*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :) Are you an artist looking for a foolproof way to improve your drawing/creative skills in a short period of time? Have you always wanted to participate in #Inktober or other daily drawing challenges but find them a bit intimidating? Are you a beginner looking to make drawing and creativity a part of your daily life? Month-long drawing challenges like Inktober are no joke. Most of us have a lot going on in our lives and committing to producing one drawing a day (and actually sticking with it for the entire month) requires a huge amount of discipline. Even if one starts with the project excited and has proper fun creating those first few sketches, that initial burst of inspiration is probably going to dwindle at some point mid-way. And when that happens, it's going to take sheer determination to keep going! This said, if we are able to stick with it, growth will come inevitably and fast. By the end of the month, our drawing skills will have progressed and our creative abilities will be heightened. This type of experience is also incredibly valuable as it helps us make way towards finding our artistic style and voice. Committing to any sort of series like this one is a great way of pinpointing our strengths and weaknesses, which is essential. In this blog post, I'll be sharing my top five tips to ensure that you are progressing your drawing/creative skills as much as possible with this drawing challenge, but also staying sane along the way. These are all things I'm making sure to do myself throughout this month. I'm also including links to a few very helpful pen and ink drawing blog posts/YouTube videos that will help you step up your inking game. The video included in this post is a compilation of time lapses for my first five Inktober sketches. Make sure to follow me on Instagram to stay up-to-date with my progress throughout the month. I'm sure I'll be missing a few days here and there, but I am planning to make up for them as soon as I'm able to. Check out these helpful pen and ink sketching blog posts/YouTube videos!1. Pen & Ink Sketching: 6 Shading Techniques 2. Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Crosshatching, Scribbling and Others 3. Shading Simple Objects Using Hatching, Crosshatching and Other Drawing Pen Techniques 4. Shading a Hand Using Pen and Ink (Complex Subjects) Inktober Tips1. Be practical about it
As creatives, we have tons of different ideas popping up in our heads non-stop. This is great, but it can definitely hinder us from moving forward and actually finishing things. Think of an idea that you feel could work and that feels practical in terms of time, and just go for it. If you look back constantly, there's a huge possibility that you won't finish drawings on time and they're going to start piling up, which can lead to overwhelm.
Remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I like keeping this sort of project practical by giving a bit of my energy each day instead of giving it all right at the beginning and burning out fast. I'm not striving for masterpieces, but for growth. 2. Avoid looking at others' work until after you have finished yours
It's important for me to keep my work as original as possible and I hope this is the case for you as well. I'm sure there will be other artists in the world creating work that is similar to mine in some (or many) aspects. But when this happens, I know that it's due to the fact that those other artists and I are somehow influenced by similar things and not because I'm copying their work.
For challenges like this one, I find it super helpful to stay away from social media until after I have finished my work (or at least my initial sketch). This way, I'm not allowing other artists' ideas to infiltrate my mind. Become a Patreon community member to get access to: -Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary -Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists -Direct feedback from me -Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice -Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art -Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared -Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics -Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments + much more! *Click below to learn more! 
3. Brainstorm ideas and create sketches
Before going to bed, I'm reading the prompt for the following day and allowing myself to start brainstorming. I start sifting through ideas in my head, setting aside those that might not be practical (no matter how amazing they might sound). I don't actually put pencil/pen to paper until the next day.
I recommend creating at least a couple of quick sketches prior to actually starting with your piece. Doing quick thumbnails is an excellent way of arriving at great compositional arrangements. For several of the drawings above, I was unsure whether I wanted my main subject to be facing forwards or whether I'd be sketching him/her/it in profile or at an angle. It wasn't until I created those sketches and actually saw my ideas come to life that I could make a decision about what would be most appealing. 4. Incorporate some sort of element of coherency (or a theme)
When creating any sort of series like this one, it's useful to think about how you can bring an aspect of consistency to your work. A lot of artists like sticking to a specific theme for Inktober and I think this is very useful, as it limits the broad range of ideas that might lead to indecision and not doing anything at all.
I decided to incorporate coherency in the format/layout of my overall design. However, there are many ways that we can add a sense of consistency to our artwork. Perhaps you want to make sure to incorporate human figures in all your drawings, stick with a specific color scheme (if you're using color), create some sort of frame around your drawing, integrate handwritten lettering, or think of a specific layout like I did. 5. Have fun and don't strive for perfection
Being a perfectionist and expecting too much from yourself with every single thing you do is a surefire way of burning out and not enjoying the creative process. It also keeps you from producing the amount of work you have to create in order to really improve artistically.
Not to mention, this challenge (in my opinion) is a way of improving our personal skills, not about showing off masterpieces and/or comparing them with other peoples'! Stay in your lane and remember that the purpose of this project is to improve your drawing and creative skills, as well as to make art a daily habit. I hope you have fun throughout the month and wish you lots of artistic growth! My Inktober art supplies*Click on images to check out the specific supplies I'm using for Inktober that I've bought through www.consumercrafts.com and www.amazon.com:
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Shading Objects Using Hatching, Crosshatching, Scribbling, and Other Drawing Pen Techniques7/11/2018 
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :) Do you love the look of pen and ink drawings that demonstrate hatching, crosshatching, and other mark-making techniques, and need a bit of guidance to start putting them to use in your own work? How does one go about using the visual information taken in from a reference photograph and translate it into a pen and ink sketch that demonstrates three-dimensionality? In order to start adding a sense of believable form to a sketch, it's essential to understand how to create a variety in values using the art medium at hand. It's also very important that we practice taking in the visual information presented to us through either photographs or real-life subjects, so that we're able to describe form effectively through drawing. Using pen and ink can be intimidating at first due to the fact that it's permanent and we need to use mark-making techniques to create different values. There is a large variety of mark-making methods and they all lead to very different results. In today's post, I will be sharing the process that I go through when creating pen and ink sketches of objects using photographic references. I will be walking you through each step, from the selection of a great photograph, to preparing an initial pencil sketch, to actually filling that sketch in with ink marks. I will be exploring six different mark-making techniques so that you're able to see how the outcomes compare to each other. In my previous blog post titled Pen and Ink Sketching: 6 Shading Techniques, I gave a thorough explanation of each of the six techniques I'll be using here today. I focused on how to go about creating marks successfully using each, and provided essential exercises for beginners to start off with, including how to actually use them to start adding shading and form to an outline drawing of a cube. If you're a beginner just starting out with pen and ink, I HIGHLY recommend checking my previous post out. Both that post AND this one include free downloadable PDF's that you can print out at home and practice with. *Find these free downloadables at the end! My Process When Creating Pen and Ink Studies Using Photographic References1. Preparation of supplies
To create the kind of pen and ink studies we're going to be exploring today, I usually like having the following supplies on hand:
-Pencil (preferably H or HB) -Soft eraser -Drawing/sketching paper or Bristol board -Drawing pens (.3 and .5 points) *Two of my favorite brands are LePen and Micron!
