impasto techniques to bring a textural quality to their paintings. A stiff brush or a palette knife can be used to apply thick oil paint for impasto effects.

Can Oil Paint be Used like Watercolor?

It might be hard to believe, but oils can yield similar effects to watercolor if thinned down and applied as a wash. In oil painting, such a wash is known as a ‘glaze’. As previously mentioned, oils cannot be thinned with water, but a medium that can be suspended in the oil paint. A range of oil mediums and artist thinners can be found in shops, but the ones most often used are linseed oil and artist spirits. Artist spirits are simply solvents designed to be used for oil painting.

Never use industrial Turps or solvents for thinning oil paint, for these are not designed for artist use. (They smell terrible and will wear the brushes).

Artist spirits and linseed oil will be found in bottles. Don’t worry, as odor-free solvents that are kind to the nose and brush can be easily found in any art shop, and only a little medium is needed.

Create a little oily-solvent mixture (by blending 50:50 solvent and linseed oil into a small dish) to create an oily ‘thinner.’ Add a little paint. The result will be a watercolor-like wash. This thinned paint can be spread over an artboard or canvas like watercolor.

Just like with watercolor, you will need to experiment to get the consistency right. Too much thinner, and the wash will be too thin. Not enough, and the paint might not create a thin wash to travel.

Glazing Oil Paint in Layers

The great thing about oil paint is that once it is dry, the paint is remarkably robust and durable. In fact, a separate glaze can be applied on top once the paint is dry, and the underlayer will remain unaffected. This is known as glazing. Beautiful effects can be achieved by glazing thin layers of oil paint one over the other.

What are the Difference Between Watercolors and Oil Paints?

Here, I have described the two main techniques of oil paint that define its properties: impasto by the application of neat oil paint, and glazing by the application of thinned oil paint.

Oils are fundamentally different to watercolors, for water is used in watercolors, but cannot be used in oil paints. Oil paint does not dry by evaporation, as does watercolors do, but by oxidization. This means that the paint absorbs oxygen from the air in order to harden. For this reason, the paint dries from within, taking about three days to two weeks to become touch-dry. A thicker layer of oil paint will take longer to harden than a thin layer.

Because oil paints take longer to dry, it can be played around, blended with and manipulated without the need to rush. Great blending finishes can be achieved with oil paints, unlike acrylics, which will dry within the hour. Blending is no fun if put under time restraints!

Oil Paints in Simple Terms

Don’t be confused by the many different types of oil paints that can be found in shops. Really, the traditional type has one thing in common: oil is blended with the powdered pigment to create the paint. Exceptions can be found in specialized oil paint, which do not apply to traditional oils, the subject of this article.

So have a go. Learn the basics of oil paint by applying it neat, and then by thinning the pigment down into a watercolor-like wash.

More Exercises with Oil Paint

More about glazing technique with oils

Beginners' kit for oil painting

The basic oil painting techniques

Art brushes for oil painting

Oil Painting Technique: Learn Glazing with Oils with Pigment Translucency

2014-09-27T02:19:00.002-07:00

Glazing oil paints is one of the chief techniques in oil painting. The aspiring artist might be lead to believe that glazing can only be done like the old masters, requiring many paint layers, linseed oil and hours of work. But anyone can learn about this great oil painting technique with just basic art materials and a couple of hours.

Art Tutorial with Oils How to Glaze with Oil Colors

Oil Painting Lesson

Some oil colors are more translucent than others by their nature. However, pigments with high opacity can be made translucent by the addition of a little linseed oil.

I have therefore chosen oil colors of varying translucency for this art demonstration, which can be found on my art instruction video clip.

Art Materials Needed for Oil Glazing Technique

All that is needed are: a primed piece of card, measuring approx 10x8in or so. Notice on the left side of the image, I have placed oil colors which are relatively opaque. These are (from the top): cerulean blue, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, burnt umber and viridian mixed with a little white. White will add opacity to any color (as viridian is translucent on its own).

Opaque and Translucent Colors

On the right of the image, I have placed oil colors that are relatively translucent. These are from the top): ultramarine blue, permanent rose, lemon yellow, burnt sienna and viridian neat. Also needed for this art exercise are linseed oil and fine sables.

