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    Drawing People for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Figure Drawing
    Drawing People for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Figure Drawing
    Drawing People for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Figure Drawing
    Ebook543 pages1 hour

    Drawing People for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Figure Drawing

    By Mark Willenbrink and Mary Willenbrink

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    About this ebook

    Learn how to draw people with this clear & easy guide that's perfect for beginners.

    Known for their friendly, focused approach to teaching art, Mark and Mary Willenbrink show beginning artists how to draw people in a realistic style. Inside you'll find everything you need to succeed, from how to select and hold your pencils to expert instruction on drawing hands, clothing and figures in motion. This book steers you clear of common mistakes and brings clarity to even notoriously tricky concepts like perspective and values.

    While the human subject is wonderfully diverse, this book teaches an easy-to-learn approach that can be used to achieve accurate drawings every time. Thirteen complete figure drawing demonstrations show how. Start with a few lines to establish basic proportions, sketch in placement lines, then gradually develop details. Before you know it, you'll be drawing people of all ages, body types and personalities!

    This book makes it easy to get started. The quality of your results will encourage you to keep at it, building your skills and your confidence with every stroke.

    What's Inside:

       • Tricks for ensuring accurate body proportions and feature placement in your drawings.
       • Expert advice on drawing heads, hands, legs, clothes and more.
       • 13 step-by-step demonstrations featuring a diversity of model types, lighting and poses.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Publishing Group
    Release dateJun 20, 2014
    ISBN9781440330216
    Drawing People for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Figure Drawing

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      Book preview

      Drawing People for the Absolute Beginner - Mark Willenbrink

      Paper

      Sketching and drawing papers vary in weight, content and surface texture. Besides white, papers are also available in off-whites, grays and colors.

      WEIGHT

      Papers are categorized as sketch or drawing. Sketch paper typically ranges in weights of 50 to 70 lbs. (105gsm to 150gsm), whereas drawing paper can weigh 90 lbs. (190gsm) or more. Thicker than sketch paper, drawing paper better withstands erasing and heavy pencil pressure for a finished drawing.

      CONTENT

      Papers used for sketching and drawing are typically made from wood pulp or cotton or a combination of the two. Paper made from wood pulp contains acid, which causes deterioration and yellowing over time. Cotton is acid-free and is a better ingredient for paper since it will not age like wood pulp. To withstand the effects of time, the best drawing papers are made mostly or entirely of cotton.

      SURFACE TEXTURE

      Also called tooth, the surface texture refers to the roughness of the paper surface. Papers with a smooth surface texture work well for detailed line work applied with pencils that are not too soft, such as graphite. Papers with a rough surface texture work well for soft pencils such as charcoal.

      SIZE AND FORMAT

      Small paper pads are convenient, portable and good for small, quick sketches or finished drawings. The sheets can be removed individually and attached to a drawing board with bulldog clips.

      DRAWING BOARDS

      Drawing boards provide a hard, smooth surface to support a sheet of paper for sketching or drawing and to control the amount of pencil pressure. The boards are made of Masonite or lightweight wood. Some drawing boards have clips attached to them, but you can also hold the paper in place with bulldog clips.

      Pad Options

      Different size sketch and drawing pads are useful for quick sketches and finished drawings.

      Support for the Artist

      When sketching or drawing, it is important to have the support of a flat, hard surface. Masonite and wood drawing boards provide support for sketch and drawing paper.

      Warm Up With Copier Paper

      Copier paper is a good alternative to a pad of sketch paper. Its cheap price may be less intimidating, and it works well for quick warm-up sketching.

      Pencil Sharpeners and Erasers

      Pencil sharpeners and erasers are supplies that you need to have easily accessible. As you draw, sharpen your pencil to keep a nice point on the tip.

      You may be in the habit of using the eraser at the end of your pencil while sketching. Though this built-in eraser may be convenient, it may do more harm than good. When erasing is necessary, use only good erasers.

      PENCIL SHARPENERS

      You can sharpen pencils with electric sharpeners, manual sharpeners or with a craft knife and sandpaper pad. Sharpening with a craft knife works well if you want to expose more of the lead or to sharpen more fragile soft lead pencils that don’t always withstand regular sharpening. Sharpening the lead of a lead holder is done with a rotary sharpener.