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Photo by Thomas Quaritsch from unsplash.com. Click on link to visit site and download for your studies.
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Photo showing lightest areas.
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4. Creating an initial outline sketch (and lightest values map)
Once I have taken a moment to observe my reference picture and have pinpointed lightest and darkest areas, as well as mid-tones, it's time to create my initial pencil sketch! This will entail creating a simple outline drawing of my object, paying attention to proportion and location of separate elements in regards to each other.
Also, at this point I also create a "map" for myself that will remind me where my lightest areas are located, so that I can protect them and leave them untouched by any marks. You can make this "map" as detailed as you'd like if you feel that creating more shapes with your pencil will help you throughout the mark-making process.
If you'd like to skip the outline drawing phase of this study and jump straight onto the ink mark-making, you can download either the large single cherry outline PDF or the six cherry outline PDF so you can practice all of the mentioned techniques! Both of these free downloadable worksheets can be found at the end of this blog post!
Also, at this point I also create a "map" for myself that will remind me where my lightest areas are located, so that I can protect them and leave them untouched by any marks. You can make this "map" as detailed as you'd like if you feel that creating more shapes with your pencil will help you throughout the mark-making process.
If you'd like to skip the outline drawing phase of this study and jump straight onto the ink mark-making, you can download either the large single cherry outline PDF or the six cherry outline PDF so you can practice all of the mentioned techniques! Both of these free downloadable worksheets can be found at the end of this blog post!
5. Laying down initial layer of marks
First, I outline my initial pencil sketch (minus the smaller "map" shapes) using my drawing pen. Then, similarly to my watercolor painting process, I leave the lightest lights completely untouched by any ink and start adding in my first layer of ink. What I like to do with these faster studies, is fill in ALL my mid-tone to darkest areas simultaneously using light pressure on my pen, making sure to work around my lightest areas.
In other words, by the end of this step, my entire mid-tone and darkest areas already are covered with that first "light" layer of marks.
In other words, by the end of this step, my entire mid-tone and darkest areas already are covered with that first "light" layer of marks.
6. Adding darker values
This is the part of the process that is the most time-consuming, as I work back and forth between mid-tone to darkest areas doing my best to create gradual shifts in value until the desired form is achieved. Throughout this process, I constantly look at my reference picture.
It's essential to not go overboard by adding too many marks in mid-tone areas, but also to not be scared of going dark where needed (which is usually only in small areas). Remember that there has there has to be a good range of values within your sketch or you risk "flattening" it out!
At the end, you can outline your sketch using your drawing pen once more if you wish! :)
It's essential to not go overboard by adding too many marks in mid-tone areas, but also to not be scared of going dark where needed (which is usually only in small areas). Remember that there has there has to be a good range of values within your sketch or you risk "flattening" it out!
At the end, you can outline your sketch using your drawing pen once more if you wish! :)
Comparing Different Mark-Making/Shading Techniques
Hatching
Hatching- Mark-making/ Shading technique
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Cherry sketch showing hatching.
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Crosshatching
Crosshatching- Mark-making/ Shading technique
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Cherry sketch showing crosshatching.
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Contour Lines
Contour Lines- Mark-making/ Shading technique
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Cherry sketch showing contour lines.
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Weaving
Weaving- Mark-making/ Shading technique
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Cherry sketch showing weaving.
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Stippling
Stippling- Mark-making/ Shading technique
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Cherry sketch showing stippling.
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Scribbling
Scribbling- Mark-making/ Shading technique
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Cherry sketch showing scribbling.
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Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
I highly recommend practicing at least a few different pen and ink mark-making/shading techniques because it's the only way you'll be able to know which ones come more naturally to you, as well as which can best create the effects you're going for.
My personal favorites are hatching/crosshatching and contour lines! I'd love to know which you like best below!
| drawing_marks_lines.pdf |
| value_transitions_shading.pdf |
| cherry_outline_drawing.pdf |
| 6_cherry_outline_drawings.pdf |
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Are you a beginner artist looking to start to sketch on a consistent basis? Do you have a sketchbook or two (or three) laying around, but find that you rarely use them either because you can't find the time or are scared of "ruining" them? Would you like to get past the initial stage of "awkwardness" as quickly as possible, so that you can actually start ENJOYING your sketching process?
In past blog posts and YouTube videos, I've talked about how I consider drawing to be the basis for all kinds of art. It doesn't really matter what kind of visual artist someone is setting out to become, or what level of skill has already been attained, artists must make sketching a habit and continue with this practice throughout their journeys.
In today's post, I will be sharing the top five tips I wish I knew when I first started sketching. By understanding and practicing these points, you'll be able to progress a lot faster, start enjoying your studies and explorations a lot more, and start filling out entire sketchbooks in no time.
Before moving forward, I want to get a very important message across. I believe that smaller sketches and studies are JUST AS IMPORTANT as larger, more polished pieces that may take days (or even weeks) to complete. Learning how to get ideas down on paper in a quicker, rougher way, is extremely valuable as an artist.
It was precisely these kinds of smaller, quicker studies that allowed me to progress artistically while holding on to demanding full-time jobs and going through major life changes.
Few of us are fortunate to know, since a very young age, that we want to dedicate our lives to art and become professional artists some day. And an even less percentage of those people who DO know, are lucky enough to have the funds necessary to live, while solely working on developing their artistic skills. If you're one of those lucky people and you have the money/time to explore both smaller and larger pieces simultaneously, by all means go for it!
However, if you have kids, full-time jobs, a house to keep, and other responsibilities, rest assured that these smaller studies ARE moving you forward, as long as you're making it a point to stay CONSISTENT. Five to six smaller sketches and/or studies a week are going to get you WAY FURTHER than setting out to create one large masterpiece every five to six months, with no activity in between.
I highly recommend checking out my Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course which you can get access to immediately after joining my insider group HERE. This mini-course is made up of three 10-15 minute classes that contain specific drawing exercises for you to complete, as well as direct links to resources that will help you keep developing your skills once you have completed the lessons.
Sketching Tips
1. Know your tools
As with any other art-related practices, it's ultimately going to be up to you to explore different supplies/techniques so you can arrive at your personal favorites. However, what you should know is that you can go far with limited and inexpensive supplies. So don't get overwhelmed with the large variety of papers, pencils, erasers, etc. out there, and go for the basics.