Notice that these colors have been placed in long stripes of equal length. This permits the application of different overlying colors to see how each affects the appearance of the underlying color.

Art Exercise in Translucency of Oil Pigments

Glazing with Oil Paints

I had applied each pigment neat on primed card and allowed them to dry for at least ten days. Some pigments dry quicker than others. Lemon yellow is particularly lengthy to dry. Once enough time has elapsed for each oil pigment to become touch-dry, I will apply only those that are naturally translucent over the top. I will add a little linseed oil to increase translucency.

Art Tutorial on Glazing Oil Colors

As can be seen here, I began with ultramarine, adding a few drops of linseed oil into a wide receptacle first. I will add this blue in a vertical stripe so that it goes over each underlying color. Notice how it affects the appearance of each underlying pigment, almost like tinted glass.

Linseed Oil for Translucency

Now repeat this procedure for the other oil colors, cleaning the brush between each application. I applied in similar fashion: viridian green, lemon yellow, permanent rose and burnt sienna. The close up view shows how each color has been affected by the overlying glaze. Some warm colors will appear cooler, some cool colors will appear warmer. In other cases, the color will appear darker.

Close up of how Glazing Affects Colors

Glazing with oils can be used to inject mood into a painting or to deepen colours, create smooth effects, which can be great for skin colors expanses of sky or reflections. Practice this glazing exercise to see how the appearance of a color is affected by the application of diluted oil paint on top.

Articles on More Painting Lessons

Why does red and blue make brown? (My Science of Color Site)

Anatomy of Green (Science of Color Site)

The four states of color (Oil Painting Medic blog)

Primary colors in art

Art Class Learn to Draw for Beginners: Cure Sloping Drawings with Symmetrical Shapes

2014-09-27T01:01:00.000-07:00

Drawing is more about how our brains interpret the information in front of us than what the hand is doing with the pencil. Having seen numerous drawings during my time teaching art, came across a common affliction, which appears as though the drawing is sloping to one side.

Drawing Cure for Sloping Drawing

Crooked Drawing

I believe we are all biased towards one side of the world that we perceive. For instance, some people will be more aware of one side than the other. This bias will be reflected within the drawing which will appear to slope to one side or be squashed up on one corner of the page.

The only way around this problem is to make the student aware of their crooked drawing problem. I find turning the drawing upside down or viewing it through the mirror effective in making the student aware of this sloping problem.

Drawing Class in Fields of Vision

A Basic Drawing Lesson

The world that we see can be thought of as four divisions: upper left, lower left, upper right, lower right. If any of these fields of vision dominates the others or are imbalanced, the student will render an object with sloping lines, or contours to one side of the page.

A way of redressing the balance in fields of vision perception is a simple drawing exercise that will force the brain to examine each four visual fields and how one relates with the other. A way of forcing the brain to pay equal attention to all four fields of vision is to draw shapes with two lines of symmetry freehand. This means reflecting a line or contour accurately in all four quadrants. It is not as easy as it sounds.

My art Lesson Video on Drawing

Art Materials Needed for Drawing Tutorial

All that is needed is a sheet of paper, a ruler, HB pencil and an eraser.

Beginner's Drawing Exercise

The video clip shows how to begin the drawing exercise. Draw a square, approx 5 -10 inches in size on the paper. Draw a faint cross through the middle of the square so that the square is divided into four. Now you will have four sections: Upper left, upper right, lower right, lower left.

Place a dot on each line of the central cross that are equal in coordinate, as can be seen in the image.

Now make a simple random line within one of the quadrants that begins and ends at a dot. It might be a curving line, a line with edges or a straight line, but ensure it is simple.

Drawing Technique for Beginners

Drawing Technique

Now turn the page to its side and try to reflect this line as a mirror image in the next quadrant, as shown in the video. Each line must meet up at a particular coordinate on the central cross of the square, creating a shape with two lines of symmetry. It won’t be perfect at first; this is OK. An eraser is allowed. Begin faint and then gradually work a little darker as the drawing is perfected.

Keep turning and rotating the page this way and that, rubbing out deviant lines and checking for symmetry. This drawing lesson will force the brain to address all four visual fields, checking how one compares to the other.

