Teach Yourself Visually Drawing

Interpret Form

Through Planes

The subjects that we have been rendering so far have included objects that for the most part can be

analyzed in terms of basic geometric forms such as the sphere, the cube, or the cylinder. In this sec-

tion, you will be introduced to some concepts that will help you render your own organic or irregu-

lar shaped objects in tone.

As we lead up to drawing the human head and figure in subsequent chapters, which can be intimidating subjects for the stu-
dent because of their complexity, here are some ideas that will help you break down objects into simplified facets. Notice
how the addition of gradated tone impacts a greater level or realism to the object.

As an exercise, try rendering basic objects like the pot pictured below as a series of planes. As you gain confidence, move on
to more complicated forms such as a shell, plant, hand or even a human face.

As seen in the examples in this section, you can break any object down into simplified facetsor planes. You can see in this
drawing of the pot (a) that, just by drawing the lines that indicate the planes, the illusion of three-dimensionality becomes
much stronger.

If you consider the nature of the form that you want to draw and the direction of the light source, you can create a series of
planes. These planes can depict the form as increments of gradated tone across the surface of an object, as in this shaded
version of the faceted pot (b).

The Facets of Form

a b

Study,by Dean Fisher