JENIKIM Exercises to improve your drawing. Isn’t it great when you start something you’re sure will be boring, but it turns out to be one of the funniest things you’ve been doing in weeks? It is what happened to me when I recently discovered my love for still life. To be honest, when I started cool drawing ideas and still life as the first subject of my Sketch Project, I didn’t feel like doing it. I thought it was one of these mandatory foundations that everyone has to go through, almost like a chore, before they can move on to the more exciting topics.
But my God, I was wrong. Like many of us, I grew up with the idea that still life is bowls of fruit and bottles of wine. What an idiot. As I said in my support on how a still life can further develop your drawing abilities, there is something else too, in any case, life besides apples and grapes. Even more in this way, I remained regarding the matter significantly longer than I anticipated.
Assuming you need to get familiar with somewhat more about how to draw a still life, from picking subjects to arranging the page, look at my article 6 Easy Steps to Draw a Captivating Still Life. Moreover, if you want to continue to lovely blossoms, here’s my post on How to Draw Beautiful Roses for a Still Life. Moving right along, the following are 5 still life practices that will assist you with promoting further develop your coaxing abilities and take advantage of your subject.
Messy origami
Let’s start with something a little complicated. Why? Because this exercise will help you significantly improve your proportioning and shading skills. All you need is a white (relatively empty) card. And then you tear it apart and draw it. That’s all. But, of course, it’s not as easy as it seems. Each time you do this exercise, your role will change into a new state, and your mind has zip to connect it to, so you are the only one getting those proportions right. And since no special colour or form is required, all that will give your money ball its three-dimensional form is the shading you will draw on that.
I suggest that you start with a moderately straightforward “crunch.” Possibly crease it or go along with it and draw a couple before continuing to the more intricate ones. You can likewise utilize lined paper to make things somewhat more straightforward. This activity is additionally incredible for movement; there’s consistently a Starbucks receipt in your suitcase or wallet that you can utilize for some speedy portrayals while you sit tight for the train.
Spectacular lighting
One of the essential skills, whether in still life or any other drawing, is shading. While there are some technical insights that we will delve into later, such as how to hatch, streak, or blur, for now, let’s focus on learning how and where to place shadows in general. To do this, you will need an elementary object, such as a cup or an apple, and a light source to move with, such as a table lamp or a flashlight. Place your object on a straightforward, even surface (you can use a piece of paper underneath if your desk is dark) and shine the light from the side. Then draw your object with the shadows this produces.
Be especially aware of the differences between the shadows on the surface of your objects and the shadows on the ground that your object casts. Make sure you understand which parts of your object cause which shadow, why shadows are the way they are, and why they have a certain intensity. Where is the lightest element, where is the haziest? Do the shadows have precise shapes or do they blur progressively? Do a few shadows cross-over to make a considerably more obscure region?
Shapes and sizes
A few articles, plants, creatures, and even individuals have such shapes that straightforward outlines must perceive them. Since we are working on still life, we will focus on objects for now. Walk around the house and choose five random things for this exercise. Arrange your items on an even surface. However, you like it. For added interest and difficulty, some may overlap a little. Some are a little ahead of others but aren’t close enough that they ultimately seem like a messy shape.
Presently draw the blueprint of the main article as unequivocally as could be expected. At the point when you’re set, utilize your pencil or any sort of dull marker and shading in the shape you recently drew. Then, at that point, draw the leftover four articles individually until the sheet is loaded up with five pretty much independent and ideally unmistakable dark shapes.
Materials
The key to drawing different objects, all in the same monochromatic color (like with your graphite pencil), is practice. Especially in still life, there isn’t always a context that gives the viewer a clue as to what kind of material, indeed, this particular vase or box should be. To clarify, however, you will need to practice your marking skills. But what does matter reveal if not color? Well, it can be the plot, for example. Or is it difficult? Is it matte or glossy? And most importantly, how is it drawn smooth, rough, dull, and polished?
Five objects, five compositions
This study is one of my preferences as it is so analytical and fun. You will need all five items from one of the previous exercises or any other. This exercise intends to draw five still-life paintings, serving up to ten minutes all, of five separate works. But they will all show the same five items.
As the day goes by
The great advantage of drawing still life is that you don’t depend on daylight. Most compositions can be placed indoors, with the help of artificial light sources, which can be as bright as you need them, from any direction and angle you want. You can even influence the colour of the light. But once you change from still life to different things, such as paintings or design, you will soon find that you are weak on the morning that creation is willing to provide you with. And sunlight can be challenging to work in in many ways.
For today’s exercise, we will practice understanding and getting used to these challenges. Choose a particular object, like an apple or a bowl, and place it on a regular, even surface, about near glass or even outside if you’re sure it won’t fall that time. So draw your object in the morning. Keep the sketch itself simple and focus more on the shadows than the details. At the beginning of the day, like every 2-3 moments, draw the thing on a different sheet until it gets too deep on the surface.