For my quicker sketches, I usually like to prepare the following:
a) Three different pencil grades (usually HB, 2B, and 6-8B) *I rarely use the H variety at all!
b) Drawing/sketching paper or sketchbook
c) Soft rubber graphite eraser
d) Basic metallic sharpener
e) Tombow Mono Zero eraser *This has been my favorite eraser to be able to get into smaller areas
These are optional, but useful if you want to start drawing more realistically:
f) Blending stumps or tortillions
g) Kneaded eraser
In terms of paper, it's useful to start noticing how different thicknesses and textures affect your process, as well as the outcome of your drawings.
For my quicker sketches, I usually like to prepare the following:
a) Three different pencil grades (usually HB, 2B, and 6-8B) *I rarely use the H variety at all!
b) Drawing/sketching paper or sketchbook
c) Soft rubber graphite eraser
d) Basic metallic sharpener
e) Tombow Mono Zero eraser *This has been my favorite eraser to be able to get into smaller areas
These are optional, but useful if you want to start drawing more realistically:
f) Blending stumps or tortillions
g) Kneaded eraser
In terms of paper, it's useful to start noticing how different thicknesses and textures affect your process, as well as the outcome of your drawings.
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2. Always start with simplified large shapes and forget about details until later
This is HUGE! When we're just starting out drawing, we want to get into the details right away and spend HOURS working on a drawing just to find out that it looks off at the end.
It's absolutely imperative to learn to visualize your subjects (whether your drawing still life, the human figure, a landscape, or anything else), as combinations of simple shapes like cubes, cylinders, rectangular prisms, cones, etc. Learn to tune out all the smaller shapes and intricacies until after effective proportion and placement of individual elements in regards to each other, has been achieved.
I'm serious! Don't even START adding details, textures, shadows, or ANYTHING of the sort, until your initial base is solid.
I go a lot more in depth about this topic and provide you with several different exercises in my Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course. To get immediate access to it, click on the image below to join my art insider group.
It's absolutely imperative to learn to visualize your subjects (whether your drawing still life, the human figure, a landscape, or anything else), as combinations of simple shapes like cubes, cylinders, rectangular prisms, cones, etc. Learn to tune out all the smaller shapes and intricacies until after effective proportion and placement of individual elements in regards to each other, has been achieved.
I'm serious! Don't even START adding details, textures, shadows, or ANYTHING of the sort, until your initial base is solid.
I go a lot more in depth about this topic and provide you with several different exercises in my Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course. To get immediate access to it, click on the image below to join my art insider group.
Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course
Once you've gained enough practice creating basic outline drawings, I highly recommend looking into shading techniques that will allow you to start creating a believable sense of form.
I have a very thorough blog post (complete with downloadable exercises) in which I explain hatching, crosshatching, scribbling, and other quick shading techniques that you can read here: Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Crosshatching, Scribbling and Others.
3. Learn how to hold your pencil for drawing purposes
It can take a bit of time for the beginner artist to get comfortable holding a pencil for drawing purposes. This is only natural, as we've been trained to hold pencils and pens a certain way since we started writing.
When we're writing, we need to be able to create neat, legible letters right-off-the bat. On the other hand, when we're drawing, we start by laying down imperfect lines and we refine them along the way (that's what our erasers are for!). These are two very different activities and we have to make that mental switch necessary to change our approach depending on what it is we're doing.
There are many different ways of holding a pencil for sketching purposes and there isn't one that is necessarily "better" than the next. It's going to depend on what YOU find most comfortable at each point of the sketching process once you have a bit more drawing practice.
Have in mind you'll usually switch between different hand positions and grips throughout your drawing process. However, generally speaking, you want to position your hand further away from the tip of your pencil. You also want to move your entire arm as you draw and not only your wrist (as you do when you're writing).
Try to relax and draw loosely! If you're too tense, warm up by drawing different types of lines and shapes. There's absolutely nothing to be nervous about, especially if you start out with LIGHT lines that you can easily erase (as you always should). Always start lightly, and move on to darker values as you refine your sketch.
Have fun with it and throw perfection out the window! Fearing you'll make mistakes and striving for perfection will keep you from creating art, which will keep you from making progress. Don't ever fear the blank page and, remember, with every sketch you make you'll get better and better.
Here are two different ways that I usually hold my pencil when I'm sketching:
When we're writing, we need to be able to create neat, legible letters right-off-the bat. On the other hand, when we're drawing, we start by laying down imperfect lines and we refine them along the way (that's what our erasers are for!). These are two very different activities and we have to make that mental switch necessary to change our approach depending on what it is we're doing.
There are many different ways of holding a pencil for sketching purposes and there isn't one that is necessarily "better" than the next. It's going to depend on what YOU find most comfortable at each point of the sketching process once you have a bit more drawing practice.
Have in mind you'll usually switch between different hand positions and grips throughout your drawing process. However, generally speaking, you want to position your hand further away from the tip of your pencil. You also want to move your entire arm as you draw and not only your wrist (as you do when you're writing).
Try to relax and draw loosely! If you're too tense, warm up by drawing different types of lines and shapes. There's absolutely nothing to be nervous about, especially if you start out with LIGHT lines that you can easily erase (as you always should). Always start lightly, and move on to darker values as you refine your sketch.
Have fun with it and throw perfection out the window! Fearing you'll make mistakes and striving for perfection will keep you from creating art, which will keep you from making progress. Don't ever fear the blank page and, remember, with every sketch you make you'll get better and better.
Here are two different ways that I usually hold my pencil when I'm sketching:
Underhand pencil grip for sketching.
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Overhand pencil grip for sketching.
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4. Develop observational skills and hand-eye coordination by using references
Drawing from both photographic references, as well as from life, is absolutely essential for artistic progress to occur. I've written about the use of references when creating art in blog posts before and I think it's absolutely hilarious when people think artists aren't supposed to use references. It shows ignorance on the part of the commenter in terms of how art and creative processes work.
*Note: With "references" I mean either using photographs or drawing/painting from life, NOT copying a previously made illustration or painting. There is, however, a lot to learn from studying other artists' styles and techniques. If you want to create such studies, or even downright copy an already existing art piece, just make sure it's for exploration/learning purposes and I would suggest keeping it to yourself.
Using references allows us to develop our observational skills AND our hand-eye coordination. It's also impossible for the human brain to hold on to all the visual information that a photograph (or seeing something in the flesh) can present to us. Even if you're intending on developing a cartoonish style in the future, studying how things actually look like in real life, will give you a solid base to work from.
