So, I was drawing along, minding my own business, when I suddenly realized I’d discovered a new drawing exercise that helped me see more accurately when drawing from life! I think it’ll do the same for you, so here it is.
You’ll need a circle template, and any size will do. I keep one made out of card stock in the back of my sketchbook.
To begin, draw two or three circles close to each other. I’ve drawn two examples here. Try overlapping one set of circles.
Now, add lines joining the circles.
There aren’t any rules. You can use the circle template to help make your additional lines, use French curves, or eyeball them.
Erasing a few lines can change the entire look (see example B on the right), so try that too.
In example A to the left, I worked with line. In example B, I worked with solid shapes and got a different look that I emphasized with hatching.
Here are some notes I took while working that you might find helpful:
- Neatness does not count. Make many lines before you decide on the right one, then erase the others.
- I often discover something new to try in the next drawing by making interesting mistakes in the current one.
- Oops — remember to draw the circles in the middle of the paper so you have lots of room to draw all around them.
- Rotate the paper and look at the drawing from all angles. Also, it’s easier to rotate the paper to draw a good arc than to contort your arm.
- Go with your instincts.
- Or go against your instincts and then try to recover. Ideas born of desperation and push you out of your comfort zone.
Drawing From Life Became A Little Easier – Even After All These Years.
The practice I gained from visualizing each line before I drew it was the magic boost I felt when drawing from life. I could spot the underlying abstract shape of objects with much more ease than usual, and I could project arcs and angles that would connect one object to another if I extended those lines in my mind.
I found myself working from a more unified vision of relationships, and it was marvelous to let go of seeing things ‘in pieces’ and give way to looking at everything as a whole.
Series Of Circle Drawings From My Sketch Book
This drawing started as two simple circles, one on top of the other. I know you can see the lower one. I erased the lower half of the upper one to fit the design.
The idea was to find a way to unite the two circles using curves that appealed to me, and nothing more than that.
I call this one Music because the spaces between the lines have a good rhythm.
I call this one Dance because it’s three-dimensional. Its base was three circles, with one overlapping the bottom two.
While trying to visualize how to unite these three overlapping circles, I decided to ‘lift’ some of the lines off the page. Then, I had to find a way to push the new spaces into lovely shapes while arcing the new lines to form graceful connections between the circles.
I used just a few lines to connect these circles, and then I wanted to see what defining the edges of the line with shading added to the form.
I like how the shading pushes down the edges and makes each piece look separate. The shading also unites the entire drawing as the eye travels over it.
Having run out of clever names, I call this one Three.
Finally, I drew this fully shaded sphere with halos because I love form.
The negative space between each halo and the sphere is slightly different and reflects the sphere as a shadow would when the light source moves.
The halo arcs mimic the negative spaces, which I visualized and ‘drew’ first.
I intend to do more drawings in my circle series because line, shape, light, shadow, and form intrigue me, and these things interplay beautifully in spheres and arcs.
I’ll show these drawings to you as they arise.
Until we meet again,
Draw well, draw with happiness, and never stop!
Carol