      Erasers

      Erasing can damage the surface texture of the paper and affect the lay of the line work. For this reason it’s best to limit the amount of erasing when drawing. One approach to sketching and drawing is to start with light pencil strokes and gradually make them darker the more confident you are of their placement. With this method, there is less need to erase.

      However, when erasing is necessary, try to be gentle and careful not to wrinkle the paper in the process. Be as stingy as possible when using an eraser.

      Two types of erasers are kneaded and plastic or vinyl. Kneaded erasers have a puttylike consistency and don’t leave crumbs. They are best for lifting light pencil lines by pressing the eraser against the paper surface or gently rubbing back and forth over the area to be erased.

      Plastic or vinyl erasers are useful on areas that are harder to erase. These erasers leave residual strings rather than crumbs behind, making it easier to clean up after erasing.

      Keeping Sharp

      Pencil sharpeners come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Some are small and portable, making them good for outdoor use, while large and electric sharpeners are for studio use.

      The rotary sharpener, shown on the right, is specifically designed to sharpen a lead holder. Just insert the lead holder in the top and spin to sharpen the lead.

      Kneaded and Plastic Erasers

      Kneaded erasers can remove lighter pencil lines, while plastic erasers can remove darker, more difficult pencil lines.

      Sharpening With a Craft Knife and Sandpaper Pad

      To sharpen a pencil by hand, hold the pencil firmly in one hand and the craft knife in the other, with the blade facing away from your thumb and toward the end of the pencil. Always use caution when handling a craft knife. Push the thumb holding the pencil against the thumb holding the knife to create leverage, trimming a section of the wood around the lead. Roll the pencil in your hand to reposition the pencil for another cut. Continue trimming the wood until the lead is evenly exposed. Shape the lead into a point using the sandpaper pad.

      Additional Supplies

      These additional supplies can make a sketching or drawing session go more smoothly.

      PROPORTIONING DEVICES

      The process of sketching and drawing can involve proportioning, which is the gauging and sizing of the subject elements. The simplest device for doing this may be the shaft of a pencil, while more accurate devices or tools include dividers and sewing gauges.

      A divider is similar to a compass and can be easily adjusted to compare sizes and proportions when working from photographs.

      A sewing gauge can be used in a similar manner to compare sizes and proportions when working from photographs or a live model.

      VALUE SCALE

      A value scale shows a range of different values. Place this simple device over the drawing and the subject to compare the values while drawing the artwork.

      TRACING AND TRANSFERRING SUPPLIES

      To complete a drawing you may need to trace and transfer a structural sketch. A lightbox illuminates the image from behind, allowing you to trace a structural sketch onto drawing paper.

      Another method is to transfer a structural sketch onto drawing paper with transfer paper (also called graphite paper). To use transfer paper, place it between the structural sketch and the drawing paper (on the bottom). Redraw the structural sketch with a hard lead pencil so the image is pressed onto the drawing paper.

      Transfer paper can be purchased ready for use, but you can also make your own with tracing paper and a graphite pencil: Cover one side of a sheet of tracing paper with soft graphite, then wipe across the surface with a cotton ball slightly dampened with rubbing alcohol to bind the graphite to the tracing paper.

      See Tracing and Transferring in Chapter 1 for more information about using a lightbox and transfer paper.

      MASKING TAPE

      When tracing or transferring, use masking tape to adhere the sheets of paper together and keep them in place. Name brand masking tape is best because it grips the paper well and releases without tearing the paper.

      FIXATIVE

      Fixative bonds the line work to the paper and prevents the smearing of finished drawings. Charcoal and pastel are more prone to smearing than graphite because they are soft and powdery. Always apply fixative in a well-ventilated area.

      Proportioning Devices

      Though a pencil will do, for more accurate proportioning, a divider or a sewing gauge can be used.

      Lightbox and Transfer Paper

      A lightbox and transfer paper are two options for transferring a structural sketch onto drawing paper.

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