My Learning to Draw Journey Part 1 - Ayesha Dharker

I watched a movie, based on a recommendation from a friend,  called Out Sourced and was intrigued by the lead actress, Ayesha Dharker, so I decided to draw her. My results are shown below.

First, a bit of background on Ms. Dharker (courtesy of Wikipedia)...

Ayesha Dharker (born 16 March 1977) is a British actress, known for her appearance as Queen Jamillia, the Queen of Naboo, in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and for her stage performances.

Her other film roles include starring as a young woman brainwashed into contemplating becoming a suicide bomber in the Tamil film The Terrorist (1997), for which she was awarded Best Artistic Contribution by an Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival and nominated for a National Film Award for Best Actress.^{[citation needed]}

She has also appeared in Outsourced and The Mistress of Spices, television series such as Arabian Nights, and the West End and Broadway musical Bombay Dreams.

So...this is what I drew...

If you want to learn how to draw I strongly recommend that you check out this book.  If you can't find it at the library you can purchase it new or used at Amazon.com. 

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Read my full review of this amazing book here.

P.S. if you do order it online, be advised that I will receive a ridiculously small commission which I will gladly pass on to you if you are in any way dissatisfied with this product.

Your New Young Boyfriend is Hot!

Turning 50 Sucks!

 

Learn How to Draw Action Scenes

 Learn How to Draw Action Scenes

 This article will describe a simple process that I use to draw action scenes. 

Action scenes can be very challenging because there is a lot of “action” taking place.  I don’t like drawing action scenes because it is a very time consuming process.  But sometimes it is required because the storyline demands it from time to time.  So, what I try to do is find an image that conveys an appropriate level of action as it pertains to the storyline but at the same time I try to keep it as simple as possible.  The process outlined below is very similar to the process described in the other articles.

I’ve broken this process down into four separate sections.  I’ll call this my high level workflow:

• Finding a Subject
• Preparing the Work Area
• Drawing the Picture
• Editing/Coloring

Finding a Subject

First, you’re going to want to define what type of action scene it is that you want to draw.  Once upon a time I wrote a short story involving a young lady who was having a nightmare.  In her nightmare she was tied to a tree in the middle of a snowstorm and a pack of rabid, snarling reindeer were circling her.  

The only thing keeping them from her was a ring of fire.  It was only a matter off time before the snow doused the fire and the wild reindeer would then have their way with her.  Trees, snowstorm, fangs, fire, and fear.  A lot to deal with.  I scratched something out on a piece of paper, and I scoured the internet for something that I could use as a reference.  I never found the image that I wanted so I abandoned the idea of incorporating a drawing and just went with descriptive text instead.  So be careful when you set out to find your subject.

Here is a picture I drew recently that is fairly simple, but it conveys the level of action I was looking for to support the story I was writing.

Johnnie Oh Reacts to Explosion

Preparing the Subject

Drawing action scenes, especially complex action scenes, require a great deal of attention to detail.  I suggest that you begin by framing the original image (the subject) so that the area is contained within a 4X6 area.  Your blank paper will be framed in the same manner.  You then want to place a 3x3 (or greater) clear plastic grid overlay on the original image.  You want to use the same grid lines on your blank paper.  You can use a ruler and draw the grid lines on the blank piece of paper.  What I’ve done is I used Powerpoint and turned on view gridlines the added light blue grid lines and saved it as a jpeg and then printed a master which I use to make as many copies as I need.  I have small 4x6 and larger 8x10 grid. I also print the grids on clear overhead projection transparencies to use as my original image overlays.

 

Drawing the Picture

Take your time here.  Work on one section at a time.  Cover sections that you are not working on. Use a ruler or an index card or even a yellow sticky to measure where shapes and lines begin and end within the section that you are working on.  Look for negative spaces – they are usually the easiest parts to draw.  Go with the flow.  Feel free to erase.  Check your progress against the original often.  Last thing you want to do here is to finish and realize that something went wrong, and you have to start all over.  I’d also recommend that before you start you use a light box or a window with light shining through to draw a few reference points.

Editing and Coloring

Chance are when you finish drawing your action scene there are going to be some areas that don’t seem right no matter how many times you try to get it right.  The only thing that will take care of that is repeated practice.  But if you’re drawing for a storyboard or for a web comic consider living with your imperfect results for now.  The idea of the type of action you were looking for has been conveyed.  Consider simplifying the drawing into a very cartoonish image that may not match the artistic level of many of your other drawings but until you get much better there is little that you can do about it.

If you want to learn how to draw I strongly recommend that you check out this book.  If you can't find it at the library you can purchase it new or used at Amazon.com. 

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Read my full review of this amazing book here.

P.S. if you do order it online, be advised that I will receive a ridiculously small commission which I will gladly pass on to you if you are in any way dissatisfied with this product.

 

Marriage is Great

The great thing about marriage is I can just be myself.

She loves me for me!

Maybe "love" is too strong a word? 

Life is So Unfair

 

This is how it starts!

Hot Papaya

 

Empty Nest

 

Five Dollar Tan

 

Fountain of Youth Cream

 

How to Draw Foreshortened Images

This article will describe a simple process that I use to draw foreshortened images. 

An example of a foreshortened image is one where the subject is pointing at you or you are looking down at someone from above. When I first started drawing I wasn’t very good at drawing foreshortened images but once I learned the secret to drawing them it became very easy. The secret to drawing foreshortened images, I learned, is to draw what you see and not what you think you see. That might sound like advice right out of the Matrix but if you read the paragraphs below I think you’ll understand that I’m being very literal when I ask you to “draw what you see.”

