Drawing For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Anyone can learn to draw with these easy instructions and fun practice ideas Drawing For Dummies makes it easy to learn the basics of drawing and even master advanced techniques. With a little instruction and practice, there’s no such thing as “I just can’t draw.” Drawing can help you relieve stress, express your emotions and creativity, communicate across cultures, improve memory, and develop and strengthen fine motor skills. This user-friendly Dummies resource will teach you how to see the world through the eyes of an artist, explore your inner visions, and open up your creativity through drawing exercises. Step-by-step illustrations and images, newly enlarged in this edition, will show you exactly how to achieve the results you want. It might be time to invest in some picture frames, because you’re about to make art you can be proud of. Learn the fundamentals of drawing, including the essential supplies you’ll need Practice drawing techniques, get your creativity flowing, and explore your own mind with fun drawing exercises Get step-by-step instructions on how to draw anything in a range of styles Improve your abilities with tips and ideas for making your drawings better Complete beginners and more advanced artists alike will have fun developing their skills with Drawing For Dummies . Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Conventions Used in This Book Foolish Assumptions How This Book Is Organized Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 Discovering What It Takes to Draw Chapter 1 Gearing Up to Start (and Continue) Drawing Testing the Waters: Do You Have What It Takes to Draw? Debunking the talent myth Embracing your individuality Defining Drawing Looking back at the first drawings Surveying current drawing trends Examining the Motivation behind Drawing Finding uses for drawing Considering the benefits of drawing Outfitting Yourself for the Job Discovering Your Artistic Style Practicing Sustainable Drawing Habits Acquiring essential skills Implementing an effective order of operations Adapting to ambiguity Chapter 2 A New Kind of Seeing: Getting Familiar with the Artist’s Perspective Exploring the World as an Artist Paying attention with an artist’s eye Noticing the abstract qualities of real things Finding fun drawing subjects right in front of you Seeing your home from a whole new perspective From the fridge to your drawing paper Surveying your neighborhood and beyond Discovering Your Inner Eye as an Artist Doodling with doodles Finding inspiration in your doodles Project: A Doodle of Your Own Putting down the lines Seeing beyond the lines Creating drawings from doodles Bending reality with your mind Project: Bringing Your Vision to Life Trusting your memory Embellishing with confidence Making it personal Chapter 3 Gathering What You Need to Get Started Exploring Your Drawing Preferences Holding your drawing media Making marks with your preferred medium Deciding whether to leave your drawing loose and sketchy or to tighten it up Finding inspiration Figuring out your interests Getting ideas from other artists’ works (and yours, too!) Drawing on your memories Carving Out Space and Time to Draw Making your drawing space comfy and effective Finding time for drawing Using Your Sketchbook Sketching away from home Playing with ideas Choosing Your Drawing Supplies The well-stocked drawing toolbox Sketchbook Pencils Erasers Pencil sharpener Rulers Charcoal Fixative Portfolio The wish-list items Project: The Pupil of Iris Chapter 4 Working through the Developmental Stages of Drawing Stage 1: Looking for Lines Stage 2: Moving from Lines to Shapes Stage 3: Adding a Third Dimension: Volume Using perspective to create depth Building light and volume through shading Stage 4: Rendering Textures Stage 5: Arranging the Elements: Composition Project: Getting Into the Process Part 2 Developing Basic Skills Chapter 5 Planning Your Drawings Focusing on the Elements of Composition Emphasizing the focal point Overlapping for unity and depth Taking advantage of negative space Using lines to your advantage Create a functional eye path Break down static and dynamic lines Balancing subjects in a composition Considering contrast: Balancing values and shapes Delegating proportions to your subjects Considering Basic Composition Formulas The rule of thirds Compositions with S-O-U-L “S” composition “O” composition “U” composition “L” composition Using a Few Drawing Tools to Plan Your Compositions Choosing your composition by framing the subject Planning a composition from a photograph Project: Planning a Composition from More than One Source Image Chapter 6 Seeing and Drawing Lines and Shapes Getting Comfortable with Lines Appreciating Diversity in Lines Lining up straight lines Cutting corners with angled lines Following the flow of curved lines Capturing Gesture Focusing on Proportions and Shapes Breaking objects into