The Difference Between Drawing and Copying
Understanding the distinction between drawing and copying is key to developing your artistic skills and creativity. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Classical Drawing
- What It Is: Classical drawing involves strict adherence to technical instructions, much like engineering drawings or geometry lessons.
- Focus: Precision, proportions, and perspective are meticulously measured and executed.
- Purpose: It’s about mastering the fundamentals of form, structure, and spatial relationships.
2. Copying
- What It Is: Copying is the act of replicating an existing image or artwork as accurately as possible.
- Focus: The goal is to reproduce the original, often without adding personal interpretation.
- Purpose: While useful for practice, copying alone doesn’t develop creativity or original thinking
3. Avant-Garde and Original Interpretation
- What It Is: Avant-garde art often reinterprets classical principles in innovative ways.
- Example: Pablo Picasso’s portraits and still lifes use inverted perspective, showing objects from multiple angles (e.g., above, straight ahead, and below) simultaneously.
- Purpose: This approach breaks traditional rules to create something unique and thought-provoking.
Key Takeaways
- Classical Drawing: Builds a strong technical foundation.
- Copying: Helps practice accuracy but limits creativity.
- Avant-Garde: Encourages originality by reinterpreting classical techniques.
The Challenge for Self-Taught Artists
For self-taught artists, the main difficulty isn’t a lack of knowledge or the ability to follow drawing instructions. The real challenge lies in understanding how complex objects are built from simple geometric shapes.
1. Geometry in Drawing
- Basics: Geometry in drawing involves using simple shapes like circles, squares, and triangles as building blocks.
- Complex Objects: The difficulty arises when trying to break down intricate subjects (e.g., human or animal faces, household items, trees) into these basic shapes.
2. How Modern Illustration and Animation Help
- Simplification: Modern illustration and animation simplify and stylize complex forms, making them easier to understand and replicate.
- Flat Drawing: These fields often work with flat, two-dimensional designs, which removes the added complexity of volume and depth.
3. Why This Matters
- Skill Development: Learning to see and deconstruct complex objects into geometric shapes is a foundational skill for any artist.
- Creative Freedom: Once mastered, this skill allows you to approach any subject with confidence, whether you’re drawing realistically or stylizing your work.
Key Takeaways
- Start by mastering simple geometric shapes.
- Practice breaking down complex objects into these shapes.
- Use modern illustration and animation as inspiration for simplifying and stylizing your work.
Perspective: The Second Stumbling Block
Perspective is what transforms a flat drawing into a three-dimensional one. While it’s a powerful tool, it’s also a common challenge for beginners. Here’s why:
1. The Basics of Perspective
- Single Object: Learning to draw a single cube from different angles is relatively straightforward.
- Multiple Objects: The complexity increases when you add more cubes or geometric shapes, requiring careful alignment and spacing.
2. The Real Challenge
- Complex Combinations: The true test of perspective comes when drawing intricate combinations of shapes, like a human face or a detailed still life.
- Common Pitfalls: Inexperience often leads to drawings “falling apart” as proportions and angles become misaligned.
3. How to Overcome It
- Start Simple: Master the basics of one-point and two-point perspectives with simple shapes.
- Gradual Complexity: Gradually add more elements, ensuring each new shape follows the same perspective rules.
- Practice: Regularly practice drawing complex objects (e.g., faces, buildings) to build confidence and skill.
Key Takeaways
- Perspective is essential for creating depth and realism in your drawings.
- Start with simple shapes and gradually tackle more complex combinations.
- Consistent practice is the key to mastering perspective.
How Many Types of Perspective Are There?
Perspective is a fascinating and complex aspect of art, with numerous techniques used to create depth and realism. Here’s a breakdown of some key types:
1. Observational Perspective
- Renaissance Artists: They mastered the illusory effects of central projection, creating lifelike depth in their works.
2. Frontal (Straight Linear) Perspective
- Simplest Form: Features a single vanishing point on the horizon line where all lines converge.
3. Angular Perspective
- Two-Point Perspective: Used when viewing an object at an angle, with two vanishing points on the horizon.
4. Three-Point Perspective
- Three Vanishing Points: Adds a dramatic sense of height or depth, often used for skyscrapers or extreme angles.
5. Parallel, Lateral, or “Chinese” Perspective
- Unique Approach: In medieval China and Japan, artists worked on the floor, viewing their work from above. This created multiple horizons and spatial planes, with small figures “entering” the landscape.
