Drawing skills are increasingly being shunned by designers and being replaced by 3D modelling, which arguably is quicker, more flexible and more realistic in being able to represent an idea, conceptual or finalised. However I feel that we need to keep on using these skills as a means of communication. Drawing doesn't have to be a painstaking process, it can be the cliche 'cigarette packet' approach. No matter what quality, if it communicates the idea of the creator than the overall purpose of that drawing has been achieved. Be confident.Sketching is about visualising an idea from brain to paper. Arguably this is very hard and takes time and dedication to perfect (unless you are born with a natural ability). The process of being able to draw what we see with our eyes is arguably easier and results in a better, more confident drawing. This is one of the reasons why rough models are created from styrofoam or card, so you can accurately recreate a design in a physical form to use as a template for drawing. With a physical model you can rotate it, shine a light onto it to get an idea of the shadows being created and you can use it to further develop your design to make it more effective. Don't Be afraid of colour.With an infinite of colours available to use in the whole spectrum, the task of applying colour to a drawing can be rather daunting. The best approach to take is reminiscent of the previous chapter: 'Be Confident'. Know what colours you want to use and therefore know that you will need some complimentary tonal shades of these colours to create the effect of light, shadow and reflection. 1. With a choice of marker pen brand, start applying the shadows first in a tone of medium grey, re-apply the same marker to accentuate darker shadow areas. 2. Apply colour sparingly remembering that in areas where two corners meet and the fact that the further away an object is, it is depicted as being slighlty darker. 3. Quick and confident strokes. Don't be afraid of mistakes. A timid application of colour will mean a timid and naive result. Tracing As a practice technique.Tracing has a bad reputation. Tracing is deemed to be cheating. Well technically if you copy somebody else's work then yes it is basically plagiarism. However it can be used to promote muscle memory, this being a key element to what makes a good drawing. If you find certain shapes, like ellipses difficult to draw, then get a few printed examples of ellipses and place underneath some tracing paper. Keep tracing over the image for a few minutes. After 5 mins, take away the original image, and then start drawing the ellipse without the template. Keep on practicing this and you will begin to find that you start drawing more naturally. Equipment.A black pencil crayon for rough initial lines. Oil based markers in a variety of shades. A selection of fine-liners in various weights. White chalk for highlights. Overview.Drawing is not scary, you will be judged on clarity of an idea and how it is presented, not whether or not it looks pretty. If you create a pretty yet informative drawing then you have hit the jackpot. Practice, practice, practice.
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Designer. Did a blog. Starting blog again. Early Thirties. Like Food. Like Drink. Like Music. Like travelling. If you like this blog get involved, comment and send me a story or a product, lifestyle, or way of life to promote.
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