Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 10Sketch!
Remember back to the intro of this instructable, and I told you that sketching is a skill that can be learned? Well, here is where I will teach you the secrets to sketching.
Your first step is to look at your source picture closely, and look at your contour-map looking trace in front of you. Where are they similar? Where are they different? Where are the lightest areas and where are the darkest?
With a keen eye for detail, and the following steps, you should be able to make a really great sketch your first time out.
So now I present to you my recipe for success at the sketch pad:
1) Take your dry cleaning eraser pad, and lightly and gently "scrub" your whole paper until you can just BARELY see your trace marks. This is a great place to start because it cleans up your paper and tones down all the contour lines. Make the areas with the most delicate features (eyes, nose, mouth) the lightest, so you can JUST BARELY see the trace lines. Areas of major darkness don't have to be lightened so much. Also, my technique for this step is to squeeze my dry cleaning pad (like I am milking a cow) a few inches above the surface of my sketch pad so little eraser particles fall out onto the paper. Once I have peppered the whole surface, then I lightly start the "scrub." When you are finished lighting up your trace lines, take your foxtail and brush all the debris into your trash bin or onto the floor.
2) Start sketching by lightly filling in the darkest areas first. If you are sketching a portrait of someone, start with the pupils of the eyes, taking care to NOT darken the highlighted portions where a white circle or crescent appears. Nailing down the exact location of this little patch of white is the trick to making your drawing's eyes look right.
3) Don't try to draw the item in your picture, instead simply try to make dark areas dark and light areas light. Don't draw what you "think" is there, draw what you "see" is there.
4) Never brush off eraser shavings or dry erase particles with your hand. ALWAYS use your foxtail.
5) Build up the dark areas slowly. I like to build up my drawing in layers.
6) Those pencil stubs for shading are your secret weapon. Use them to make nice blends form light to lighter areas.
7) For the most part, work from the full-size black and white poster. Try to duplicate it with your pencils and erasers.
8) Only draw for 50 minutes at a time. Take 10 minute breaks every hour while you draw, otherwise you WILL make mistakes and you will have to use your eraser more.
9) Using your eraser is a good thing, it shows that you can see a mistake and you are going to try it again. But also keep in mind that every time you erase something you are basically negating time you spent sketching. Eraser more, and you are wasting more of your precious time. Try to really look at what you are trying to duplicate before you put the pencil to the paper in the first place. If you don't know exactly what you are trying to draw with your pencil, the chances of you making an accurate representation of what you are looking at is very slim.
10) Learn to look at the negative space. Instead of concentrating on where the cheek or hair is, try to draw where it ISN'T. In other words, looking at the shape of the pure white areas will often illuminate better placement for features. If you drew a mouth or a nose, for instance, and it looks messed up, try to look at the actual shape of the highlights that have no darkness to them and sketch their outlines.
11) Work in spirals outward from the dark regions, paying close attention to where other features are in relation to the dark areas. If a clockface was superimposed on the dark area, where on the clock face is the next feature you want to draw? At 2 o'clock? 3 o' clock? How far away?
12) Keep your pencils sharp and work in short, light strokes, slowly building up the are to the desired level of darkness.
13) As you complete areas, take your tracing paper and your drafting tape and tape the paper over those areas so you don't rub your palm in them and mess them up. Constantly cover up what you have already done and close in on what you have left to draw.
14) If your sketch "just doesn't look right," DON'T trash the whole thing and start over. Instead, scan that puppy in to photoshop and super impose it over the original. Set one of their transparencies to 50% and look closely to see where it doesn't match. You may have made a few mistakes, but you probably got some areas perfect. Erase the wrong areas and keep the good areas.
15) When you are finished, sign your work! You made it, you are now an artist and you get to sign it any way that you want. I like to sign my work with my Chinese name, too, underneath my regular name.
And BTW, I will be putting pictures up on this instructable of my Iraq picture, I just haven't gotten to sketch it yet.
Your first step is to look at your source picture closely, and look at your contour-map looking trace in front of you. Where are they similar? Where are they different? Where are the lightest areas and where are the darkest?
With a keen eye for detail, and the following steps, you should be able to make a really great sketch your first time out.