Drawing Class for Beginners

This drawing exercise forces the brain to examine all four fields of vision in drawing, helping to cure the affliction of wonky or crooked drawings. Keep practicing this exercise to keep wonky drawings at bay. Improvement will come with practice.

More Drawing Lessons

Do your eyes deceive you?
How to shade a sphere
How to draw an ellipse

Take this Drawing Test to See Visually Alert You Are

2014-07-25T01:29:00.002-07:00

Drawing not only involves what the pencil is doing on paper, but also what is going on in the brain between the mark-making. In fact, drawing begins before the first line is drawn.

During my years teaching, I came across students who struggled to draw. I noticed that a common feature of this low drawing ability was the tendency not to look at what is in front but to draw what is believed to be in front. A struggle to draw often comes in tandem with a low visual awareness.

Cure for Low Drawing Ability

Optical Illusions can Occur in Real Life
when Drawing

Low visual awareness means taking little notice of how things are arranged around us. This might be difficulty in judging the angle of a contour, the size of an object next to another object. An inability to make visual judgments can manifest itself in many ways, such as the inability to hang a painting perfectly level, or to arrange objects in a balanced still life.

How Distorted Perception can Ruin a Drawing

Visual distortions or optical illusions come in many forms, examples of which can be seen in this image. The impossible trident would appear to have 3 prongs, but does it? The dot in the triangle falls midway up, although it would appear to be higher. The 2 lines within the chevrons run parallel with each other although they appear to converge. And both squares on the upper right are the same size. These are crude examples of visual distortions. In fact, such illusions can fool the eye in the most subtle ways which can sabotage the drawing.

See my Youtube clip testing your visual alertness - a key to great drawing. You may need to view full screen during the test.

Test into Drawing Ability

My Youtube clip examines the issue of distorted perception when it comes to drawing. A test within aims to give a rough indicator to how prone your eyes are to deceiving you. Get pen and pencil at the ready, as there are 10 multiple questions within. These questions ask for visual estimates of four figures. Simple shapes can be found within the clip which will test your ability to visually judge angles, sizes, the relationship of one object to another and even its tonality.

Look before Drawing

No visual aids are allowed and don’t pause the video. Some questions are more difficult than others. Guessing the right answer does not award a point.

Where Drawing Talent Really Lies

Answers to the test are given at the end of the clip. 8 out of 10 or more indicates a keen eye for making visual estimates. You may not need the spirit level to hang that painting, or you may have a natural flair for arranging flowers. 5 – 7 out of 10 and you have good visual awareness, but there is room for improvement. Less than 4 out of 10 and you may have low visual awareness.

Improve Drawing Quickly

Don’t worry if a low score is the result. Practice is the key to good visual awareness. Practice looking around you regarding:

The size of one object in relation to another (is it bigger, smaller? By what degree? (a half, a third, a smaller fraction?) How does the object’s width relate to another? Is it twice as wide, etc?) Use a pencil and hold it at arm’s length with one eye closed. This can be used as a visual measuring tool.

The position of one object in relation to another (is it higher, lower? And what about the distance between?

Estimate the angle of straight lines. Is it fairly horizontal, vertical? Estimate the number of degrees out it might be?

The contour of an outline. Is it quite curved, jagged? Does the line thicken in places?

Learn to Look at Things

Drawing involves setting up an internal dialogue regarding how things look. Question assumptions. Tables do not always appear to have four legs; a drinking cup may appear to have no handle and a hat can look like a tortoise.

By increasing your awareness of how things look around us may result in a better score on this drawing test in the future, not to mention drawing.

The Most Important Part of Drawing

Low visual alertness to how objects look can create a drawing that disappoints. Learning to really look before lowering the pencil to paper can result in a drawing that holds truth. Check how visually astute you are by watching the video clip which includes 10 questions within. A high score would indicate a good eye for judgment. This skill is an asset to drawing. A low score can be improved upon when practicing the skill of looking. Overcoming distorted perceptions means dispelling assumptions about how objects ‘should’ look.