I highly recommend all beginners out there to start working from photographs as soon as possible. There are many awesome free image sources online, so there's really no excuse. You can find a list of my favorite free image sites HERE. Begin forming your own reference library! Learn what makes a good photograph in terms of lighting and composition, and remind yourself to take photos whenever an opportunity presents itself. Soon enough, you'll have plenty of your own original photos to work from!
Once you've gained some confidence using photographs as references, start incorporating sketching from life into your weekly routines. I explain why drawing/painting from life is an incredibly important part of an artist's journey and provide ten useful tips to make these exercises less intimidating in this blog post: Why Drawing From Direct Observation is Essential and 10 Tips to Improve
*Note: With "references" I mean either using photographs or drawing/painting from life, NOT copying a previously made illustration or painting. There is, however, a lot to learn from studying other artists' styles and techniques. If you want to create such studies, or even downright copy an already existing art piece, just make sure it's for exploration/learning purposes and I would suggest keeping it to yourself.
Using references allows us to develop our observational skills AND our hand-eye coordination. It's also impossible for the human brain to hold on to all the visual information that a photograph (or seeing something in the flesh) can present to us. Even if you're intending on developing a cartoonish style in the future, studying how things actually look like in real life, will give you a solid base to work from.
I highly recommend all beginners out there to start working from photographs as soon as possible. There are many awesome free image sources online, so there's really no excuse. You can find a list of my favorite free image sites HERE. Begin forming your own reference library! Learn what makes a good photograph in terms of lighting and composition, and remind yourself to take photos whenever an opportunity presents itself. Soon enough, you'll have plenty of your own original photos to work from!
Once you've gained some confidence using photographs as references, start incorporating sketching from life into your weekly routines. I explain why drawing/painting from life is an incredibly important part of an artist's journey and provide ten useful tips to make these exercises less intimidating in this blog post: Why Drawing From Direct Observation is Essential and 10 Tips to Improve
5. Make sketching a habit
Out of the five tips I'm mentioning in this post, getting into the habit of sketching regularly, is probably the most important of all. Often times we make excuses, telling ourselves we don't have enough time to draw. However, it's a matter of reminding ourselves what's important to us, getting our priorities straight, and setting aside the time.
If you want to get better at anything in life, you have to do it consistently.
As I was mentioning in the introduction of this post, taking even 15-20 minutes a day to sketch will get you far, as long as you make sure to continue. I highly recommend buying a sketchbook that feels good to you and getting into the habit of taking it along with you throughout your day so that you can use any free time that pops up.
If you want to get better at anything in life, you have to do it consistently.
As I was mentioning in the introduction of this post, taking even 15-20 minutes a day to sketch will get you far, as long as you make sure to continue. I highly recommend buying a sketchbook that feels good to you and getting into the habit of taking it along with you throughout your day so that you can use any free time that pops up.
I hope these tips were useful for you and wish you much progress in your artistic journey!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Are you struggling with saving your whites when painting with watercolors? Have you been considering the use of masking fluid but are unsure about how to use it effectively and whether it's really necessary at all? Have you avoided using masking fluid in your work because it makes the process longer and more tedious?
One of the most difficult things to get used to when starting with watercolors, is planning where the lightest areas of our paintings will be and keeping them protected throughout the painting process. Watercolors are quite different from other painting mediums due to the fact that they are translucent and require us to work from lightest to darkest values. As opposed to acrylics, oils or gouache, this painting medium doesn't allow us to simply cover up mistakes.
By doing a bit of planning beforehand and knowing what tools/techniques to use for each project individually, we can ensure that we're using watercolors to their full potential. When used effectively, this artistic medium is able to create very striking paintings that have a "lighter" feel to them than those created with acrylics or oils, and also seem to glow from within. Protecting our lightest areas is essential in order to achieve such qualities.
In this blog post, I am sharing the steps I personally go through when using masking fluid in a watercolor painting. I will also provide some essential tips that will help you avoid accidents. To illustrate each step, I have included a beginner-friendly masking fluid exercise. It's very important to do a few explorations with new tools before actually trying them out in a painting!
Even though many watercolor sets contain white paint, traditional watercolor artists avoid using it. There's no need because the watercolor paper itself IS the white and the areas left free of pigment will stand as the highlights of the painting. Whether the artist decides to use masking fluid or not, he/she makes sure to protect those whites because, once pigment touches paper and is absorbed, there's no way to get that white back.
Traditional watercolor artists also avoid using black, but that is a story for a different day.
To learn about the ten most important things you should make sure to apply when painting with watercolors, read my blog post titled 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting with Watercolors.
Now-a-days, there are TONS of amazing artists who use watercolors in combination with other types of mediums, creating beautiful mixed-media artworks. There are those who complete a watercolor painting without paying much mind to highlights until the end, when they add them in using white gouache, acrylic paint, paint pens, and/or other drawing mediums.
I'm all about exploring mediums and creating one's own artistic style!
However, I've found it invaluable to study each medium individually and challenge oneself to create desired effects using that medium alone. I noticed the biggest improvement in my painting quality when I pushed myself to complete a project using only one medium. So, I really recommend making time to explore each medium on its own once you're at a certain skill level, especially if you find that you're continuously reaching out for a second/third medium as a crutch because you were unable to create the effects you were intending to.
Once you've learned the characteristics of each medium and the general "rules", THEN go ahead and combine them, if you wish to. But let it be because it's your stylistic choice, and not because you needed another medium as extra support. It's hard! But I PROMISE you, that it will help you improve A TON.
Masking fluid is NOT NECESSARY to create a great watercolor painting, but it sure is a great tool to know about, especially when painting certain kinds of subjects that have shiny, reflective surfaces and/or tiny areas you want to block out. If you don't have masking fluid or wish not to use it, you have the option of carefully working around your planned white highlights, but because watercolors are so fluid, it may be a challenge.
Here is an example of a painting I created by very carefully working around the areas I wanted completely white at the end (no masking fluid). See all those tiny white spaces? I consciously made an effort not to get any pigment in them! If I had accidentally covered up those spaces, my painting would look flat and wouldn't have that "glow" to it.
Watercolor sandwich by Erika Lancaster
So, what is masking fluid, exactly?
Masking fluid (also referred to as liquid frisket) is liquid latex that dries to a rubbery/waterproof film, allowing us to block out areas in our paintings that we want free of pigment. It contains ammonia, which makes the liquid very smelly and makes it necessary to work in a well-ventilated room.
Usually, we're presented with masking fluid options at art supply stores that look white while in the bottle and dry to a transparent/yellowish film. However, pigmented varieties are available, in case the artist requires a greater visibility throughout the placement process.