So now I present to you my recipe for success at the sketch pad:
1) Take your dry cleaning eraser pad, and lightly and gently "scrub" your whole paper until you can just BARELY see your trace marks. This is a great place to start because it cleans up your paper and tones down all the contour lines. Make the areas with the most delicate features (eyes, nose, mouth) the lightest, so you can JUST BARELY see the trace lines. Areas of major darkness don't have to be lightened so much. Also, my technique for this step is to squeeze my dry cleaning pad (like I am milking a cow) a few inches above the surface of my sketch pad so little eraser particles fall out onto the paper. Once I have peppered the whole surface, then I lightly start the "scrub." When you are finished lighting up your trace lines, take your foxtail and brush all the debris into your trash bin or onto the floor.
2) Start sketching by lightly filling in the darkest areas first. If you are sketching a portrait of someone, start with the pupils of the eyes, taking care to NOT darken the highlighted portions where a white circle or crescent appears. Nailing down the exact location of this little patch of white is the trick to making your drawing's eyes look right.
3) Don't try to draw the item in your picture, instead simply try to make dark areas dark and light areas light. Don't draw what you "think" is there, draw what you "see" is there.
4) Never brush off eraser shavings or dry erase particles with your hand. ALWAYS use your foxtail.
5) Build up the dark areas slowly. I like to build up my drawing in layers.
6) Those pencil stubs for shading are your secret weapon. Use them to make nice blends form light to lighter areas.
7) For the most part, work from the full-size black and white poster. Try to duplicate it with your pencils and erasers.
8) Only draw for 50 minutes at a time. Take 10 minute breaks every hour while you draw, otherwise you WILL make mistakes and you will have to use your eraser more.
9) Using your eraser is a good thing, it shows that you can see a mistake and you are going to try it again. But also keep in mind that every time you erase something you are basically negating time you spent sketching. Eraser more, and you are wasting more of your precious time. Try to really look at what you are trying to duplicate before you put the pencil to the paper in the first place. If you don't know exactly what you are trying to draw with your pencil, the chances of you making an accurate representation of what you are looking at is very slim.
10) Learn to look at the negative space. Instead of concentrating on where the cheek or hair is, try to draw where it ISN'T. In other words, looking at the shape of the pure white areas will often illuminate better placement for features. If you drew a mouth or a nose, for instance, and it looks messed up, try to look at the actual shape of the highlights that have no darkness to them and sketch their outlines.
11) Work in spirals outward from the dark regions, paying close attention to where other features are in relation to the dark areas. If a clockface was superimposed on the dark area, where on the clock face is the next feature you want to draw? At 2 o'clock? 3 o' clock? How far away?
12) Keep your pencils sharp and work in short, light strokes, slowly building up the are to the desired level of darkness.
13) As you complete areas, take your tracing paper and your drafting tape and tape the paper over those areas so you don't rub your palm in them and mess them up. Constantly cover up what you have already done and close in on what you have left to draw.
14) If your sketch "just doesn't look right," DON'T trash the whole thing and start over. Instead, scan that puppy in to photoshop and super impose it over the original. Set one of their transparencies to 50% and look closely to see where it doesn't match. You may have made a few mistakes, but you probably got some areas perfect. Erase the wrong areas and keep the good areas.
15) When you are finished, sign your work! You made it, you are now an artist and you get to sign it any way that you want. I like to sign my work with my Chinese name, too, underneath my regular name.
And BTW, I will be putting pictures up on this instructable of my Iraq picture, I just haven't gotten to sketch it yet.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
I take offense to that being an artist and someone who has created, sold and gifted many pencil portraits and drawings.
There is no "art to tracing". Thats my opinion, and no one needs to agree with it if they don't want to.
Clearly someone who has no artistic ability can benefit and perhaps learn something from the efforts of this author, I personally feel however, that some of the statements made were unnecessary.
And No, I don't "denounce photography as art".
I don't agree with the author of this ible who says that "drawing is not a gift but something that can be learned".
We all have the right to an opinion. No one said you had to agree with mine.
TRACING IS NOT ART. - It's no better than plagiarism.
In this case specifically, if anyone uses a "tracing technique", they should come clean about it and not try and pretend they did it without copying. Plain and simple.