Finding a Subject

As I’ve said in other articles, finding a subject to draw is the first of several simple steps. I consider these steps my intermediate work flow. One thing about work flows; they allow you to repeat a process over and over again quickly and consistently. This will increase your effectiveness and boost your productivity. Something that takes 10 hours one time may take only one hour the next.

Finding someone or something to draw is easy. I used to draw things because I was bored. For example, if I was at a boring meeting I would draw cartoon caricatures of the people who were at the meeting. Not everyone of course, just the people who were in my line of sight. Naturally, I tended to find a seat in the back of the room or in some isolated corner. One day, I was drawing a very pretty lady across the conference table from me. I was drawing her on the back of a report I was planning to share with the group. When I was called on I raised the report to eye level and began to read.

I heard giggles and then the young lady across the room asked in amazement, “Is that me?” I was a little embarrassed and a little proud at the same time. Do I need to mention that I was watched very closely at subsequent meetings?

Now I draw because I have a reason to draw. I have to draw to supplement these articles. At the same time I have to draw to supplement several other projects. 

For example, I am writing a story about a girl who wakes up in a mental institution believing that the plastic doll she is cradling is the daughter that she lost in real life. 

Check it out here: Alone in Her Own Bed 

As the story progresses I conjure up images in my mind that I feel will go well with the story. Then I find photos that resemble the image in my mind or I take pictures that represent that image. Then I store that image on my computer until it is time to use it. I have hundreds of photos slated for projects that I have not yet drawn. I no longer have to wait until I’m bored to draw something.

Preparing the Subject

Drawing foreshortened images is simple but if rush you’ll end up with poor results. If you take your time and let yourself enjoy the process your results will be superb. You will be so proud of yourself that you will want to find a way to share your creation with everyone else. If you’re humble (or shy) like me you may try to do it as serendipitously as possible.

For most drawings I employ a 2 or 3 step process that guarantees excellent results. When drawing foreshortened images I employ a 4 step process;

1. Frame the subject and the drawing paper with an outer frame

2. Overlay the subject photo with a clear sheet upon which a grid has been drawn

3. Draw the same grid onto the drawing paper

4. Trace the key points of the original onto the drawing paper

Tracing the key points of the original is not tracing the actual image itself. You’re basically giving yourself reference marks that will keep you on track. Turn here, stop here, etc. You can work without these reference marks (eventually you won’t need them at all) but it helps tremendously to use them in the beginning. You can apply these marks using a lightbox or by placing the image and the drawing paper against a window with adequate daylight coming through.

Drawing the Picture

As you are drawing you will find it necessary to stop from time to time to check your work just to be sure that you’re on track. Drawing foreshortened images takes longer than drawing other images. You don’t want to reach the end of the project to discover that you made a wrong turn somewhere along the way. So, place your drawing over the original image and look at it through a lightbox or a well lit window. You’ll get immediate feedback in terms of how you’re coming along. If I’m taking my time and following the guidelines I’m usually very much in sync with the original image. It’s never 100% perfect, but I’m generally satisfied with how it’s progressing. You’ll probably be amazed at yourself as you discover that you really can draw! So stop and check your work often.

Editing and Coloring

Chances are, if done with due diligence, you will not want or need to edit and/or color your foreshortened images. You’ll be so proud of your foreshortened image that to alter it will seem like blasphemy to you. It is proof that you are an artist. It was a labor of love, it is something you created, it is something that came from within you. You want to remember it just the way it is. So scan that puppy and put it away for safe keeping.

Conclusion

So there you have it a simple, straight forward process you can use to draw foreshortened images.

“Of all the images you draw, you will be proudest of these!” Yanob

Proud Parents Written by @Birdy27 and Illustrated by @ RcBonayAtWork

 

Observational Drawing

Learn How to Draw Your Way

Did you know that by learning observational drawing, you can discover that it is relatively easy to draw pictures of almost anything?  Learning observational drawing involves three steps.  First you have to understand what observational drawing is, then you have to develop your drawing skills, and then you have to put these skills into daily use.  The great news is that all this can be done in about an hour.

What is observational drawing?  According to Dr. Betty Edwards, author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, observational drawing is the art of drawing what you see and not what you think you see. You see, when we first start to draw, the critical side of our brain attempts to make things as easy as possible.  If you want to draw a tire your brain says, "aw, just draw a circle; that'll be good enough".  But if you really want to draw a real tire you have to shut that part of the brain off long enough to let the creative side of your brain guide you effortlessly through the process.

How can you develop your drawing skills?  For starters, I recommend that you can go to the library and check out Dr. Edward's book. It is quite long but I recommend that you read the chapter on upside down drawing and, at least for now, ignore the rest. The result, I promise, is that you will become a much better artist after having read just that one chapter alone.  Imagine, going from believing that you can't draw anything to drawing one of Pablo Picasso's most famous sketches.  And then, when you have the time, you can explore the remaining chapters of the book and watch in amazement as your drawing skills grow to new heights.

How can you easily put these skills into daily use?  You really have a lot of options here.  You can start a blog like I did and make regular posts of the pictures you've drawn. Or you can post them on Twitter or Facebook or any of the social media sites. You can even make money with your drawings by creating a comic book, a calendar, greeting cards, T shirts, hats, buttons, etc.  I will talk about this in greater detail in future posts.

That's all there really is to it; know what it is, develop your skills through practice, and get out there and show off your new skills.  You'll be very proud of yourself and you will look at the world very differently once you've been able to develop your observational drawing skills.