Though the use of masking fluid entails adding in a couple of extra steps and makes the painting process longer, it does make protecting the whites a lot easier and is a great tool to have when painting complex, detailed subjects!
How to Use Masking Fluid
You will need:
-Watercolor paper
-Masking fluid
-Watercolor paint
-Paintbrushes
-Pencil
-Eraser
-Paint-mixing palette
-Cup of water
-Old rag or paper towel
-Bar of soap or dishwashing liquid
-A tool for placing your masking fluid (old paintbrush, wooden skewer, paper clip, cotton swab, etc.)
*Optional:
-Masking tape
-Rubber cement pick up or soft eraser
Watercolor painting supplies
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Instructions:
1. Create your initial sketch
As always, start with a good, light pencil drawing. Once you're done, map out where you want your highlights to be. Usually, this will entail having a good look at your reference picture and pinpointing lightest areas. Then, we would lightly outline these small shapes.
*Illustrative exercise (recommended for beginners):
For the purpose of this little abstract exercise, we will be blocking out lines. Create a simple design using straight or curved lines and keep them as light as possible (so you can erase them later)!
Initial pencil sketch
2. Select a tool to place your masking fluid with
Depending on the effect you're going for in your painting, this tool can range from a paintbrush, to a wooden skewer, to a cotton swab, or even a toothbrush (for splattering). If you DO decide to use a paintbrush, make sure you use an older one that you don't mind damaging because it doesn't take much for masking fluid to kill those bristles!
Personally, I've already ruined at least a couple of paintbrushes and have gotten used to applying masking fluid with paper clips!
*For this exercise, you'll need a pointier tool so you're able to trace your pencil lines.
Placing masking fluid with a paper clip
3. Take your time placing your masking fluid on desired areas
Do this carefully and take your time! Make sure your not scraping or otherwise damaging your paper, especially if you're using a sharp, pointy tool to place your masking fluid with. If you're creating a finalized painting using a reference picture, try to look at it constantly so you make sure to block out all areas you want protected.
*Carefully trace your pencil lines. It's totally normal to have to re-dunk your paper clip into your masking fluid every few seconds! When you're done, allow it to dry completely (this can take up to 30 minutes depending on the thickness it was placed in. Make sure it's completely dry to the touch before continuing with the next step.
Placing masking fluid
Nearly dry, yellowed masking fluid
4. Paint as per usual
Move on to the painting process, starting from lightest and most translucent values to darker values, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next. Don't be afraid of painting over the masking fluid. That's what it's there for!
If you're creating a finalized painting, take your time developing those values and get your painting as close to being done as possible before removing the masking fluid. What I personally do, is to make sure I've arrived at a point at which I feel I can't advance any further until my masking fluid is out of the way. Once you're done, allow your painting to dry naturally and completely.
To see how I create striking paintings working in layers, visit my blog post Realistic Watercolor Sandwich Process
*For this beginner-friendly exercise, explore different colors and effects until you arrive at something you like.
Watercolor painting process
Watercolor painting process
5. Remove that masking fluid!
This is the time we've all been waiting for! Once your painting is completely dry, carefully and gently remove that masking fluid with a rubber cement pick up, a soft eraser or using your fingers. Rub gently until part of it lifts and then gently pull the rest off. Make sure you remove it completely and lightly dust your painting off so no pieces are left behind.
Removing masking fluid
6. Soften hard edges and finish any last details
Once your masking fluid has been removed, you'll notice that you're left with very stark-looking, sharp white shapes. If you're creating a painting that's more on the realistic side (like in the car painting time lapse video I've included in this post), you'll probably want to soften at least some of these.
To do this, simply wet your paintbrush in clean water and do some gentle scrubbing on those sharp lines, moving the pigment around on your paper. However, be very careful not to cover up all of your white!
Now is also the time at which you can further deepen values in your painting if you need to, or carefully create any washes you feel would improve your painting.
Allow to dry completely before removing any masking tape.
*For the purpose of this abstract exercise, I left my white lines as they were after having removed my masking fluid because I liked the look of it. If you'd like to explore softening some of them or even adding in extra washes of color, go for it!
Once your masking fluid has been removed, you'll notice that you're left with very stark-looking, sharp white shapes. If you're creating a painting that's more on the realistic side (like in the car painting time lapse video I've included in this post), you'll probably want to soften at least some of these.
To do this, simply wet your paintbrush in clean water and do some gentle scrubbing on those sharp lines, moving the pigment around on your paper. However, be very careful not to cover up all of your white!
Now is also the time at which you can further deepen values in your painting if you need to, or carefully create any washes you feel would improve your painting.
Allow to dry completely before removing any masking tape.
*For the purpose of this abstract exercise, I left my white lines as they were after having removed my masking fluid because I liked the look of it. If you'd like to explore softening some of them or even adding in extra washes of color, go for it!
Erase those pencil lines!
Masking Fluid Pro Tips!
1. If you want to use a paintbrush for masking fluid placement, soak its bristles in dishwashing soap (or rub them gently on a bar of soap) before dipping it into the masking fluid. This will make it easier to remove the masking fluid when you're done.
2. Never shake your masking fluid bottle before starting with its application. This creates air bubbles and may lead to coagulation, which may make it harder to place on desired areas and may affect the outcome of your work.
3. Only apply masking fluid on bone-dry paper and only remove it from bone-dry paper.
4. When using masking fluid, resist the urge to speed up drying times using a hairdryer or any sort of heat tool. Warm air can cause the already-hardened masking fluid to stick to your paper even more, which can later lead to rips and tears as you try to remove it!
5. Never allow hardened masking fluid to be on your paper for extended periods of time (over two days). Whether this is a problem or not will depend on a number of variables such as masking fluid and paper brands/types, environmental temperature, etc. However, be wary of leaving masking fluid on your paper for long periods of time because it can get to a point at which it may be impossible to remove!
6. Explore different ways you can apply and use masking fluid! There are so many ways to do it, from placing it carefully the way we did in today's exercise, to splattering, smearing, etc. Experimenting with different tools and techniques can definitely open up your horizons about what's possible with watercolors and will also allow you to have different tricks up your sleeve whenever you're painting complex subjects!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
What method do you personally use to create highlights in your watercolor paintings? Do you have any negative experiences with masking fluid? I'd love to know in the comments section below!
Ever wondered if there's something you could be doing to move your art journey forward ASIDE from practicing your technical drawing/painting skills? Have you ever considered the fact that your daily habits and mental attitudes may be the source of your artistic stagnation and frequent struggles with art block?
