Watercolor Artist - USA (2019-12)

14 Watercolor artist | DECEMBER 2019

CreativityWorkshop

A simplewaytosketchstairsistoignorethezigzagofthetreadsandrisersandvisualize

stairsasa wedgeofcheeseorsliceofcakeonitsside.Here’showit worksinperspective.

1. Findyourvanishingpointateyelevel.
   2.Becausethestairsslopeupandaway,the
   vanishingpointforthestairswillalsopop
   up,directlyoverthevanishingpointat
   eyelevel.
   3.Lightlydrawa verticallinethroughtheeye-
   levelvanishingpoint.
   4.Useyourpenciltoextendanedgeofthe
   stairtoseewhereit intersectsthevertical
   line.Thiswillbeyourvanishingpointfor
   theslopeofthestairs.
   5.Oncethewedgeisdrawninperspective,
   sketchinquicktreadsinpairsoflinesand
   thenshortlittleverticallinesfortheedge
   oftheriser.

The sunny side of the

canopy is lighter with

a darker, shady back

and underside.

The irregularly

broken edge line

gives the look of

natural foliage.

Sketch the trunk with

irregular, broken

lines, and show it as

dark, asymmetrical,

slanted or curved.

Attach the tree to the

ground with a dark,

fl at, shadow in the

shape of an ellipse

with irregular edges.

TIP: STAIRS ARE LIKE A WEDGE OF CHEESE.

Eastern Cafe, Seattle (approx. 20 minutes; pen and ink on Moleskine sketchbook, 8x10)

by Andika Murandi

TIP: TREES ARE LIKE UMBRELLAS.

To avoid the classic, cartoony lollipop

tree, visualize a tree as an umbrella.

It has a rounded canopy with light

hitting one side, an irregular profi le,

a dark trunk and is attached to the

ground with a shadow.