Tài liệu Sketching Outdoors docx

PACKING UP YOUR PORTABLE STUDIO: Sometimes, you may want to draw outdoors, and it’s convenient to have a set of drawing materials packed and ready to travel.. SETTING UP YOUR PLAN OF AC

OUTDOORS

Brenda Hoddinott

F-06 BEGINNER: HATCHING

Sketching is an action word, and you can only

learn this skill by actually sketching

In this lesson, I first offer suggestions for putting together a portable studio for your outings I then take you step-by -step through the process of rendering a sketch of an outdoor scene The style you choose for sketching is a matter of personal choice Some artists prefer lines, more prefer only shading, and others (like me) prefer a combination of values and lines

INTRODUCTION: Outdoor enthusiasts often enjoy making art while enjoying their

surroundings A quick sketch done on location from a portable studio provides an excellent

reference for a more detailed drawing when you return to your home studio

PACKING UP YOUR PORTABLE STUDIO: Sometimes, you may want to draw

outdoors, and it’s convenient to have a set of drawing materials packed and ready to travel In

this section you explore various suggestions for planning your portable studio

SETTING UP YOUR PLAN OF ACTION: The instructions in this lesson offer

suggestions for rendering a sketch in three simple stages: sketch the overall composition of

the scene proportionately correct; outline the shapes of important objects in the scene; and add values

SKETCH PROPORTIONS: The first goal of sketching is to sketch a proportionately

correct map of where the different parts of the scene are in relation to one another

OUTLINE SHAPES: You focus on outlining the shapes of your subjects by implementing

perspective, adding more details, and refining your drawing!

DEFINE VALUES: You implement your strategies, planning, and creative ideas into a

completed sketch! Light affects the placement and value of every section of shading A full range of values gives contrast between the light and the shadow areas

14 PAGES – 27 ILLUSTRATIONS

This project is recommended for artists from age 10 to adult, as well as home schooling,

academic and recreational fine art educators

Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2004 (Revised 2006)

INTRODUCTION

Outdoor enthusiasts often enjoy making art while enjoying their surroundings A quick sketch done on location from a portable studio provides an excellent reference for a more detailed

drawing when you return to your home studio A sketch is a quick, rough representation or

outline of a planned drawing subject A sketch can also be a completed work of art

Only a few simple lines can quickly and efficiently illustrate the important shapes and values of any scene The language of sketching can also serve to faithfully documents your formative

years of artistic development Sketching refers to the method used for creating a quick, rough

representation or outline of a planned drawing subject

The instructions provided in this lesson can apply to any sketching style However, to help prepare you for sketching on your own, I have provided step-by-step illustrations of one of my own sketches If you have little or no sketching experience, you are wise to draw along with my project It’s easier to draw from another sketch than an actual scene

PACKING UP YOUR PORTABLE STUDIO

Sometimes, you may want to draw outdoors, and it’s convenient to have a set of drawing materials packed and ready to travel In this section you explore various suggestions for planning your portable studio

DRAWING SURFACE: Unless you have a really big

knapsack, your kitchen table just won’t fit inside! Nonetheless,

a lightweight portable surface, on which to draw when you’re

out and about, is an integral part of your portable studio If you

prefer sheets of paper rather than a sketchbook, a drawing

board is a wonderful portable surface You can buy very

reasonably priced boards in most art supply stores

If you (or someone you know) are handy with tools, you can

make your own; just cut a lightweight smooth material (such as

plywood or Plexiglas) to any size you prefer, and sand it until

it's smooth Drawing paper then needs to be taped or clamped

to the drawing board At most art supply stores you can find

special tapes, specifically designed for this purpose, or clamps

which come in various sizes

Sketching on large sheets of paper enhances your skills by

allowing you the freedom of drawing from your shoulder rather

than your wrist Keep your wrist fairly still, and move your

entire arm from your shoulder, to sketch long flowing marks in

one continuous movement

A large hardcover sketchbook is a great alternative to carrying

a drawing board in that it comes with its own drawing surface,

and depending on the size, may fit inside a brief case or

knapsack

PORTABLE EASEL: While many artists are comfortable in simply propping up their drawing

surface; others like to use an easel A sketchbook or drawing board can easily be set up on an easel, but you have to use your creativity to make sure it stays in place as you draw A gust of wind or even the drawing process itself can easily tip an unsecured easel onto the ground and (gasp!) deposit the drawing into a big puddle of mud

DRAWING MATERIALS: Fill up your pencil case with pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener,

sandpaper blocks, and anything else you think you may need Soft media, such as graphite, conté, or charcoal works best for sketching

CARRYING CASE: You need something in which to carry your drawing materials An old

briefcase, knapsack, or a fabric bag with handles is great for holding supplies, including a small

sketchbook and some paper

EXTRAS FOR THE PORTABLE ARTIST: Consider the

following for customizing your portable drawing studio to suit

your own individual needs:

You may want to carry an old blanket to sit on

A viewfinder frame may come in very handy!

