Drawing from Direct Observation - Ran Art Blog

As an art instructor, one of the recurring problems I see is artists who started with colors, but cannot draw.
So, they come to me.

I usually start by teaching how to draw accurately from observation (from photos, screens).

Then, understanding perspective.
Meaning, how we see things (optics), and how we translate them from the 3D world to a 2D surface.

The first rule: objects look smaller the farther away they are (because they occupy a smaller part of our field of vision).

The second rule: All objects are subject to foreshortening (the more they are along are line of sight, the shorter they become).

While it is easy (with knowledge and practice) to draw complex structures from observation, it is much harder to draw from direct observation (from life).

That is when one needs to understand perspective, or things get messy.

It is important to understand how foreshortening works, especially for boxes and cylinders.

In my guide for drawing from imagination, I explain that, but it is important to first draw from observation, before drawing from imagination (or memory).

So, I recommend drawing from observation as much as possible.

It can be sketchy and fast.

Once you get how to draw the structure right, from direct observation, you can focus on rendering it beautifully.

In a realistic way (or any style you prefer).

Till next time...

Ran

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