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SHAPES AND PROPORTIONS Brenda Hoddinott B-02 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE An illustrated discussion surrounding a photo of a duck-shaped candle introduces the basic process of breaking down

SHAPES AND PROPORTIONS

Brenda Hoddinott

B-02 BEGINNER: LEARN TO SEE

An illustrated discussion surrounding a photo of a

duck-shaped candle introduces the basic process of breaking

down a subject into simple shapes and then measuring

spaces Super simple step-by-step instructions and

illustrations then take you through the process of using

your vision to render accurate proportions and neatly

outline a drawing

Suggested supplies include: paper, HB pencil, kneaded

and vinyl erasers, and a pencil sharpener

The process of drawing any subject becomes less intimidating when you understand how to render the proportions properly, and can draw the fundamental shapes of the various parts in their correct places This lesson is divided into the following five sections:

INTRODUCTION: provides a brief overview of the process of drawing a cute little

candle-shaped duck, from initially looking at shapes and spaces to completing a contour drawing

VISUALLY IDENTIFY SHAPES: demonstrates the importance of a thorough visual

examination of a drawing subject

VISUALLY MEASURE SPACES: discusses and illustrates how to visually measure spaces

and compare them to others

SKETCH PROPORTIONS: new skills are put into action and the proportions of the

duck-shaped candle are lightly sketched

CHECK PROPORTIONS AND ADD FINAL DETAILS: the duck is outlined with thin

neat lines by constantly referring to step-by-step illustrations and the reference photo

This lesson is recommended for beginner level artists with limited drawing skills, as

well as home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators

7 PAGES – 14 ILLUSTRATIONS

Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2005

INTRODUCTION

This lesson takes you step-by-step, through the entire process of drawing a cute little candle-shaped duck, from initially looking at the shapes and spaces to completing a contour drawing

Seeing and sketching accurate proportions is the foundation of drawing Proportion is the

relationship in size of each of the various parts of a drawing when compared to others To accurately render proportions, artists study their subjects very carefully, visually measure various distances within spaces, and visually break the whole object down into simple shapes

ILLUSTRATION 02-01 ILLUSTRATION 02-02

Shape refers to the outward outline of a form Basic

shapes include circles, ovals, squares, rectangles,

and triangles A Contour drawing is a drawing

comprised of lines that follow the contours of the

edges of various components of a drawing subject

and define the outlines of its forms

VISUALLY IDENTIFY SHAPES

ILLUSTRATION 02-03

These six photos of a duck-shaped candle

demonstrate the importance of a thorough visual

examination of a drawing subject Each section

of the duck is visually broken down into shapes,

and then put back together as a drawing, similar

to putting together a jigsaw puzzle

Follow along with each photo to identify the

various shapes and see how they are put

together in a drawing

1 Photo of the duck is in grayscale to allow

for easier viewing

2 The duck’s body is shaped like a kidney

or a kidney bean

3 A simple circle defines the basic shape of

the head

4 The candle wick is a long thin rectangle

5 The beak is defined as a simple triangular

shape

6 Each of the shapes, the kidney, circle,

rectangle, and triangle come together like

pieces of a puzzle to complete an outline

of the overall shape of the duck

VISUALLY MEASURE SPACES

To render believable proportions, you need to thoroughly examine the subject before you draw

By visually measuring and then comparing each of the various parts of the drawing subject to others, you are more likely to end up with a drawing that is more accurate

ILLUSTRATION 02-04 ILLUSTRATION 02-05

As I examine the photo of

the duck, I immediately

notice similar distances

inside the shapes of the

head and body

The length of the head

(marked A) is almost

exactly the same as the

distance from the bottom of

the head to the bottom of

the body (marked B)

