Light and Shadow: Drawing an Egg

7. DRAW THE BACKGROUND MOUNTAINS

Smooth the background mountains for an even tone using a paper towel or rag. Finish the background with an H pencil. Use an overhand grip to keep the marks lighter where they need to be, using atmospheric perspective to make each line of mountains lighter as they recede. Clean up old angle-sighting, measurement lines, and gesture marks using your rubber or kneaded eraser in that area.

8. REFINE THE MIDDLE GROUND

Finish the middle ground with an F graphite pencil for middle values and a 6B pencil for the darker trees. Blend between layers with a paper towel or rag and use a blending stump to further refine this area. Use a rubber eraser to lift light areas and create a variety of marks.

9. START THE FOREGROUND

Using a soft 6B graphite pencil, add details to the foreground. Use an overhand grip to create broad strokes that reveal the tooth of the paper. Leave general paths for the tracks, which will be refined in the final step.

9. MORE SILO DETAILS AND GROUND

Continue using the straightedge, 6B pencil, and rubber eraser to add silo details. Draw the ground plane using the F and 6B graphite pencils with an overhand grip to reveal the tooth of the paper to simulate grass and rocks. These marks contrast against the sharp edges of the buildings.

10. FINISH

Finish the drawing by adding details to the remaining building and ground. Clean up the drawing using the rubber and kneaded erasers as needed.

Clouds are one of those subjects that we often start drawing at a young age. For this project, we’ll look closely and work on creating realistic clouds catching beautiful late-afternoon light. You’ll need to rely on your skills with value and texture for this assignment.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Gray-toned drawing paper, 9” x 12” • Vine charcoal • 2B and 4B charcoal pencils • Blending stump • Rubber and kneaded erasers • White charcoal pencil

1. BLURRED REFERENCE

Use this simplified, blurred reference to establish a quick gesture drawing in step 2.

2. GESTURE DRAWING

Use vine charcoal with an overhand grip for light, loose marks to quickly establish the larger dark shapes.

REFERENCE

6. CONTINUE TO REFINE THE DARKS

Keep refining the darks using a blending stump. Use rubber and kneaded erasers to clean up unwanted lines and refine the dark shapes further.

7. MAP SHADOWS IN LIGHT AREAS

Start mapping out the shadow shapes in the light areas of the clouds using a blending stump.

8. BLOCK IN LIGHTS

Use the white charcoal pencil with an overhand grip to block in the light areas. Refine the shapes of the clouds in the light areas. Smooth and shape these areas with a clean blending stump (it needs to be clean so that you don’t drag any unwanted darks into your light areas).

9. FINISH

Continue using the white charcoal pencil and establish the brightest highlights using greater pressure. Smooth and shape these areas with a clean blending stump. If needed, use the 2B charcoal pencil in the negative space behind the white clouds to sharpen edges and details.

The star of this project is the falling water, but the entire landscape is important here. Start with the large forms, then move into the finer details to pull this drawing together. It’s easy to be intimidated by all the trees, but trust the process and your materials to suggest those details.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Charcoal or rag paper, 9” x 12” • Vine or willow charcoal stick • Rag or paper towel • 2B and 4B charcoal pencils • Rubber and kneaded erasers • Blending stump

1. BLURRED REFERENCE

Use this simplified, blurred reference to establish a quick gesture drawing in step 2.

2. GESTURE DRAWING

Use the vine charcoal with an overhand grip to do a quick initial drawing. Gently wipe down with a rag or paper towel.

REFERENCE

6. REFINE LARGE SHAPES

Continue to work on the large shapes of the drawing using a 2B charcoal pencil, rubber and kneaded erasers, and blending stump.

7. ADD BACKGROUND DETAILS

Add background details using a 2B charcoal pencil, rubber eraser, and blending stump. Sketch the trees using an overhand grip with short, varied, horizontal strokes.

