Joanna James
More often than should be, we tend to attribute drawing skills simply to talent and not something that could be worked on and achieved through perseverance. When it comes to art, practice does make perfect! For those of you just getting started, here is a 6-step guide to perfecting your skills!
Before we get started on anything, it is crucial that we set down a definition of what constitutes of a 'still' – it involves any non-living or inanimate objects either naturally occurring or man-made. This means that the obligation you have always felt to settle for a basket of fruits is completely irrelevant beyond this point – simply choose any object that interests you – be it a musical instrument, shoes, houseplants or perhaps even your spice rack for that matter. Just one consideration to bear in mind when picking an object – do make sure it is something that you think is worth looking at for a considerable amount of time to get down the details right. After all, it takes a lot of assessing and evaluating for artists to land their passionate pieces of art which later go on to be displayed at honorary art showcases such as the Sri Lankan Art Gallery.
Composing is not only about music and melodies – it very much so applies to the art of, well, art! While it might overly look like the composition of the still content refers to simply choosing the objects to draw, the consideration is much deeper and includes arrangement, cropping, angles, colours, lighting and so forth. Make sure that all of the above align well and complements the type of message that you intend to deliver through your art.
All your life, if the term 'warm-up' has only reflected on the pre-preparation for physical activities- you are in for a stroke of surprise. Once you have decided on the objects that you will be drawing as well as the arrangement that you are going for, take some time to study your subject as opposed to diving into the action right away. Try map out the proportions, perspective, angles and relativity of the objects included – not to mention assess your light availability as well.
Once you are ready to begin your drawing, the best approach to get started is through firstly dividing the page in a way that proportionate sections will be achieved following your arrangements. It serves as a more accurate and realistic gauge of the space and proportionality of your drawing. According to experts, the easiest way to get this right is to simply imagine all of the objects are within invisible boxes and carefully map them across your paper on squares as well.
Use your light and dark technique to provide some more form into your drawings. Locate the most prominent shadows on your setup and draw them onto your paper first and foremost. Once the main shadows have been accurately 'placed' on the paper it becomes a lot easier to identify the next components to be factored into your drawing. Completing this step give you're your most basic framework for your drawing.
As breezy as it sounds saying, this is perhaps the most time-consuming task of all. It helps to always start with the background and work your way further into the foreground, step by step, bit by bit and object by object.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
