STILL LIFE DRAWING
demo A drawing in single lines
Inthisdemo,I wantedtoshowyou
a rhythmofdrawingthatI’vefound
promotesgooddrawinghabitsand
parallelswithKelly’sprocess.Toputit
intopracticeyourself,takesimplestill
lifeobjectsanddrawthemoneata
time,orinsmallgroups,withoutany
surroundingcontext.
Inthesamewaygoodingredients
arecriticaltosimplecooking,the
materialsyouuseareveryimportant
fora simpledrawing.Considerthe
paperyoudrawon– itsweight,its
texture,itscolour,itsresistance.
Considerthedrawingmaterialused
anditsinteractionwiththepaper’s
surface.Donotuseaneraser.Next
month...
Jake shows you how to
make more meaningful
connections with^
your subjects1
LOOK AT THE SUBJECT,
LOOK AT YOUR PAPER...
Settle down for the drawing, relax
your shoulders, breathe. Begin by
looking at your subject: notice its
shape and the negative spaces that
surround it. Now look at your paper:
where will the drawing sit on the
page? Consider the scale of the
drawing, its placement, its cropping.
If you would usually make an
underdrawing, think of this stage as
anunderdrawing in your mind’s eye.2
NOTICE AN EDGE,
DRAW A LINE
Focus only on contour. Notice the
start of the edge and end of the edge
that you are going to draw, then move
your eye over it; at the same speed,
make your mark on the page. Spend
most of the time looking at your
subject, not at the line you’re drawing.3
NOTICE THE SPACES
BETWEEN
Continue in that same rhythm: see
an edge, hold it in your eye, and
draw it in a single, confident mark.
As more marks build up, notice their
relationship to one another and the
spaces between them. Flick your eye
from drawing to subject constantly.4
ESTABLISH A RHYTHM
Stay calm and focused and
do not try to go back to correct
misplaced lines. Finish each drawing,
even if it isn’t quite right – it will never
be. These drawings are records of
attention, of time spent looking.
Through repetition your
observations will become more
confident and your hand will learn
to follow your eye more readily.1
2
3
4
Artists & Illustrators 55