If you're a beginner or intermediate artist of any kind, you're most likely spending a lot of time each week searching for tutorials or art classes that will help you improve your drawing and/or painting skills. You may be investing a lot of hours practicing and, while you may be improving, you STILL feel stuck or frustrated.
It's ABSOLUTELY AMAZING that you're taking your art seriously and investing time in developing those technical skills. It's incredibly important to build up abilities that will allow us to produce quality artwork. However, being an artist can be tough mentally and it's just as important to work on having healthy mental perspectives. By working on both simultaneously, there's a greater chance for an artist to reach success AND be able to sustain it throughout the years.
In today's blog post/YouTube video I'll be sharing the top five issues that keep us from progressing as fast as we could be, and are also probably making our artistic journeys a lot less enjoyable! After each point, I'll be sharing some practical tips that you can use when you find yourself falling into these black holes. Most of us are guilty of at least a few of these and, while it's totally normal for us to experience them from time to time, it's useful to have methods which will help put us back on a constructive path.
If you've read more of my past blog posts, or watched any of my YouTube videos, you're probably aware that I owe much of my artistic progress to my mindset and general life habits. As an artist struggling with anxiety, it's incredibly important for me to keep my mental health in check and devote time to my own well-being. Since I've implemented a series of changes in my life, my work and productivity levels have made a huge turn for the better.
Check out my past blog post titled 10 Positive Affirmations for Artists to Maximize Productivity and Happiness.
If you're a beginner or intermediate artist of any kind, you're most likely spending a lot of time each week searching for tutorials or art classes that will help you improve your drawing and/or painting skills. You may be investing a lot of hours practicing and, while you may be improving, you STILL feel stuck or frustrated.
It's ABSOLUTELY AMAZING that you're taking your art seriously and investing time in developing those technical skills. It's incredibly important to build up abilities that will allow us to produce quality artwork. However, being an artist can be tough mentally and it's just as important to work on having healthy mental perspectives. By working on both simultaneously, there's a greater chance for an artist to reach success AND be able to sustain it throughout the years.
In today's blog post/YouTube video I'll be sharing the top five issues that keep us from progressing as fast as we could be, and are also probably making our artistic journeys a lot less enjoyable! After each point, I'll be sharing some practical tips that you can use when you find yourself falling into these black holes. Most of us are guilty of at least a few of these and, while it's totally normal for us to experience them from time to time, it's useful to have methods which will help put us back on a constructive path.
If you've read more of my past blog posts, or watched any of my YouTube videos, you're probably aware that I owe much of my artistic progress to my mindset and general life habits. As an artist struggling with anxiety, it's incredibly important for me to keep my mental health in check and devote time to my own well-being. Since I've implemented a series of changes in my life, my work and productivity levels have made a huge turn for the better.
Check out my past blog post titled 10 Positive Affirmations for Artists to Maximize Productivity and Happiness.
Landscape oil painting by Erika Lancaster. 90 x 70 cms. stretched canvas.
Habits and Attitudes to Set Aside NOW
1. Chasing Perfection + Fear of Failure
Perfectionism and fear of failure are the absolute worst enemies of creativity. Exploration is a fundamental part of being an artist, and, how are we going to embrace it if we are always living in fear of not producing the most beautiful outcome?
It's essential for us to be able to produce large quantities of work and learn to view mistakes as signs of artistic growth. Though in many life situations, quality IS more important than quantity, I don't think this is the case for artists, ESPECIALLY when he/she is just starting out.
At the beginning, production should be constant, and we should expect it to be messy. The more you produce, the better you become. NEVER fear a blank page or canvas.
Art is not meant to be perfect, and chasing perfection all the time isn't going to make you more of an artist. In fact, I believe that it's imperfections that make an artwork special. This means it was created by a human hands and not a machine!
*What to do if you feel you can't get out of this:
Build up your confidence incrementally. Make sure that you've learned and practiced art fundamentals enough. Then, create smaller sketches and artworks, and build from there. Slowly but surely, you'll gain more and more confidence and you'll face greater challenges more organically. Learn to embrace exploration as a fundamental part of the artistic process. Smaller studies are just as important as those larger pieces you're striving to create!
Check out my blog post titled Why Sketchbooks are Essential Tools for Artists + A Few Usage Tips, to learn about why it's so important to create art consistently and useful tips to make the most out of your sketchbook practice.
2. Constantly comparing yourself to other artists
No two people in the world are the same and we know this. We have all been through different life situations and have been influenced by combinations of different things. All of us have our own quirks, tastes, strengths and weaknesses, and unique traits that make us....us. And all of this is GREAT because, we can work towards creating unique art that truly represents us! Why would you want to be somebody else, in the first place?
I mean, I get it! It's hard not to compare your skill level to other artists' when you're constantly seeing so many magnificent artworks through social media. However, most of the time, these people aren't sharing their struggles and mistakes and only their finalized successful pieces. Not to mention, you have no idea how long he/she has been working to get to that point. How long have YOU been working at it?
When you see works by an artist you consider amazingly talented, view them as a point that you can get to if you work really hard, and leave aside any feelings of jealousy or insecurity!
*What to do if you feel you can't get out of this:
Limit your intake of other artists' work to only specific days each week. Consider periods in which you aren't actively searching for external influences as periods of "incubation". These phases are incredibly important, as they allow you to truly digest the information you've taken in, think about how you can make it your own, and really bring forth your OWN ideas! I cannot tell you how important these periods are, especially when you're already working on finding your own artistic voice and style!
3. Downright copying other artists work and not giving any thought to YOUR OWN ideas
There's nothing wrong with getting inspired by other artists, especially when we're just starting out and searching for our own artistic style/voice. We're ALL influenced by external factors, whether we want to admit it or not.
Personally, I started drawing by copying Sailor Moon cards when I was a little girl! I think most of us start by copying and we can definitely learn a lot from studying a particular artist's style/technique. However, these are STUDIES and we should most likely keep them to ourselves.
It's important to recognize that constantly copying other artists' work and not giving any thought to what YOU personally want to put out into the world, isn't going to help you progress past a certain technical point. Isn't this the whole point of creating art getting YOU'RE OWN thoughts and ideas out into the world, anyway? This is something we should all be striving for at the end, I think.
*What to do if you feel you can't get out of this:
A while back, I wrote a very thorough blog post explaining the method I personally use to get inspired by other artists while still creating original artwork. In this post, I take you step-by-step through this process and share my end-product with you! Find this post here: How to Effectively Use Other Artists' Work as Inspiration and a Great Method to Start Developing Your Own Artistic Style.
