Drawing: observation, proportion, and light

Start with the overall relationships

Place two objects on a table: one tall and one wide. Before adding detail, lightly draw a rectangle around the area occupied by the whole arrangement. Mark its highest, lowest, leftmost, and rightmost points, then draw the central axes of the objects. For example, check the relationship between the height and width of a pitcher before working on its handle. This approach keeps the composition from becoming crowded at the edge of the page. Your first lines are provisional marks that you can adjust, not final decisions.

Measure by comparison

Choose one dimension as a reference, such as the width of a cup. Compare the other dimensions by estimating how many times they contain that unit. If you measure with a pencil, keep your arm extended to the same distance and maintain the same head position and viewpoint. You do not need to transfer the measurements to paper in actual centimeters; what matters is preserving their relationships. If a line seems too long, check the surrounding spaces and the center of the object before simply shortening it. Sometimes the problem lies in the arrangement as a whole, rather than in that one line.

Draw the spaces, too

The opening inside a handle, the triangle between two objects, and the gap between an object and the table are all negative shapes. Recognizing an object can prompt us to draw a familiar symbol; because these spaces have no familiar names, we tend to observe them more carefully. Check whether the angle and width of each space on your page match what you see in the arrangement. Instead of repeatedly darkening the entire outline, leave the line light or broken where appropriate. This gives you room to make corrections and helps suggest light.

Build volume with five values

Make five separate swatches ranging from the white of the paper to dark gray. Find the lightest and darkest areas of your subject, then place the other areas within that range. Form shadow describes the turning of a surface, while the shadow cast onto the table helps establish the object’s position on the surface. Do not treat them as the same shape. Avoid automatically making every shadow black; reflected light from the surroundings may lighten some areas. Establish the broad masses of tone first, leaving texture and small highlights until the end.

Revise and repeat

Step back a few paces and gently squint. This makes the balance of light and dark areas more apparent than the details. Viewing the drawing in a mirror, or flipping a photo of it on your phone, can help reveal errors you have grown used to seeing. You do not need to share the image you take for this check. Assess more than resemblance: is the viewpoint consistent, does the object sit convincingly on the surface, and is the direction of light clear? Choose one correction and try it again. Changing everything at once makes it harder to track what you are learning.

Materials you will need

• HB and 2B pencils
• Paper
• Eraser
• Two simple objects
• A fixed light source

Approximate time for reading and the first exercise; drying, firing, and repeat practice are not included.

Further reading in Turkish

• Graphical Reviews

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