Articles on Drawing Tips

How symmetrical drawing improves drawing ability
Cure for wonky drawings

Sketch a village scene with Ingres paper

Improve visual memory in drawing

I love painting but I can't draw

My site on photography

Pastel Pencil Exercise on Shading Buildings on Ingress Paper

2014-07-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

This simple shading exercise on Ingres paper was completed as a step by step Youtube clip. Each stage is clearly laid out within the speed art movie, but is explained in depth here. This drawing demo comprises a typical village scene, in this case, a church enclosed by trees. The church is located in the Lake District in the UK.

Materials Needed for Shading on Ingres Paper

Pastel Pencils for Shading Ingres Paper

The drawing equipment used for this sketch was pastel pencils in the following colors: white, light grey, mid grey, sepia and black. A wide pencil sharpener, HB pencil and eraser were used for the preliminary drawing. The Ingres paper used was A5 (8inx6.5in) in size.

What is Ingres Paper?

Briefly, Ingres paper is simply a toned paper with a canvas-like texture. I used mid grey paper in this exercise, where the texture was like canvas. Ingres paper can be found in an array of tones from duck egg to dark grey. The texture of Ingres paper means that soft pencil can ‘skid’ over the rough surface, leaving behind pleasing textured effects.

See my speed art clip on shading with pastel pencils on Youtube

How to Sketch with Pencil Pastels

After carefully completing the line sketch (use the eraser sparingly as it could flatten the texture of the paper) I shaded the sunlit rooftops with white. I applied firm pressure to create a relatively solid tone. The edge of the white pencil was used to bring out sharp detail around the spires and the sunlit walls.

Using Sepia Pencils in Drawing

Step by Step on Shading on Ingres Paper with Pastels

For the shaded walls, I lightly shaded sepia pencil to create a sharp contrast in tone, but softened the tone with mid grey afterwards. Working pencils in layers helps to bring an even, soft tone to the buildings. Always avoid exerting too much pressure initially. I used the soft edge of the pencil tip.

Once the mid grey was shaded over the church walls, I carefully illustrated the windows with black. Keep edges sharp for detail. This means using the sharpener for these areas. Take note that a little mid grey is needed where the light catches the architraves. This will help suggest recesses in the church wall.

Shading on Grey Paper

Once the church tones had been blocked in, I shaded mid grey on the drystone wall in front, dappling white at the top of the wall. This helped suggest sunlight catching the top of the wall.

As can be seen, an array of textures was used for the background. I applied pointillism and irregular marks over the sunlit canopies behind the church, and then shaded a more even layer over the distant woodlands. I moved the pencil in vertical strokes to emulate the trees. White was used for the sunlit tops and the hills. Remember to keep comparing how one tone relates to another throughout the painting. This helps retain tonal imbalances.

Sky Shading with Pastel Pencils

I applied an uneven layer of white over the sky and the foreground to bring harmony to the composition. I allowed some of the grey paper to show beneath in places to retain that textural feel. I finally scribbled sepia over the large tree on the left, moving the pencil in the direction of growth. I was careful not to overdo it, or the area could look overworked. I used a black pencil for the darkest areas.

As a final touch, I drew the spires at the top of the roofs and neatened detail. Sharpened pastel pencils were needed for these areas.

Quick Shading Exercise on Ingres Paper

As can be seen here, an effective sketch in pastel pencils on Ingres paper can be completed within an hour and with just a few pencils. I began light first, working into darker shades later on the drawing. Applying shading lightly will bring out the texture of the paper.

Articles on Drawing and Painting

Take this test to see how visually aware you are
How symmetrical drawing can improve drawing ability
Draw an ellipse step by step
How to judge tones in your painting
My website about colors

Paint a Waterside Tree with Five Oil Colors

2014-07-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

An effective oil painting can be completed in half an hour and with just five oil colors. This oil painting demonstration required the simplest art materials, ideal for the student who prefers to use basic materials. The scene comprises a tree next to a river, ideal for painting reflections.

Simple Art Demonstration on Painting Reflections

How to Paint Water Step by Step

The art materials needed for this demonstration are:

Oil colors: titanium white, pthalo blue, burnt sienna, cadmium lemon and viridian. Only a flat bristle no. 6 and round sable no. 3 were used. Artists’ spirit was needed only for cleaning the brushes at the end of the session.

