Carolynn Helton's Classes

VALUE STUDY -click here for more info and samples.

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5 BASIC SHAPES - below is correct shading.  You will need a sphere (circle), a cone (rounded on all but bottom), a pyramid (flat on three sides), cube (shape of a box with all flat sides.  Do not make it hallow) and a cylinder (shape of coffee cup.. 

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Below is shaded wrong.  Pay attention to flat vs curved shapes. Flat sides will not change like rounded ones.  Pay attention to reflected light bouncing back up on the object from the table surface.

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Evolution of the Stick Figure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blind Contour Drawing:

CONTOUR LINE:

A contour is the line which defines a form or edge - an outline. Contour drawing is the place where most beginners start, following the visible edges of a shape. The contour describes the outermost edges of a form, as well as dramatic changes of plane within the form.  Put simply, a contour line drawing is an "outline drawing," that uses no shading.  

A contour drawing is done when the artist looks intently at the EDGES of an object, but rarely looks at the paper while the pencil moves.  The goal of contour drawing is to make a line that is authentic and true to what you are actually seeing, and to train your hand to copy your eye's movement.

 

'Blind contour drawing' is when contour drawing is done without looking at the paper AT ALL.

This helps train you to look more often at your subject than look at your paper.  Staring down at your paper while drawing can be a hard habit to break~

 

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Step by step face

Guided instructions with examples in a pdf, click here

Below are examples of student work.

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Independent Face

Now that you have learned how to measure and compare for a face and to shade it, you will find a face to draw.  It is best to not be someone you know yet.  Someone famous is fine.  Make sure you sketch the whole face in light first.  If you start shading too soon, it will not be erasable.  Drawing a face with this method starts with the eyes and uses them to compare as you go for measurements.  If you get something off, you might not notice it until other parts are in.  So wait to shade till you have it sketched in light.

Below are examples of student work.

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Fruit or Vegetable   

Applying what you learned about shading from the 5 basic shapes and the step by step face, draw fruit or vegetables FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.  MEASURE AND COMPARE distances like you did for the step by step face.  Find something to compare the distance or size.  Shade according to the light source.  Look at the image/photo and understand which direction the light source is coming from.  Make sure you are applying that in your shading of your drawing.  Sketch out the outline first before you start shading.

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