If you use large sheets of drawing paper, you need to bring

your portfolio in which to store and protect your completed

drawings and drawing paper

A portable music player with headphones is helpful for

blocking distracting noises It also helps keep spectators

from interrupting!

Plastic bags can protect your drawings (or you) in case of

rain, and are great for sitting on if the ground is damp

Bring along some beverages, snacks, and/or a lunch as well

as some wipes or paper towels for clean-up

You can also bring along a small camera to take photos of inspirational scenes and objects Depending on where you go, you may need bug repellant, and don’t forget your sunscreen!

SETTING UP YOUR PLAN OF ACTION

Ok, so setting up and getting organized isn’t the most exciting element of anything But as with most activities and projects, it’s a necessary evil! First of all, when planning to draw outdoors you need to take into consideration such factors as weather, lighting conditions, time of day, and the angle from which you wish to capture your subject Then make your plans accordingly

When you arrive at your destination, stroll around until you find the best location from which to draw Look around and decide on a subject that you find incredibly intriguing; otherwise you may get bored before you’re halfway done

Make sure your proposed project isn’t more than you can handle If you’re a beginner to drawing, choose something very simple You set yourself up for a frustrating experience by taking on a project beyond your current skill level

Place yourself in a comfortable standing or seated position where the scene you plan to draw

presents the best compositional options Composition refers to the arrangement of the various

facets of a drawing subject within the borders of a drawing space A strong composition brings the eyes of the viewer into what the artist considers the most important elements Set up your drawing materials and relax

Before putting your pencil into motion, you need to work out the following:

Decide which medium and type of paper best suits your subject

Try using your viewfinder frame to help you choose an ideal composition (Check out Lesson

A-07: Making and Using a Viewfinder Frame in the Beginner section of my website)

Plan your drawing space Drawing space (sometimes called a drawing format) refers to the

area of a drawing surface within a specific perimeter Choose an approximate size Decide if your completed drawing should be horizontal or vertical, and whether a rectangular, square, oval, circular or another shaped format is more appropriate for your subject

Look closely at your subject Sketches are based on careful observation, and with practice they become quick and easy A thorough visual examination of your subject is the most important ingredient for making great sketches

Note the light source and pinpoint the highlights and shadows Light source is the direction

from which a dominant light originates The placement of this light source affects every aspect of a drawing The light source tells you where to draw all the light values and shadows Squinting, to see the different values, often provides you with a map for sketching

the shapes you see Values are the different shades of gray created when you draw by varying

both the density of the shading lines, and the pressure used in holding various pencils

The method you choose for sketching is completely a matter of personal choice Some artists prefer lines, more prefer only shading, and others (like me) prefer a combination of values and lines Take time to experiment with different sketching methods Your sketching style develops over time Whatever method you prefer, is right for you

Begin your sketch with very light simple lines to simply establish the scene on the drawing paper Don’t erase any of these initial sketch lines They show the actual drawing process and give character to the sketch Simply make your final lines darker so they stand out more

Practice sketching with a pen so you won’t be tempted to erase any lines as you work Working efficiently is more important than working fast

Continue looking at your subject, as you sketch Identify specific shapes and visually measure

the proportions Shape refers to the outward outline of a form Basic shapes include circles, squares and triangles Proportion is the relationship in size of one component of a drawing to

another or others

The instructions in this lesson offer suggestions for rendering a sketch in three simple stages, based on my personal favorite style:

Ü Sketch proportions: sketching the overall composition of the scene proportionately correct

Ü Outline shapes: outlining the shapes of important objects in the scene

Ü Define values: adding simple hatching lines to shade in the values

SKETCH PROPORTIONS

The first goal of sketching is to very lightly sketch a proportionately correct map of where the different parts of the scene are in relation to one another

1 Study your subject

Look at the contours and the proportions Observe how all the parts in your scene interact with one another Take note of the areas that you consider important

