Toad Hollow Studio

In this lesson you’ll learn how to draw from life using my version of the sight-size method, and it should come fairly easily to you since you’re going to use the skills you’ve already learned in the last two lessons.

Line Drawing Part One – How To Use A Viewfinder
Line Drawing Part Two – Draw From Life With A Viewfinder

If you’re just browsing, here are the other lessons in this series:
Line Drawing Part Three – Draw From Life Using Sight-Size
Line Drawing Part Four – Enlarge Or Reduce While Drawing From Life
Line Drawing Part Five – Drawing From Life With Expressive Line

I was taught the fundamentals of sight-size in college, but never as a strict set of rules. I’m sure there’s an original set of rules written down somewhere, but what I’m giving you is ‘sight-size’ at it works for me in practical use, and when I draw from life I always use this method. I think it’ll work for you too.

Here’s a video of me using sight-size.

Supplies

• HB pencil
• vinyl eraser
• 9×12 paper
• Here are my drawing supply suggestions.

You should probably try this in a quiet room the first time. Choose one object, or set up a small still life, and be sure you have good lighting.

The viewfinder made it easier for you to draw because it gave you boundaries and markers to measure from. To draw in classic freehand style, you visualize an imaginary frame around your work that does the same thing.

Set-Up

Move until the largest part of the subject isn’t bigger than the length of your pencil when the pencil is held at the end of your arm. See illustration.

Arrange your drawing paper so that it’s at an upward angle. If the paper isn’t at an angle, the drawing will distort as you draw a parallel scene on a perpendicular surface. You’ll end up with a drawing that only looks good when viewed from the same angle you drew it. Using the viewfinder saved you from this fate before, and ‘in theory,’ drawing this way should save you too, but it probably won’t.

Horizontal Measurement

Now you’re going to make a frame on the paper that’s the same size as what you’re drawing.

Close one eye, stretch out your arm, and keep the pencil parallel to the subject – as if you are pressing it against a window.

Put the tip of the pencil on one edge of the object, and move your thumbnail across the pencil until it reaches the other edge.

Mark this measurement on the paper. You can do that by making hatch marks with another pencil held in your other hand, or by making one mark with the pencil’s tip and then keeping your eye on the other spot as you move the pencil and mark it. (This takes practice.)

Vertical Measurement

Take the vertical measurement and mark it on the paper in the same way.

The Marvel Of Measurement

Become used to this measuring technique because you’re going to use it a lot.

All you have to do is lift your arm and take a measurement horizontally or vertically, and you’ll begin to make good, in proportion drawing.

It’ll seem awkward at first and challenging to be accurate, but it’ll get easier with practice. If you want to learn to draw, I promise you won’t regret learning to measure like this.

Make A Frame

Now extend the horizontal and vertical marks until you’ve drawn a frame on the paper. You can do this by eye, or if you’re bad at it like I am, use a square. The viewfinder from the last lesson makes a handy square.

Find the center of each side and quarter the frame.

Find Center

Find the center of what you’re drawing visually, and then check it by pencil measuring to make sure it’s right. You’re probably better at visually finding center than you think you are.

If you really are way off, don’t panic, but don’t get out a ruler. Just find center by using your pencil. Next time, try finding it first by eye again, then check it by pencil measuring, rinse and repeat. Eventually, you’ll train your eye to find center. You need to develop a good eye for these things.

If the center isn’t a clear point, you’ll need to memorize where it is, approximately. For example, the center in this still life was about one pencil width away from the candle horizontally and just a ‘tad bit’ down from the point where the vase touches the candle vertically.

A ‘tad bit’ is a Hoosier measurement unit that means however much you need it to mean at the time. Oddly, I can always remember how much of a tad bit I mean. I’m not sure if this works for everyone, or just for Hoosiers, so attempt the tad bit measurement at your own risk.

Just Basic Outlines First

Draw basic outlines inside the box, just as you did when drawing with the viewfinder.

The easiest lines to draw will be those that touch the edges of the box.

In my drawing, I knew the left side and the top of the vase touched those lines, so I drew them first and then added the inward curve.

As I worked, I often held my pencil vertically so I could “see” the vase in its imaginary frame.

Take lots of measurements

Use simple shapes to block things in at the right size in this first stage of the drawing. Placement and proportion are the most important things right now.

“If in doubt, measure it out.” is your new motto.

Smallest Last

Save the smallest and most challenging to place objects until last. Once you have the large landmarks in place, you’ll find it’s much easier to draw the smaller ones in the right place, and at the right size.

Reality Check

This is an illustration of negative space, and another example of how to use the pencil to see reality. If you hold the pencil near an object, it can help you see the negative space next to it as just another shape to be drawn. Shifting your focus to the negative space might help you see how to better draw a curve or angle that’s been difficult.

I’ve written another blog post about ways to use a pencil to see things more clearly..

The Frame Is There For Reference, Not To Confine You

The frame is there for you to measure against. It’s a friendly helper, not a mean master. At some point, you’ll let it fade into the background of your mind and start placing things by measuring over from something else. Sometimes, you’ll just eyeball things into place.

The beautiful thing about the frame is that it’s always there for reference. So when something is  not looking right, and you can’t figure out why, and when you’re about to redraw it for the 11th time, check the proportions against the frame. That’ll fix the problem 99% of the time.

Will People Stare?

The work flow of sight-size looks something like this. You’ll take quite a few measurements at first to make sure the bones of the drawing are placed well and are in proportion, then you’ll take a few more to check some challenging areas. You’ll take fewer and fewer as your engagement with the drawing switches to fleshing it out with texture and shading.

Mmmm, yes they will stare, but in a good way.

After a little while, you’ll feel natural reaching out into your visual field, measuring, and coming right back to the drawing, all in one uninterrupted motion, and all while in the flow of creativity. Even if you’re seated, it feels a little like dancing, and drawing becomes a whole body experience.

The greatest pleasure of sight-size is that you’ll be able to draw well without thinking about it. Then you can concentrate on the fun stuff – the interpretation and the drinking in of the scene.

Video of me using my version of the sight-size method of drawing.

You can see how I start a drawing with sight-size in this video. You’ll notice that I call it ‘thumb and pencil measuring,’ and that’s because I’m from Indiana, and we talk real plain. Well, no. Actually, I’ve been drawing so long I’d forgotten it had a proper name. Heh! I kinda prefer calling it thumb and pencil measuring. It sounds friendlier <— now that IS my Hoosier upbringing coming out. :)

Next time we’ll eliminate the last obstacles between you and the sweet freedom of drawing liberation.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of the total freedom to go where you want and draw whatever you want. Oh sweet freedom, I can hear you calling now! But there are a couple of circumstances that could cramp your perfect artist’s bliss!

What if your objet du désir is huge and your paper is small, or vice versa! Sight-size doesn’t always make drawing easy in these circumstances. There’s a solution that’s not too complicated and doesn’t even include math. (Well, it kind of does, but I’ll try to avoid talking about it as much as I can.) I’ll show you how to do that the next time.

Until then, my dear pencil friends, keep those pencils moving, that’s right, reach on out there and measure things!

Carol