I had primed a small panel with two coats of gesso before beginning the painting. The panel measured 7x9inches. A HB pencil and eraser was needed for sketching in the composition before laying down the paint.

My youtube clip shows how I completed the painting

Oil Painting Demo in Minutes

1 I worked from light to dark and therefore began with palest areas of the painting. I mixed a little burnt sienna with mostly white and plied this uneven mixture over the sky area and corresponding reflections. I applied this color thinly towards the top and bottom of the painting as I wanted to introduce another color in these areas.

Simple Landscape Painting Demonstration

2 I then mixed a little pthalo blue into white and introduced this color unevenly at the top and bottom of the picture. With a clean bristle, I smudged together the warm and cool colors careful to avoid contamination that could result in muddy mixture. I blended the colors more smoothly on the areas of water, to suggest reflections. I flicked the bristle in vertical strokes.

3 I then mixed a little viridian and cadmium lemon into white and dabbed this warm green onto the field in the background with a fine sable.

Burnt Sienna on the Landscape

4 I mixed burnt sienna and a little white and made vertical strokes around the reedy area at the foot of the tree. To add contrast, I plied on viridian, pthalo blue and a little white for the trees in the background. Areas of color were softened where they met, such as the treeline and sky.

5 Burnt sienna, pthalo blue and viridian were mixed for a deep, rich dark and this was applied onto the reeds at the foot of the tree. A clean bristle was used to smudge out this dark color into the pervading reflection color, to suggest a glassy surface to the water.

Simple Demonstration on Painting Reflections

6 The surrounding to the tree trunk and its reflection sets up the tree to make it look more dramatic. Any niggles should be ironed out before beginning the tree itself. I mixed pthalo blue, viridian and burnt sienna to create a rich black and I applied this dark onto the tree trunk initially. I worked the same color for the tree’s reflection to ensure the subject and its reflection accorded.

7 A narrow brush was used for the branches and twigs, moving the brush into the direction of the tree’s growth. Care is needed not to get carried away with adding too many twigs or the area could get confused. The secret is to generalize. Look for clumps and feather out the dark color to suggest ‘gathers’ within the tree.

Oil Painting Reflections

Oil Colors Needed for Painting Water

8 And now for the water. With a fine sable, I mixed a little pthalo blue with white and dragged the brush in small horizontal strokes to suggest disturbances on the water’s surface. I let some of the undercolor get dragged into the upper color.

9 With a separate sable, I mixed a little burnt sienna with pthalo blue and lightly applied horizontal bands over the water to contrast with the paler streaks. I allowed some of the underlying color to get dragged with the horizontal strokes to bring a fluid quality to the paint.

Finishing Touches to the Landscape Painting

10 Finally I dabbed burnt sienna with a little white, to produce a rich, rustic color and applied small, vertical strokes over the stalk tops. This warm color provides great contrast with the cool colors in the background.

A Landscape Painting in Five Oil Colors

An effective oil painting can be produced with just five oil pigments as can be seen in this demonstration. Basic art materials were used. This painting took around half-an-hour to do. The secret is a strong, striking composition that will carry the basic oil colors. This tree also provides stark contrast against the background.

Improve your Drawing Skill by Drawing Symmetrical Shapes

2013-11-25T04:07:00.002-08:00

One of the most common problems with drawing is the affliction of skewed-looking objects. The crooked look to a drawing may remain unforeseen until the drawing is well under way. The solution is to practice drawing symmetrical objects freehand without any drawing aids.

Drawing Exercise to Improve Skill

Symmetry can be found in many objects including ornaments, tools, creatures and art. I believe that students with low drawing ability lack visual awareness of one or more quadrants of the visual field, whether this is the left, right, top or bottom of a page. This results in a drawing that appears to lean to one side, or to be placed too far on one corner of the page. Common problems are: teapots that appear to lean to one side, lob-sided ellipses, squashed-up edges of portraits or animal drawings.

