Teach Yourself Visually Drawing

See the Value of

Squinting (continued)

Here is a sketch using only line. The line encompasses the
area of shadow that you see when squinting. Notice how the
grapes are treated as one large object. The artist has intro-
duced only a tiny amount of detail to suggest individual
grapes. The apple was incorporated into the dark shadow on
the wall, but not differentiated from it. This will happen when
the drawing is further refined.

When you think about shadows rather than individual objects,
you can refine your drawing and know that the apple must be
in shadow. Light, unfortunately, does not always form strongly
defined shapes. It is up to you, as an artist, to make a decision
about the size and configuration of the shapes based on your
observations.

Here is a sketch with the shapes of shadow filled in with a
soft 2B pencil. The artist has drawn three large shapes of
shadow.

Do you notice that by shading in the shadow areas only, you
have instantly created the shape of the light area? You have
created your own jigsaw puzzle! You are now on the way to
understanding how to create a sense of depth and volume in
your drawing.

TIP

Step Back!

Remember to continually step back at least

6–10 feet from your drawing to make sure that

you aren’t overemphasizing the details and, in

turn, compromising the “big” forms.

Still Life Study,by J. S. Robinson

Still Life Study,by J. S. Robinson