Karen, one of my subscribers, wanted some advice on how to properly judge the size of the subject (so it doesn’t run off the page).
I think most of us can go through our sketchbooks and find drawings we started too large or started in the wrong place and quickly ran out of room.
Why does that happen? And more important, how do you keep it from happening?
If you can’t sketch the whole of your subject on your paper, where you want it, this frustration will haunt you and keep you from feeling confident.
Pencil or Pen & Ink
I encourage beginning artists to work with pencil in the beginning.
Sometimes I’ll use pen & ink only. Sometimes pencil only. Sometimes I’ll combine the two. Sometimes I’ll sketch in some light pencil guidelines, finish the drawing in pen & ink, then erase the pencil guidelines.
Does it make this drawing less “artistic” (whatever that means) because light pencil guidelines were used and later erased?
As an illustrator I’m not concerned that there’s some “sacred” or “pure” way to draw.
I know how satisfying it is to make clear, confident marks with a pen, but I also recognize that sometimes we all could use a few pencil guidelines to speed things along.
For illustrators time is money and the faster you can get the proportions down accurately the faster you can move on to the actual drawing and painting.
Getting It on the Paper Where It Belongs
Here are some of the things I do to make sure I get my subject on the paper where I want it. Give them a try and see if they help.
First, use pencil to start with. If you usually work in pen & ink that’s ok. Just erase the pencil later.
Get your sketchbook or paper and a pencil, take a glass or a mug from your cupboard and place it in front of you. Don’t worry about making a nice composition.
In the upper area of the paper sketch a line where you want the top of the mug to be. Then sketch a line where you want the bottom.
Now just use what you’ve learned about observing the negative space around the edges and sketch it in.
It doesn’t have to be a great drawing. All you’re trying to do is prove to yourself that you can draw an object on the paper where you want.
Now, do another drawing of the mug in the lower part of the paper. But this time put a flower or something that extends out of the top.
In my drawing I noticed the flower extended above the mug about the same distance as the mug itself.
So this time make I made a mark where I wanted the top of the flowers to be, and then marked where the bottom of the mug should be.
Then I marked where the horizontal center should be (the top of the mug).
Then I just observed the negative spaces around things and gave it my best shot.
Regardless of how well your drawing turns out there is at least one problem you’ve solved. It will all fit within your first boundary lines.
General Placement
Don’t be too concerned with composition and grids at this point. Right now you’re just trying to build confidence that you can sketch things in the general area you want on the paper.
Look at this photo of a cabin. First I made a loose circular shape where the cabin should be.
Then I sketched in where the sides and top and bottom should be.
Next I focused on the negative shapes around things to get the general placement of some of the main elements.
You can see that even though I haven’t used any details, the main elements of the drawing are in place.
If I wanted to finish this as a pen & ink drawing these pencil lines would be enough of a guide to let me work with confidence.
I can develop the drawing to any degree of detail and be confident that it will match the reference photo.
Once you’re able to sketch things where you want them the other drawing skills will really start to sink in.
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