simple shapes Fixing proportion problems Compare positive and negative shapes Measure one dimension against another Measure using a sighting stick Project: Using Lines and Shapes as Tools for Investigation Chapter 7 Exploring the Third Dimension Investigating Perspective Drawing Understanding geometric perspective Look to the horizon line Find vanishing points Find the vanishing point in a photograph or other image Find a horizon line and vanishing point in real life Identifying your perspective on depth Expanding on elements of perspective Incorporate atmospheric perspective into your drawings Manage foreshortening Project: Drawing One-Point Perspective Project: Drawing Two-Point Perspective Project: Drawing Three-Point Perspective Project: Blasting into Space with Dynamic Perspective Drawing Seeing Light and Shadows and Using Lines to Represent Them Envisioning light and shadow as value Navigating line weight variation Taking Shapes into the Third Dimension From squares to cubes From rectangles and triangles to boxes, cylinders, and cones From circles to spheres Project: Drawing a Sphere Chapter 8 Adding Life to Your Drawings with Shading Taking a Closer Look at Light and Shadow Practicing Shading Techniques to Create a Range of Values Creating graduated tone Trying your hand at hatching and crosshatching Draw different shades of value with hatching lines Draw crosshatching lines Scaling from light to dark Using hatching to make graduated values Using Your Eraser to “Draw” Light Working with Value Exploring contrast in a drawing Squinting to translate vision into values See simple value shapes Turn colors into values Blocking in your basic values Refining your values Project: Drawing an Egg Chapter 9 Identifying and Rendering Textures Seeing — and Feeling — Textures Identifying Textures Smooth, matte, shiny, and glistening textures Fuzzy and fluffy textures Furry and hairy textures Rough and grassy textures Translating Textures into Drawings Planning your textured drawing Creating texture on paper Combining three-dimensional form with patterns and textures Project: Creating Two Fun Textures Sketching with textural mark-making Drawing furry spots Part 3 Experimenting with Subject Matter Chapter 10 Making Meaningful Still Life Drawings Selecting Subjects for Still Life Drawings Choosing still life subjects that are meaningful to you Grouping still life objects Enjoying the challenge of transparent objects Arranging Your Still Life Lighting Your Still Life Project: Drawing a Still Life Chapter 11 Representing the Natural World in Your Drawings Exploring Sky and Land Capturing skies and clouds on paper Examining and drawing trees Draw distant trees Sketch nearby individual trees Creating convincing flowers Draw groups of flowers Focus on individual flowers Project: Using Your Eraser to Create a White Winter Project: Lovely Lily Chapter 12 Bringing Animals to Life on Paper Rendering Finned, Scaly, Furry, and Feathered Textures Getting your feet wet with fins Sizing up scales Identifying the long and short of fur Draw short fur Render long fur Using fur to reveal underlying form Drawing wings and feathers Capturing Life in Animal Portraits Project: Wings on the Water Chapter 13 Drawing People Drawing the Body Examining superficial human anatomy Measuring proportion Capturing gesture Building the body from simple shapes Using contour lines to refine your drawing Picking Up Portraiture Measuring proportions for the head and face Drawing facial features The nose knows no bounds The eyes have it Put your money where your mouth is All ears Drawing hair that actually appears to grow out of the head Drawing Far-Off Figures and People in Motion Drawing people and crowds in the distance Drawing figures in motion Project: Crowd at the Finish Line Part 4 The Part of Tens Chapter 14 Ten Tips for Drawing Cartoons Come Up with an Idea Embrace Your Influences without Losing Yourself Make Decisions with Your Idea in Mind Choose the Right Materials Set Up a Place to Draw Sketch Your Idea Evaluate Your Sketch Plan Your Values Clean Up Your Drawing Ink Your Work Chapter 15 Ten Ways to Grow as an Artist Step into Art Appreciation Experiment with Drawing Media Figure Out Who You Are as an Artist Investigate Different Drawing Styles Work from Life and Photographs Attend Art Classes, Lessons, and Workshops Give Painting a Try Ignite Your Sparks of Creativity Put Your Drawings on the Internet Look for Other Ways to Get Your Work Out There Chapter 16 Answering Ten Common Copyright Questions What Is Copyright? What Kinds of Works Are Protected by Copyright? When Is an Artwork Not an Original? Can I Draw from Copyrighted Images? If I Make Changes to a Copyrighted Image, Can I Make It My Own? Can I Draw from the Illustrations in This Book? How Do I Claim Copyright to My Original Art? How Can I Prove That I Own Copyright? Can I Put a Copyright © Symbol on My Original Art? How Do I Use the Copyright © Symbol? Index EULA