kcp – Artblog

The next step is rather simple; it consist sketching the subject, full size on the 15” X 30” with 3 inches square grid I previously drafted (see: The set-up) – Then darken the other side of the   paper using a soft charcoal to act as carbon paper. Tape the sketch onto the canvas and go over the lines.

Sounds simple and it is, however I should stress the importance of good drawing habits. While any trick is good to help reproduce an image accurately, such as using a grid like I did here; there are no excuses for negligence – For instance, drawing the bottom of an object first to “seat” the object and establish a sense of space and dimension – Don’t do that and you may very well end-up with object that look like they are floating around – Pay careful attention to the size and distance of the bottom of objects in relation to the line of horizon (which is not necessarily the edge of the table!!) and in relation to each other. Taking the time to draw what’s behind objects, what you don’t see even though you’ll erase it later (or not, it’s up to you really) might seem tedious but it’s a good habit to adopt to help make a coherent drawing – Otherwise it can seem like the line starts or is going nowhere and lose some important indications of the shape of the object, its placement and the space it occupies –Always keep in mind of what it is you are drawing in terms of shape and direction. What is that shape? Where is it going? Drawing simple shapes to get started is a good habit but keep in mind that an apple is not a circle; it’s a sphere. A glass isn’t a rectangle; it’s a cylinder.

Drawing skills are very much like reading skills. When we first begin to learn how to read, we read letter-by-letter, syllable-by-syllable. Gradually we become able to visually recognize small words. Three letter words; four letter words and so on. To the point where as experienced readers we no longer read letter-by-letter, syllable-by-syllable because we instantly recognize the words visually. But say you encounter a new or complicated word for the first time; you will find yourself automatically shifting back to the letter-by-letter, syllable-by-syllable reading mode – Drawing is the same in the sense that if you can’t visualize it, by all means, draw it. There are things that I skip sometimes. That’s because I can visualize it. But as soon as something more complicated or more difficult comes along, I always revert back to the basics. Yet, there are things that should never be neglected when drawing or sketching and those are perspective, proportions, relations and a great dose of observation.

The making of a Still Life:

• Introduction
• The set-up
• Ground colour 
• The sketch
•  Painting begins