Drawing Lesson for Beginners

Crooked Drawings become
Obvious
when Placed in a Grid

Countering skewed drawings can be aided by the practice of symmetrical drawing freehand. Try practicing drawing simple symmetrical objects such as circles, squares and triangles. The challenge is not as easy as it sounds. Rulers and compasses are not permitted, but the rendering of freehand and the use of the naked eye.

Skill of the Naked Eye

The aim is to practice how truly horizontal a line is; how perfectly curved an arc is or to judge the location of the central point of an object. Students that may benefit most from this drawing lesson are those that find it difficult to visually judge if a mirror is hung straight on a wall or similar. Perfectly symmetrical drawings are not possible without being able to make accurate visual judgments.

Video Clip of Drawing Exercise

My video clip shows how I drew simple symmetrical shapes freehand by gradual increments. The first attempt will seldom be perfect, as can be seen. Few can actually draw a perfect circle straight off. Work toward accuracy by working progressively darker and viewing the drawing from different angles. An eraser is of course allowed, but no rulers or other such drawing aids can be used. Keep rubbing out the drawing and adjusting the lines. Practicing this skill will develop visual awareness of the following:

Drawing Symmetry Freehand

How close to horizontal a line is.
How close to vertical a line is.
If one side of a symmetrical drawing truly mirrors the other.
How central to the page the drawing is.
How equal each quadrant of the drawing is.
To judge a central point in the drawing.
How truly curved a line is
How straight a line is.

How to Counter Skewed Drawings

Drawing of Cockerel

The clip also shows how I drew a near-perfect rectangle and triangle. This is followed by a step by step demo on drawing a circle as perfect as possible.

Accurate visual judgments of such drawing elements will guard against a skewed drawing in the future, even if the object drawn is not symmetrical. This is because every drawing ideally should inhabit a good portion of the page, be centrally placed and has roughly equal amounts of space around the drawing. This can be seen in the drawing of the cockerel.

More challenging shapes can be practiced if need be. Drawing simple shapes larger will also be more challenging than drawing them small.

More Articles on Drawing Methods

How to draw from memory

How to draw ellipses

Shading a sphere

Step by Step Demonstration on Drawing Ellipses

2013-11-20T03:55:00.002-08:00

Drawing ellipses is one of the basics of drawing techniques. However, I have seen many of my students struggle with drawing a basic ellipse. The ellipse’s gentle curves and its symmetry can be hard to put down freehand. Not only that, but the ellipse’s arc will shift in appearance depending upon how the vessel is viewed.

Difficulty in drawing Ellipses

Drawing an Ellipse

The challenge becomes ever more difficult if an object has multiple ellipses such as that seen on the thread of bottle tops or ornaments. The best thing to do is to draw the simplest ellipse shape before venturing further. My video clip on drawing the most basic ellipse shape will enable the artist to build upon this skill when more complex subject matter is tackled.

Mistakes in Drawing Ellipses

Improvements can be made in drawing when looking out for common mistakes whilst drawing an ellipse. This can also be seen in the video clip, which includes: drawing ellipses with corners, sloping ellipses, ellipses without symmetry and ellipses without depth to the rim. The secret is to plot the ellipse before drawing it. This will guard against the elliptical element turning out wrong.

Drawing Techniques for Still Life

Make sure the plotlines on which the ellipse rests is perpendicular in form and symmetrical in shape before laying down the lines. To this end, the beginner may plot a faint cross onto a piece of paper before drawing the ellipse. Make sure the cross is true to vertical and horizontal. The video slip shows how to plot the elliptical element of an object into a rectangle sketched on top of the cross. The ellipse shape itself can then be placed within the rectangle and the rectangle rubbed out. Make sure the ellipse shape rests centrally within the rectangle before going further.

The Curves of an Ellipse

The curves of the ellipse can be sketched faintly at first. Turn the drawing upside down to check if any element of the ellipse is not central or symmetrical. Bear in mind that the curves of an ellipse will alter between top, bottom and sides. Ellipses will never possess corners, regardless of how obliquely it is viewed. The curves simply become tighter in appearance. This means taking care on how the curves are drawn. Of course, the arc opens out on the top and bottom of the ellipse form.