The idea is quite simple. Instead of focusing on copying one artist's work, study several different pieces by three of your favorite artists SIMULTANEOUSLY. This will challenge you to arrive at those characteristics that call out to you, personally, about their works and to combine them all into one new artwork!
There's nothing wrong with getting inspired by other artists, especially when we're just starting out and searching for our own artistic style/voice. We're ALL influenced by external factors, whether we want to admit it or not.
Personally, I started drawing by copying Sailor Moon cards when I was a little girl! I think most of us start by copying and we can definitely learn a lot from studying a particular artist's style/technique. However, these are STUDIES and we should most likely keep them to ourselves.
It's important to recognize that constantly copying other artists' work and not giving any thought to what YOU personally want to put out into the world, isn't going to help you progress past a certain technical point. Isn't this the whole point of creating art getting YOU'RE OWN thoughts and ideas out into the world, anyway? This is something we should all be striving for at the end, I think.
*What to do if you feel you can't get out of this:
A while back, I wrote a very thorough blog post explaining the method I personally use to get inspired by other artists while still creating original artwork. In this post, I take you step-by-step through this process and share my end-product with you! Find this post here: How to Effectively Use Other Artists' Work as Inspiration and a Great Method to Start Developing Your Own Artistic Style.
The idea is quite simple. Instead of focusing on copying one artist's work, study several different pieces by three of your favorite artists SIMULTANEOUSLY. This will challenge you to arrive at those characteristics that call out to you, personally, about their works and to combine them all into one new artwork!
4. Being inconsistent in your practice
I know that life gets crazy busy. We have jobs, families and life is unpredictable. However, if your art is important to you and you really want to make something out of it one day, it's imperative to make it a priority. If you don't practice consistently, your skills are going to stay stagnant at best (if you're lucky).
This said, smaller explorations and sketches are definitely ways of progressing! As I mentioned before, sketchbook work and smaller pieces are just as important as larger artworks. The trick here is to stay consistent and keep moving forward in any way you can. Use your creative muscles and get your ideas down on paper as frequently as possible, otherwise, it's going to be hard for you to get to the point you want to be at.
*What to do if you feel you can't get out of this:
Only have 15-20 minutes today? No problem! Get that sketchbook out and create a quick pencil sketch! Not enough energy to concentrate after a tough day at work? Do at least a loose, abstract exploration of color, line and shape! Invest a few minutes of your day into planning a new project and schedule some time in this weekend, when life isn't as crazy. The point is to keep moving forward and keep your end-goal in mind, always!
5. Not making time for exploration
I've already mentioned that exploration and art go hand in hand. It's through exploration that we get to know ourselves as artists and bring new life to our work. Exploration isn't only incredibly important in the beginning of our journeys! Any artist, no matter how talented or established, should continue making time for new challenges because this will help prevent stagnation and take his/her artwork to new levels.
Exploring new mediums and techniques helps expand our knowledge and enhances our work. By making time for exploration, we arrive at ideas that we would have otherwise never thought of.
*What to do if you feel you can't get out of this:
Set aside time, each month, to explore something you don't usually explore. It doesn't necessarily mean you should go out and buy expensive art supplies that you may end up never using again! It can simply mean trying your hand at creating a landscape when you usually focus on abstract work, or finally trying out that gouache paint set you've had buried in your closet for months. You can also collect a few old magazines and create a few collages! Have fun with it!
Here's a video in which I share my favorite method for overcoming Art Block, as well as a time-lapse of an exploratory painting I did a few weeks ago. By the way, follow my YouTube channel if you haven't already because I publish new drawing, painting and art life videos every-single-week! :)
If you enjoyed this video, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel! :) I publish a new video every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials, and encouragement for aspiring artists.
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
Which of the five habits or attitudes mentioned here has caused YOU the most trouble as you try to progress artistically? I'd love to hear from you in the comments section below!
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Does the word 'perspective' scare you off from creating more complex artworks? Do you feel like being too precise and using grids takes away from the fun of creating art? Would you love to be able to create drawings or paintings that effectively transmit a sense of depth and space, but don't know where to start?
The term 'perspective' basically refers to our point of view when we're in a specific, fixed location. Depending on where you're sitting or standing right now, you're going to have a different perspective of your surroundings when compared to a person sitting on the opposite side of the room, or even from someone sitting/standing next to you at a different height or slightly different angle!
To create believable three-dimensionality and depth on flat surfaces like paper or canvas, artists make use of grids and/or lines that assist them in creating optical illusions. Though perspective may be more evident in artworks featuring indoor or outdoor scenery, it's actually present in all types of art, whether it's a portrait, a still-life, or anything in between. Make no mistake, perspective is a fundamental topic to understand in order to achieve believable and compositionally-sound drawings or paintings.
In today's post (and YouTube video!), we're focusing on 1-Point Perspective, which is the perfect place to start for the beginner artist. I'll be walking you through an initial exercise using simple three-dimensional geometric shapes that will allow you a proper warm-up, and then we'll be applying our knowledge to draw the inside of a room!
*A quick caveat before moving on: If you feel you don't have enough practice drawing simple, three-dimensional geometric shapes, you may want to practice drawing these a few times before continuing with the first drawing exercise.
Feel free to grab and print these two PDF's with steps for drawing cubes, rectangular prisms, etc.
3D-Geometric shapes A. Click to download printable PDF.
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3D-Geometric shapes B. Click to download printable PDF.
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A while back I wrote a very thorough guide to both One-Point and Two-Point Perspectives, which includes several more free downloadable worksheets/templates. In that post, I explain a lot of key terms related to perspective that you should definitely know about and also provide numerous examples of perspective in both famous artworks and modern photography.
Check it out here:
Perspective for Beginners: How to Use 1 and 2 Point Perspectives to Create Great Artwork
A while back I wrote a very thorough guide to both One-Point and Two-Point Perspectives, which includes several more free downloadable worksheets/templates. In that post, I explain a lot of key terms related to perspective that you should definitely know about and also provide numerous examples of perspective in both famous artworks and modern photography.
Check it out here:
Perspective for Beginners: How to Use 1 and 2 Point Perspectives to Create Great Artwork
The 1-Point Perspective Grid
The 1-Point Perspective grid
One, Two and Three-Point Perspectives are all categorized as ¨Lineal Perspectives¨. This means that they rely on the use of straight lines to depict three-dimensional space and the forms within it. In other words, to apply these techniques we will need to prepare for our drawings by creating grids which will be erased later on.
What these grids do, is allow us to create the illusion that objects get smaller and smaller as they get further away from us, while objects closer to us will appear larger. These grids also allow us to establish our vanishing point(s), which represents the furthest point from us in the distance. The 1-Point Perspective grid contains one vanishing point, while the 2-Point Perspective grid contains two, and so on.