6. Reverse Perspective
- Icon Painting: Objects appear to expand as they recede, creating a spiritual, otherworldly effect.
7. Strongly Converging Perspective
- Theatrical and Baroque Art: Emphasizes spatial depth, often used in monumental or decorative painting.
8. Combinations of Perspectives
- Direct, Axonometric, and Reverse: Artists often blend these techniques for unique effects.
9. Spherical Perspective
- Illusory Depth: The visual center deepens, while other elements are arranged in an imaginary spherical space.
10. “Perspective as a Symbolic Form”
- Renaissance Painters: Used perspective to convey symbolic meaning and depth.
11. Aerial Perspective (Sfumato)
- Leonardo da Vinci: Pioneered this technique, using subtle gradations of color and tone to create atmospheric depth.
12. Panoramic Perspective
- Sinusoidal Curves: Used to display volume on a flat plane, often in large-scale works.
13. Plafond Perspective
- Ceiling Art: Accounts for the viewer looking upward, creating a sense of grandeur.
14. Axonometric Projection
- Parallel Projections: Depicts geometric objects without vanishing points, common in technical drawings.
15. Elliptical Perspective
- Three-dimensional volume: Creates a sense of depth on a flat surface using elliptical shapes.
16. Tonal Perspective
- Light and Shadow: Uses variations in tone to suggest depth and distance.
Key Takeaways
- Perspective is a versatile tool with many forms, each suited to different artistic goals.
- Mastering these techniques allows artists to create depth, realism, and emotional impact in their work.
- While this list is extensive, there are even more perspectives to explore!
Proportions: The Foundation of Accurate Drawing
Proportions are crucial for creating realistic and balanced drawings. However, for beginners, the main challenge is understanding and applying the “unit of measurement” for objects, especially when it comes to size and scale. Let’s simplify this concept using the example of drawing the human body.
1. Classic Drawing Proportions
- Unit of Measurement: In the classical drawing, the head is used as the primary unit of measurement for the human body.
- Standard Ratio: An adult body is typically 8 heads tall. This ratio helps maintain realistic proportions.
2. Fashion Illustration Proportions
- Elongated Figures: Fashion illustration often exaggerates proportions, with bodies measuring 9 to 10 heads tall.
- Stylized Look: This creates a sleek, elegant appearance suited to the fashion industry.
3. Modern Illustration and Animation
- Creative Freedom: Modern artists and animators play with proportions to create unique, stylized characters.
- Examples: Think of cartoon characters with oversized heads or exaggerated limbs—these are intentional departures from classical proportions.
Why Proportions Matter
- Realism: Accurate proportions make drawings look lifelike and believable.
- Balance: Proper scaling ensures that all elements of a drawing work harmoniously together.
- Creativity: Once you understand the rules, you can break them intentionally to create stylized or fantastical designs.
Key Takeaways
- Use the head as a unit of measurement to simplify proportions in figure drawing.
- Classical drawing adheres to an 8-head ratio, while fashion illustration often uses 9–10 heads.
- Modern illustration and animation allow for playful, exaggerated proportions.
The Hidden Skeleton of Drawing
While drawing encompasses many elements, the foundation lies in mastering geometry, perspective, and proportions. These are the “hidden” building blocks that make any drawing work.
What You’ll Learn in the Course
The author’s course, “I Will Teach You to Draw and Think Like an Artist, ” is designed to help you master these fundamentals while making the process enjoyable and engaging. Here’s what you can expect:
1. Master the Basics Through Avant-Garde
- Classical Foundations: Learn the principles of geometry, perspective, and proportions.
- Avant-Garde Approach: Explore how these fundamentals are reinterpreted in modern and experimental art.
2. Fun and Effective Exercises
- Skill-Building: Practice a variety of drawing exercises designed to hone your technique.
- Creative Thinking: Develop your ability to see and interpret the world like an artist.
3. Simple and Enjoyable Learning
- Structured Lessons: The course is divided into 10 lessons, each focusing on a specific skill or concept.
- Accessible for All Levels: Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, the course is tailored to help you grow.
Why This Course Stands Out
- Holistic Approach: Combines classical techniques with avant-garde creativity.
- Practical Focus: Emphasizes hands-on exercises to build confidence and skill.
- Engaging Process: Makes learning to draw simple, fun, and rewarding.
Join the Course
Ready to unlock your artistic potential? Enroll in “I Will Teach You to Draw and Think Like an Artist” and start your journey today!