How not to Draw an Ellipse:
Asymmetrically, tear-shaped, with corners & with a rim of equal depth

Sketching Techniques for Still Life Objects with Ellipses

The rim of an ellipse will have depth of some kind. Due to the foreshortening effect, the depth will appear widest to the far left and right of an ellipse. This can be seen in the video clip. Never draw the rim of an ellipse as having the same depth all round, also this is true in reality.

Once the ellipse shape is sketched in, the rest is simple. Sketch the rest of the vessel using the cross as guidance. Note that the curve at the base of the vessel (if viewed from slightly above) will appear more curved than the ellipse at the top. Never illustrate the base of a vessel with a flat bottom.

Objects with Ellipses in Drawing

The key to drawing good ellipses is to avoid common mistakes, which are asymmetry, illustrating corners, rendering sloping ellipses or tear-shapes ellipses. This often means sketching plotlines onto which the ellipse may rest. The outline of an ellipse can then be keyed into these plotlines. The video shows how an ellipse element can be plotted over a cross and a rectangle. The ellipse is more likely to be even, perpendicular and symmetrical in shape. The rest of the vessel is then made more easy.

More Drawing Techniques

How to draw a horse's head

Drawing close ups

How to Create Photographs from Artwork

2013-01-14T04:42:00.002-08:00

Photography forms an inherent part of producing artwork because it offers a snapshot of reality. Perfect photographs are not always necessary but useful visual information that can be applied to painting. Having some mastery of photography will help the artist get the effect desired.

Using Photography for Art

Photos of Brotherwater in the Lake District (Rachel Shirley)

Having a great idea for painting will often involve using photographs at some point. But the key to taking pictures that can be used in art lie in being in control of what is visible through the viewfinder before taking the shot. This means practicing visual awareness.

It is a given that sharp photos are essential when using them to reproduce detail and this means spot-on focusing and minimal camera-shake. Making sure no part of the object is cut off is also important. This means having some understanding of how the camera works.

These three photos of Brotherswater in the Lakes (UK) feature high tonal contrasts, ideal for impasto techniques, but no good for a detailed study, for if we pan in (top right) the image becomes pixilated. Notice how the same location looks different when shot in landscape or portrait mode, and in different weather conditions.

Analyzing Photographs for Art

In order to improve visual awareness in photography, find a selection of photos or cuttings from magazines and then make an evaluation of each. This exercise is also suitable for an art class in photography or art.

Place each photo on a surface to evaluate. Do so one by one with a notebook and pen handy. Make notes to the following questions:

1 What is the focal point of the photo? It might be an ornament, a cliff-face or castle.

2 Are there any secondary focal points within the photo? What are they? Examples might be a speeding boat in the distance, an oak tree or a chimney stack.

3 Make an educated guess of whether any of these focal points are intended or accidental. Give reasons for believing either. It doesn’t matter if you know the answer or not; make a calculated estimate. The boat, for example might appear to have come into view at that particular moment, or a dead tree in the background might have been included to echo another tree in the foreground.

4 Make a note of what lies at the edges of the photograph and what lies in the centre. Does the composition appear one-sided; does it appear balanced to the eye? What can be seen in each of the 4 quadrants of the photo?

What Makes a Good Photograph for Painting?

Now make a judgment of the photo’s weakest points. What didn’t work? This might be a pylon that appears to sprout from behind a person’s head or too much background behind the object. There might be insufficient visual information due to a blurred photo. State what doesn’t work in the photograph and say why. Suggest how this problem can be overcome if the shot was taken again.

Lesson on Using Photography for Painting

Examine the colors in the photographs to establish

What are the most prevalent colors in the shot?
Which colors occur least frequently?
What are the brightest colors?
What are the palest tones on the shot?
What are the darkest tones?
Which tonal or color area draws the eye. Why?
Is the photograph monochromatic or contains mostly bright colors?

And lastly, if you were asked to do a painting working from the photo, which colors would you use? To make this task more manageable, break it down into each area.

Lesson Idea on Using Photos for Artwork

Make a visual estimate of the pigments you would mix if you had to reproduce the subject matter depicted. This might be burnt sienna and cadmium red to emulate a brick wall or viridian green and burnt umber to render a spider plant.

