TOOLS OF THE TRADE

When a small child is born it has little motor control over its limbs and head. Over a period of months, the child starts to gain momentum and control in the movements. It usually starts with their hands. First, they will look at the hand and move the fingers slowly. Once this process starts, it gets better and better with time. Each child has their opportunity to attempt many eye pokes and pull wads of hair.

So how does this help us to draw? Hand-eye co-ordination is conducive to drawing. If you see it, but your hand does not do what you want it to do, the movement has no value.

WE Can learn hand-eye

co-ordination.

Anything that requires precision with your hands and eyes.

When my daughter started scribbling at one year old I noticed it was unique. She did not scribble. she carefully and slowly created small circular shapes. Hand-eye co-ordination at such an early year was there. I went home to see what I had done when I was younger. My mother kept all our school projects but finally removed them 6 months before I arrived. I monitored the next child and It was not the same. But when my daughters first born was nearly 1 yr old, I noticed the same style. And yet all my children can draw well.

What helped them and others is the DESIRE to LEARN MORE. WE Can learn hand-eye co-ordination

1. Cutting detail shapes with scissors.
2. Tracing pictures accurately.
3. Making models…etc.
4. Taking time to examine things closely. [ I will post later ]

There is a number of things that can help us improve our skills

One way is to take your pencils and create a grid such as above and draw boxes and then shade in the box starting from 9H soft to 9B

Tools help us to create. Using tools such as graphite pastels, charcoal pencils and pastels. We can create forms with lines or shapes using light shades or dark shades This is the fundamental part of creating depth and details in our drawings.

Take your pencils and create a grid such as above and draw all boxes and then shade n the box starting from 9H soft to hard , then 8H…

The harder you press your pencil the darker the shade or value in the drawing. The softer you use the pencil, charcoal or pastel, the lighter the shade or value in the drawing

Still, to draw we need tools. Eraser, pencil sharpener, smug paper, fine sandpaper, ruler and a paint brushes to soften the lines and shadows. We also need a surface such as paper or other mediums.

Take your pencils and create a grid such as above and draw all boxes and then shade in the box starting from 9H soft to hard , then 8H…

Drawing exercises that were encouraged every day for my daily journal at school were to draw the outline of an object without looking at your paper. It does not look pretty but it helps you to develop a better control of the pencil.

This page is 40 yrs old . This project was to draw straight lines and circles by hand. No Ruler. This was a weekly assignment.

Our Art teachers theory was if Aztecs could draw a straight line without a ruler why can’t we. Mind you, our first couple of months the lines were somewhat squiggly in most parts. and our circles were interesting, but near the end of the year you could produce this with No Ruler

There is looking & There is seeing

Artist Jean Honoré Fragonard purposely created this painting as it is. He focused on her facial features and the intensity of the young lady as she was focused on something and pondering, just as her Artist was focusing on her.

The Artist Henry David Thoreau said, ”It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

The FIRST and most important tool that we possess for drawing is our EYES. We can see things, but do we actually look at what we are seeing?

The SECOND is developing HAND-EYE COORDINATION helps us to be able to draw what we SEE. This takes time and practice. This is developed in the brain. ( go to …hand eye co-ordination article)

How does our brain come into play? Well we search for…. The lines, the light source, the shadows, the colour of the object and the shape.

Does it have sharp edges or soft edges? What is perspective ?

Why are objects smaller in the background?

Where is the reflection?

Is it a line or a contrast?…

Yes, there is more to Drawing then we thought.

When we are thinking about drawing we tend to talk about our tools. Our techniques our material and colours. This is just the physical act of drawing.

We want to take the time to observe our subject. Find the shapes, forms, shades of colour or lack of and subtleties that fascinate us. 

Artistic tools seem unending. “The Artists Illustrated Encyclopedia written by Phil Metzger quotes “tools, techniques, material and terms” From abaca fibre to zinc white. (A reference book worth looking into)

Today, I would like to focus on the basic tools and techniques that will help you build your skills. We are familiar with pencils and paper so today I would like to introduce the value of shades and the values that they create. If you look below you’ll see a chart and blank squares in a row.

Good quality pencils are a must for an artist. You’ll notice that the pencil grades start at 9H and travel to the right to 9B. The H stands for hard. Yes the graphite in these ones are harder and so they create a softer and lighter value or grade.

The B stands for black. These are a softer type of graphite. The soft graphite helps the artist to make gradual darker aspects to the drawing. Each pencil has a different value or shade.

Start with at least four of the H pencils and four of the B pencil. Create as many boxes that you have pencils. Start in the upper left corner of the box start shading very softly and then press harder as you get to the other corner on the bottom to the left. Have fun. Let me know how you did!