ILLUSTRATION 02-06 ILLUSTRATION 02-07

I then search for more clues

to seeing the proper

proportions by comparing

the horizontal distances

inside the shapes

I focus on the width of the

body at the halfway point of

distance B (in Illustration

02-05) I discover that this

section of the body is

approximately twice as wide

as the width of the head

SKETCH PROPORTIONS

Time to put your new skills into action and draw! As you sketch, visually break down each section into simple shapes, measure proportions, and constantly check the relationships of lines and spaces to one another If you’re not happy with some of the lines you draw, simply erase that section, redraw the lines, and keep on going

Keep in mind that you can turn your sketchbook around as you draw, especially when sketching a circle Rotate your paper and look at your drawing from different perspectives to find problem areas

1) Draw a kidney shape in the lower section of your drawing space as the duck’s body

Observe that the section on the left is much larger than the tail section Keep your lines very light by pressing very gently with your pencil (I used an HB)

2) Add a circular shape as the head

Note that the circle does not sit on top of the kidney shape Rather, the lower section of the circle extends into the upper section of the kidney shape

ILLUSTRATION 02-08 ILLUSTRATION 02-09

3) Add a triangular shape as the beak and a thin rectangular shape as the wick

Observe that each of the lines used to sketch the beak and wick are at an angle rather than horizontal or vertical

ILLUSTRATION 02-10 ILLUSTRATION 02-11

CHECK PROPORTIONS AND ADD FINAL DETAILS

In this section, you visually re-measure spaces to confirm that the proportions are correct as you outline the duck with thin neat lines Keep in mind that each of the shapes represents an independent form Hence, you need to constantly compare my drawings to the reference photo to understand why the lines need to curve around these forms In addition, you need to pay close attention to the lengths of the various lines and the directions in which they curve

As you complete this contour drawing, continuously check whether the size and proportions of each section is correct, and adjust as needed Keep the following in mind:

Don’t press too hard with your pencils! No matter how careful you are, accidents do happen, and you may need to erase sections you aren’t happy with

Draw slowly! Accuracy is more important than speed Your speed will automatically improve the more you practice

Keep your pencils sharpened so your lines stay neat and thin Try using a piece of fine sandpaper or a sandpaper block to keep your pencil points nice and sharp Pencil sharpeners tend to wear down pencils very quickly

4) Use your kneaded eraser to pat your entire sketch until the lines are very faint

ILLUSTRATION 02-12

5) With a freshly sharpened HB

pencil outline the perimeters of

the duck’s beak and the wick

Round off the outer section of the

beak and add rounded corners to

the triangular shape

Don’t outline the lower

section of the wick, because

it needs to look like it’s

attached to the top of the

head

6) Outline the sections of the

duck’s head on either side of

the beak and the wick

Don’t outline the lower

section of the head or the part

where the wick meets the top

of the head The head needs to

appear to be joined to the body

7) Outline the duck’s body and tail

ILLUSTRATION 02-13

8) Outline the eye and the tiny circular

shape inside it

Take note of the distances of the eye

from various points on the outline of

the head, such as the top and sides

9) Draw a line to indicate the opening

of the bill

Again, pay attention to the length of

the line and the sections that are

straight and curved

Always examine the object you are drawing very

closely, and take note of whether

shapes appear to be in front of or

behind others

ILLUSTRATION 02-14

10) Erase any fingerprints, smudges, and/or sketch lines that you don’t like with your kneaded eraser molded to a point (or a sharp edge

of your vinyl eraser)

BRENDA HODDINOTT - BIO

As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, conté crayon, and oil paints

My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and

academic Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter,

the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable

>Brenda Hoddinott<

Born in St John’s, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted “Learn to Draw” books

During Brenda’s twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brenda’s skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from “Forensic Artists International”

Her home-based art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and painting classes As supervisor of her community’s recreational art department, Brenda hired and trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several children’s art programs In 1998, Brenda chose to end her eighteen-year career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing, drawing, painting, and developing her websites

Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development These sites offer downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world

LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT

Drawing for Dummies (March 4, 2003): Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York,

NY, this 336 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores

internationally

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing People (August 2004): Published by Alpha -

Pearson Education – Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book will be available on

various websites and in major bookstores internationally