Think about the art techniques you might use. Would a detailed approach fit if the photo depicted a butterfly? Would a more suggestive expression be use for a sky? Would wet into wet be used or dry brushing? Could scratching into the paint layer be employed to create patterns or textured effects?

What are the challenges ahead? For instance, intricate patterns on a lattice fence might require a lot of work. Does the sky lack detail because it is overexposed in the photograph?

Artclass on Using Photos for Painting

You may repeat this process when evaluating each photo. Doing so will help make you more aware of what can be seen in each photo and anticipate challenges that lie ahead before taking a shot.

Good lighting is also vital if a photograph is to be of any use for artistic expression. A dull day or indoor lighting could rob the shot of interesting tonal contrasts. The shot could appear bleached-out under a flashbulb or pixilated under poor dull light. A bright day will increase the vitality of a shot, creating interesting reflections such as light bouncing from neighboring surfaces.

Using Photos for Artwork

What would appear to be an ideal photo for a painting may turn out useless as an art resource. Often, a series of shots will be needed to create a painting. High visual awareness of what lies within the viewfinder will help the photographer gain the results needed. Awareness of what lies in the background as well as the foreground will help reduce the chances of a disappointing shot that cannot be used. Anticipate artistic challenges such as high detail, a pixilated shot or bright colors. What art techniques would you use when depicting the subject matter in a painting? What pigments would you use and how would you overcome foreseeable problems? Conscious evaluation of photographs will help improve photographic techniques, particularly when it comes to using them for creating artwork.

More Articles about Producing Art Work

Techniques to improve poor photography
Tips on portrait photography
Take great photos for Ebay
How to mix blues in painting

Computer Art Lesson Plan for Stage 1 and 2 Children Using Microsoft Paint

2012-10-02T13:16:00.001-07:00

An ideal art lesson for kids is to use a standard Windows programme such as Paint. Windows Paint will enable youngsters to create eye-catching designs by simple means and also to explore computer software for the first time by using the mouse and clicking functions.

How to Use Paint for Kids

Microsoft Paint can easily be found by clicking on the Office graphic on the lower left of the computer screen and then selecting ‘Paint’. If Paint cannot be found, look under ‘Accessories’. Click on Paint and a blank screen with toolbars on the right and above can be found. Kids may explore what the different tools do, but a simple demo in the form of a Smartboard presentation will enable kids to see how it works before practice.

Instruction for Creating Computer Art Lesson for Kids

The teacher may show kids some examples of the sort of artwork that can be achieved by this simple software, as can be seen in the Youtube slideshow, comprising images created by 9 year old Joseph Busby.

The following computer art instructions will help kids get used to the Paint tools quickly before practice.

Click on ‘view’, ‘zoom’, ‘custom and then select either 12.5% or 25% to gain an overall view of the blank screen.
Click on any shape then click and drag on the screen, and the shape will be inserted onto the screen. Circles, ellipses, rectangles or polygons can be chosen from.
Drag the mouse outwards on the screen, and the shape will appear bigger; drag it into the shape, and it will appear smaller.
Click the ‘undo’ button beneath ‘edit’ and the action will be undone, handy for mistakes.
A selection of line thicknesses can be found by clicking on the line icon. Move the cursor over the screen to draw a straight line.
Click on the paint tin after selecting a colour from the colour palette, and a clicked enclosed area will be filled with that colour, as can backgrounds.

Free Art Software for Kids in Class

Kids may click other icons in order to explore different functions. By the end of class, however each child must have completed a simple design by the use of line, shape and colour. If necessary, the ‘save’ function may be used or designs will be lost. Differentiation is available in the form of the use of other functions, such as the cut and paste function and the use of the other paint tools such as airbrush, pencil and brush. Freehand drawing may also be explored.

IT Art Lesson for Schools Using Microsoft Paint

Using computer software for the first time can be made easy for kids by creating immediate and eye-catching deigns. Microsoft Paint is a simple computer software, ideal for getting kids used to the mouse and using tools to create colourful art. Line, shape and colour can be blended to create lots of imagery. Hand to eye coordination may be exercised as well as learning about how computer functions work for various effects.

Further Articles Relating to Art for Kids

The colour theory
Step by step art instruction
Beginners guide on drawing
Guide to kids' art materials