Artist’s Back to Basic – July 2019

the reference photo or real life scene

and then relating this new found

information (irrefutable facts) to your

drawing paper. Your drawing will

always be on a different scale to the

photo you are working from either

subtly or radically so none of the

proportions or distances will ever

directly relate. Rather you are learning

actual useable information about the

composition that is factual. These

concrete facts are the answers to the

questions you ask with the pencil in

your hand. The knowledge you gain

about whichever particular aspect of

the composition you are working on

is what you use to improve and refine

your actual drawing by comparing

your sketch with what you’ve learnt. It

sounds complicated but is not once

you get the hang of the concept.

A Few Examples (there are

many, many subtle, useful

and useable variations)

Level.

Hold your pencil on one end

and making sure it is dead level

(horizontal) hold it up halfway between

your eye and the photo (or at arms

length “en pleine aire”) to see if lines

in the composition are really as level

or straight as they appear and then

compare this to what you have drawn.

Most lines are not dead level or even

dead straight but using this method

will allow you to see linear subtleties

for what they really are (fig 2)

Plumb

Same as above only vertical instead

of horizontal. If the line you are

checking is not dead plumb (or level

for that matter) then you create a

recognizable negative space that

can be compared to your drawing.

Angles

Hold the pencil up on the same

angle as the angled line in question

in the photo (or scene) and then

without moving your wrist or

hand position stand up over your

sketch and compare. I draw flat

on a table; if you draw on an easel

obviously you don’t have to stand

up over your drawing board each

time you make a comparison.

Create Negative Space Shapes.

Hold your pencil up either level or

plumb (horizontal or vertical) and line

up with the edge or corner of one of

the shape/shapes in the composition.

This will create a negative space

shape with definitely recognizable

shape (fig 3), proportional values

and at least one straight edge (the

one created by the pencil). Compare

this to the same negative space

shape on your drawing. To clarify;

Fig 3. Creating a

recognizable negative space,

in this case between edge

of glass bowl and pencil

Fig 3

Pencils Down