A analyzing your work 53 angle-sighting 48 apple 63–66 art supplies 8–12 blending stump 12, 24 charcoal 10, 11, 32 eraser 12 graphite 9, 11, 32 paper 11, 54 sharpener 12 atmospheric perspective 54–57

B bird 80–83 blending stump 12, 24

C cast shadow 34 cat 84–87 charcoal 10, 11, 32 charcoal paper 11 child 120–123 clouds 150–153 compressed charcoal 10, 11 contour line 21 contrast 32, 55 correcting 13 cotton rag paper 11 country road 125–128 cross-contour line 22 crosshatching 30 cup 15–22

D depth and scale 48–49 dimensional hatching 31 directional marks 40 disjointed hatching 31 drawing, gesture 19 negative 25, 26 optical 13 drinking glass 76–79 E edge 46 egg 29–37 ellipse 17 eraser 12 eyelashes 41 eyes 38–44, 104–107

F fabric 67–71 farm 146–149 flower 59–62 form shadow 34 freehand straight line 46

G gaze, indirect 33 gesture drawing 19 glass 76–79 graphite 9, 11, 32 grip, pencil 16, 17, 24

H hair 40, 96–99 hand 93–95 hatching 30, 31 heron 80–83 high contrast 32 highlight 34 horizon line 52 horizontal guide 49 house 129–133

I illusions, value 33 indirect gaze 33 intersection point 49 isometric perspective 47

K kneaded erasers 12 knife, utility 12 L landscape 54–57 layering 24 leaf 72–75 light and shadow 29–37, 40 line, contour 21 cross-contour 22 horizon 52 plumb 48 shape versus 18 skill, developing 15–22 straight 46 linear perspective 45–53 line of termination 34 low contrast 32

M man 112–115 mark-making 41 masking 46 modified grip 16 mouth 100–103

N negative drawing 25, 26 nose 104–107

O objects and animals 58–91 apple 63–66 bird 80–83 cat 84–87 fabric 67–71 flower 59–62 glass 76–79 leaf 72–75 orange 88–91 old schoolhouse 45–53 one-point perspective 47 optical drawing 13 orange 88–91 overhand grip 16, 17, 24

P paper 11, 54 parallel hatching 31 pencil, charcoal 10 graphite 9 holding 16, 17, 24 people and portraits 92–123 child 120–123 eyes and nose 104–107 hair 40, 96–99 hand 93–95 man 112–115 mouth 100–103 skull 108–111 woman 116–119 perspective atmospheric 54–57 isometric 47 linear 45–53 one-point 47 two-point 47 plumb line 48 positive space 25

R rag paper 11 railroad 138–141 razor blades 12 rhythmic marks 41 river 133–137 rough charcoal paper 11 rubber erasers 12

S scale and depth 48–49 scenes and skies 124–157 clouds 150–153 country road 125–128 farm 146–149 house 129–133 railroad 138–141 river 133–137 sunset 142–145 waterfall 154–157 schoolhouse 45–53 shadow and light 29–37, 40 shadow shape 34 shape 18, 23–28, 34 sharpener 12 skills 14–57 atmospheric perspective 54–57 landscape drawing 54–57 light and shadow 29–37 line 15–22 linear perspective 45–53 shape 23–28 texture 38–44 skull 108–111 smooth drawing paper 11 space 25, 26 squinting 33, 35, 41 stones 40 straightedge 46 straight line 46 subtractive masking 46 sunset 142–145

T terminator 34 texture 38–44 tomato 23–28 tone 26, 30–31 toned paper 54 tree bark 40 tripod grip 16, 17 truth 13 two-point perspective 47

U utility knife 12

V value, about 24 creating 30–31 relative 33 understanding 32 value contrast 55 value illusions 33 value scale 32, 54 value wash 30 vanishing point 47, 52 vine charcoal 10, 11

W waterfall 154–157 willow charcoal 10, 11 woman 116–119