The 1-Point Perspective grid, is very useful when we're trying to draw a subject front-on. Surfaces of objects facing the viewer are drawn in their flat, undistorted shapes. However, sides of shapes that are not facing the viewer are created by diagonal lines that converge at our single vanishing point in the distance.
The following are included in a One-Point Perspective grid:
1. Horizon Line
This is the line that separates sky from land (in landscapes) or sky from water (in seascapes). It is also referred to as the "eye-level" of the viewer. The Horizon Line doesn't necessarily have to be right in the middle of your picture. In fact, it is a lot better, compositionally speaking, if it is somewhere below or even above the halfway point of your drawing area. Objects above the horizon line are drawn as if you're looking up at them, while objects below it are drawn as if you're looking down at them.
2. Vanishing Point
The Vanishing Point is placed somewhere on the Horizon Line and it represents the farthest point in your picture. When creating a grid, this point is were the Orthogonal Lines all meet.
3. Orthogonal Lines
Orthogonal Lines (also known as Convergence or Vanishing Lines) are key when drawing perspective. They are diagonal and recede back into the vanishing point. A perspective grid can have many Orthogonal Lines or very few of them, depending on the complexity of the picture. The more elements in the picture, the more lines you will probably have to include in your grid.
4. Transversal Lines
These are completely horizontal or vertical lines that are either parallel or perpendicular to the horizon line. They form rectangles or right angles along the grid and are especially useful when drawing interiors (which we'll be doing today!).
5. Vantage Point
The Vantage Point refers to the specific place from which a scene is viewed. This point can actually be very high (referred to as bird's-eye) or very low (referred to as worm's-eye). It is crucial to decide where the Vantage Point is going to be in the very beginning because this will affect the placement and size of all elements within the composition.
Let's get started!
Supplies You'll Need:
-1 pencil with harder lead (4H, 2H or H)
-1 pencil with softer lead (B, 2B or 4B)
-Ruler
-Sharpener
-Soft eraser
-A few sheets of regular printing paper
*Optional: Black drawing pen
-1 pencil with harder lead (4H, 2H or H)
-1 pencil with softer lead (B, 2B or 4B)
-Ruler
-Sharpener
-Soft eraser
-A few sheets of regular printing paper
*Optional: Black drawing pen
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Drawing Exercise #1: 3D Shapes Using the 1-Point Perspective Grid
3-Dimensional shapes drawn on a 1-Point Perspective grid.
Steps:
1. Using a ruler and your hard-lead pencil, draw a simple 1-Point Perspective grid. Pick a point within your drawing space (it doesn't necessarily have to be right smack in the center of it). With your ruler, draw lines intersecting at this point. Draw enough lines to fill the majority of your drawing space, but keep them as light as possible!
2. Using a softer-lead pencil, start drawing flat, two dimensional squares or rectangles anywhere within your grid. Do your best to keep your lines as straight as possible and help yourself with your ruler if needed. These flat shapes will be the 'planes' or sides of objects facing you.
3. Pin-point the innermost corners of your shapes (the ones closest to the vanishing point) and, using a ruler, draw lines from these corners to your vanishing point. Make sure your ruler is perfectly aligned with the corners of your shapes and your vanishing point. *Notice that some shapes are going to have two planes (or sides) showing and others will have three, depending on their location within your grid.
4. Close these shapes anywhere you'd like using horizontal or vertical lines. Make sure to protect those right angles and keep your lines as parallel as possible!
5. Extra step: Shade some of your shape's sides, just make sure to keep it consistent throughout (if you start shading the innermost planes of your shapes, keep the front planes unshaded).
Read my blog post titled Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Cross-Hatching, Scribbling and Others to learn some fast shading methods!
Drawing Exercise #2: Drawing a Room Using the 1-Point Perspective Grid
Room interior drawing showing One-Point Perspective.
Steps:
1. Using a ruler and your hard-lead pencil, draw a flat rectangle in good size somewhere near the center of your drawing space (this will represent the back wall of your room). This rectangle doesn't necessarily have to be perfectly centered by any means, but make sure that you're leaving enough space around it so you have enough area to add things into your room!
*Don't make this rectangle to small or narrow, as it will make your room look more like a long hallway. And don't make your rectangle to big, as this will make it seem like your standing too close to your back wall!
2. Create a very light cross in the center of your rectangle/back wall by aligning your ruler to opposite corners of your rectangle (top-left to bottom-right and top-right to bottom-left). Make a dot right where these diagonal lines intersect. This will represent your vanishing point.
3. Next, you're drawing the four corners of your room! To do this, align your ruler with your vanishing point and each of the corners of your back wall to draw four lines outward. Fill up the rest of the area on your floor, ceiling and walls with light lines like we did in the first exercise. Avoid filling in your back wall with lines, as you won't be needing them there.
4. Switch to your softer-lead pencil and re-trace the corners of your room to make them a bit darker. This will allow you to better visualize your floor, walls and ceiling.
5. Start adding in windows, doors, rugs or whatever you'd like to include in your room using your diagonal grid lines. Start by adding in flat decorative items (posters, doors, windows) and once you've got that down, begin experimenting with using 3-dimensional shapes as foundations for more complex pieces of furniture! Remember, rectangular prisms and cubes can basically be used to start off drawings of tables, shelves, beds and even sofas!
*Watch the embedded video and pause as many times as you need to to see how I do it.
Vincent Van Gogh's famous Bedroom in Arles is an excellent example of a famous artwork showing the interior of a room. Where would you say the Vanishing Point in this work is located?
Bedroom in Arles painting by Vincent Van Gogh (1888) showing 1-Point Perspective.
Notice how the Vanishing Point in this room is off-center! In many cases, placing this point off-center actually makes a work more interesting!
Bedroom in Arles painting by Vincent Van Gogh (1888) with 1-Point Perspective grid.
Even though creating perspective may sound complicated and like an intricate process when we're just starting out, I PROMISE you that it's not as hard as it seems and it will come naturally to you after some practice! Not to mention, these types of drawings usually lead to very satisfying results and provide us with much needed visualization practice that will improve our artistic skills tremendously!
Take your time with this, have fun, and move on to creating 2-Point Perspective drawings once you've grasped the concept! :)
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
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What's your favorite masterpiece or famous artwork that demonstrates 1-Point Perspective? I'd LOVE to know in the comments section below!
| geometric_shapes1.pdf |
| geometric_shapes2.pdf |
| 1_point_grid.pdf |
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