To address your broader argument on the basis of artistic merits, I have to ask you what you think of all those people who copy the works of accomplished artists and sell the work for profit. Certainly the buyer feels defrauded when they learn they paid for a forgery. With your argument, the final product is still art. Right?
So let me also ask you, what does that say about the pure expression of Art, when its been taken to the lowest form and is merely copied? Whether its for financial gain, or for this authors chances of landing a shag? (Read what he wrote in his intro).
Secondly, my mother did an art crime paper just last year, returning to University after a while. I think that copying the works of accomplished artists is downright despicable. But still I say, the focus here is on a photograph, presumably that the tracer has taken, and which IS NOT the work of an accomplished artist.
Your entire argument here is of some lowdown creep stealing a well-known artist's work and using it for financial or social gain. However, this is virtually impossible using the techniques outlined in this Instructable. As you can plainly see, this Instructable is for the tracing of a PHOTOGRAPH, NOT a drawing that has already been made.
If your focus is on making a drawing like this and passing it off as an original sketch, still I disagree with you when you say it is copying. Even after the tracing process, there is still a lot of work to be done, and there is skill and personal flair involved in finishing the drawing. Many artists used and still use reference images for sketches and paintings. This is virtually the same thing.
In conclusion, forgery is NOT the issue here. The issue is on whether or not the tracing of a photograph is or is not your original work. I still insist that it is, and although the final product may or may not be too accurate for the tracer's skill, the indisputable fact remains that the person in question has made something of their own, taking whichever details they desire from a photograph and attempting to imitate them. I therefore finish with my final statement:
Tracing an existing photo and attempting to imitate its details can be, and is often, original work and art.
"What about throwing paint on a canvas and rolling around in it?..."
Clearly, we have a difference of opinion, and that's okay. I'm not trying to make you change your mind any more than you'll change mine.
I see Tracing as a Copy and NOT original work.
I also don't see it as worthy of the same artistic credits due those who create without tricks, aids or plain forgery.
Really?
I have been nothing but cordial and polite to you. I have said that I respect your opinion. I have said I am not trying to change anyones opinion or tell people how to think. Just because I don't agree with you doesn't make me incapable of seeing your point of view!
I JUST DON'T AGREE WITH YOU! That doesn't make me right or make you right. They are just opinions. We all have the right to one.
In the future, you may want to refrain from engaging in any type of debate if your sole goal is to be proven right or change the opinions of others. Getting so frustrated that you must "grit your teeth" and have to "resist the urge to throw a small animal" is clearly a problem, perhaps one to address with a mental health professional.
And if you must remind others (so I have read) about the "be nice" policy, perhaps you can at least take your own advice before rudely dismissing someone who does not agree with you.
Have a wonderful time here at Instructables and good luck to you in the future.
Sorry, the insult was uncalled for. Everyone is indeed entitled to their own opinion etc etc. As for the gritting of the teeth, I was exaggerating. I was using a technique commonly known as hyperbole. Yes, you were polite to me, excepting your previous statement. My sole goal is not to be proven right, it's to encourage people in general to be open-minded. Saying something is not, and cannot ever be, something else, is indubitably closed-minded. Sorry. That's just my opinion, and I'm entitled to it.
You believe that Tracing in this case does not discount the artistic merit of the project. (I get that).
I believe that Tracing is a form of copying, and although it can appear artistic I think the final product is misleading and less authentic.
We both have our opinions. I understand yours. I just don't agree with it.
And having a difference of opinion does NOT make anyone close-minded.
If we can't agree on that, then I give up.
(By the way, I was thinking of making an artwork that is deliberately misleading and less authentic in order to comment on several different things, that was why I was so argumentative)
Humble apologies (corny as that sounds),
St Jimmy
Perhaps this is where we should part ways and maintain to "agree to disagree".
Take Care.
Goodbye!
I think a lot of people just don't like when this tracing method is used and passed off as original free-hand work, suggesting theres no talent needed to create art (as the author said). At the end of the day, a child can learn to trace. So in a way its like changing the lyrics to a song and calling it original.
As long as people are truthful with how they created something there shouldn't be anything wrong with it.