2 Now look at your drawing paper and imagine this subject on your paper.

3 Observe which objects are in the foreground, middle ground and distant space, and note objects that overlap others

The foreground is the part of the

scene that is closest to you The

middle ground is the space or

section of the scene beyond the subjects in the foreground

Distant space refers to the

components of the scene that are farthest away such as a distant mountain range and/or the clouds

in the sky

4 Use loose sketch lines to draw the outlines of the shapes in the foreground

I have started by sketching a section of land and the trunk of the trees in the foreground of this scene

Visually break the subject down into shapes and measure the proportions

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

5 Choose what you consider

to be the most important element(s) of the scene (focal point), and decide how to emphasize it within the composition

I have chosen the three trees

in the foreground and the section of land from which they are growing I’ll add extra detail to this section to emphasize it

6 With simple sketch lines, indicate the basic shapes and outlines of the objects

in your scene in proper proportion to one another

A few simple lines, along with careful observation of your drawing subject, can visually describe anything For example, sometimes one curved line is all you need to record the curve of a section

of land Look for ways to define depth with

overlapping and perspective Fine detail isn’t as important

as capturing the overall essence of your subject

7 Continue adjusting your drawing until you are happy

Confirm that objects, spaces, and perspective elements are drawn correctly Pay close attention to the shapes created by the negative space Check the relationships of objects to one another, observe that angles, sizes, and proportions are accurate, and adjust as needed

OUTLINE SHAPES

Your preliminary sketch is complete, everything is where it should be, and you’re happy with your composition Time to focus on outlining the shapes of your subjects by implementing geometric perspective, adding more details, and refining your drawing!

8 Look at the objects in your composition and decide which would benefit from geometric perspective, such as buildings, fences, paths, or roads

Choose a viewpoint for the viewer of your drawing and work out the position of the horizon line Plot the vanishing points, and draw objects according to the rules of perspective No objects requiring geometric perspective are in my sketch

9 Beginning with the foreground sketch the shapes of the various aspects of the scene, such as trees and foliage

The following illustrations take you through each step of my sketching process

Keep in mind that this is my personal favorite process for sketching You are a unique individual with your own preferences Experiment with various sketching techniques until you find the style that works best for you!

10 Sketch in the shapes of the various sections of your scene that are in the middle ground and distant space

A wide open space representing a lake is in the middle ground of this sketch In the distant space you see the outlines of two hills, and above the hills is the sky

Before you get into the really fun stuff, you now have one last chance to make any drastic changes First, take a short break and then come back and have a fresh look at your drawing

DEFINE VALUES

This is it! The moment (or hour) you’ve been waiting for! Time to implement all your strategies, planning, and creative ideas into a completed sketch! When you sketch values, your eyes are your most important drawing tools

Remember, light affects the placement and value of every section of shading Keep in mind that

a full range of values gives contrast between the light and the shadow areas You can achieve different values by using various pencils, varying the density of the lines, and varying the pressure used in holding your pencils

11 Sit back (or step back) from your scene, relax and take a few moments to examine the section of your scene in the foreground

In addition to simply drawing what you see, you need to spend a few moments planning how you want your shading to look

Decide what types of shading, such as hatching, squirkling, or crosshatching, best represent the subjects in your scene In the interest of speed and simplicity, I prefer to use only hatching

Take note of your dominant light source, and look for the brightest and darkest values Identify cast shadows in foreground objects, as potentially having the darkest values Choose the areas you want to draw in detail, such as your focal point, and plan strategies to best represent their various textures with shading

Experiment, with drawing the different types of textures you plan to use in your drawing, on a piece of scrap paper, before incorporating them into your actual drawing

12 Beginning with the objects closest to you in the foreground section, use a full range of values to add shading

Begin to add shading to define the forms of the objects in your drawing

Form, as applied to

drawing, is the illusion

of the three-dimensional structure of

a shape, such as a circle, square or triangle, created in a drawing with shading and/or perspective The light is coming from the upper left in

my sketch Note the various values used to shade the leaves

Remember to use various pencils to help you with the shading I have used a 2B for the foreground sections

Add stronger lines for some areas of the contour of the various components of your subject

Note how the shading of the section of land graduates from light at the top to dark in the lower sections

Take your time

If you begin to tire or feel

frustrated, take a break When

you return have a fresh look at

your drawing and touch up

anything you’re not happy

with

Have a peek at the shading I’ve

added to the undersides of the

foliage on the tree branches

Step back from your drawing from time to time and have a look at the overall values You may need to make some areas lighter and others darker Examine how the shading of the tree trunks is darker on the right sides, which are in shadow and farther away from the light source