Four Important skills for learning to draw
Perceptual skills
learn how to see
Manual skills
learn to control materials
Compositional skills
learn to be aware of organizing the elements, work through several design options through preliminary
Conceptual skills
learn to think through and give form to visual ideas
Creativity definition
recombining existing elements in unique ways, resulting in a new object, image or idea
- not making something out of nothing
- motivated by some need
Stages of creativity
Design definition
organization or arrangement of design elements to give form to a visual idea
- composition
Format definition
refers to the shape and dimensions of the drawing
Thumbnail sketches definition
small, quick, preliminary organizational line drawings that investigate a range of possible compositional alternatives
- concentrate on composition, layout, spatial organization
- not a mini drawing
Organizational line drawing definition
a light, simplified sketch which concentrates on mapping out general size and location relationships between forms and the drawing’s compositional structure
- observing relationships
Pentimenti definition
light, preliminary marks which serve as a tentative underdrawing
- record of the drawing process
Subject matter definition
that which is depicted in the drawing
Style definition
Characteristics of form which are consistent that make a work identifiable
Content definition
meaning inferred from the form and subject matter of a visual work
Gesture drawing definition
a quick, spontaneous, all-encompassing statement of form
- usually referred to when working from a living model
- builds from the inside out
Variations of gesture drawing
Contour line drawing definition
line drawing which describes the edges of forms
- including both exterior and interior visible contours (sides and labels)
Cross-contour line drawing definition
line appear to go across or around an abject to indicate the turn of its form
Planar analysis drawing definition
describe the three-dimensional structure of forms in which complex curves are generalized into major planar shapes or facets
Tonal drawing definition
emphasizes contrasts in tone to describe shape, volume, texture, space or the effects of light and shadow
Tonal drawing techniques
Continuous tone drawing definition
drawing with smooth gradations of tone
- strokes are blended, layered, overlapped
Wash drawing definition
drawing which incorporates a wet medium