Successful Drawing - Andrew Loomis - Illustration Age

151 Pages·2003·22.69 MB·English

ROUND

SQUARE

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CYLINDRICAL,

CONICAL

PYRAMIDAL
The Fundamentals

Artis eeally having its chance. The urge t0
draw seems to have taken held of many more
{ousands today than ever before It has spend
across the nation, While many axe interested tn
aut as a pastise a hobby, others would gladly
Shoose it as a means of livelihood sf they werr
convinood that thei ability was suficient to pro.

‘Thee will always be a certain amount of
coufusioa about what is talent o= aative
in dean
‘Too often, knowledge is consirued as talent. On.
the other band, drawing that lacks censtuctive
knowledge is sekiom successful as drawing. The
truth is that we de not see the talent until the
means of bringing it forth has been developed.
‘That menus i a veasonsbly acoarate analysand
tundetatanding of the levs of nature as they ap=
ly to man's vision

‘Drawing is vision on paper: More than th
is individual vision, tied up with individ per-
ception inlevest,cbservation, characte, philoso
phys and a host of otter qualities all coming
from one source. It cannot, and te be successful
should net, be anything, eke. Drawing is very
clesaly related to the othor ereative arts, al of
whieh are oulsieypings of a dese 0 express
individual emotion, «9 rake the other fellow
<onscio:s of ur faner for ings. We want him to
liste or lock, aud we vant his appreciation of
svhat we have to offer. Fechap
ceive admicaton for our particular ascomplish-
ments. Perhaps we havea message we dees

wish te re-

worthy of others attention, Berhaps we see
such an effort an enjoyable means of making
ourselics uscful, or providing ourselves with the
live

haod that we anus achieve in some way.
We who close art us onz medium ef expres
sion should realize that it has certain fardae
imencals from which we progress, just 38 there
are fundamentals of Mteratnre, érama, of rms

L

Unlertmately, the Fundamensals of an approach
te art have not usually been. 30 cleacly defined
for proctical study 9s have those of some ether
creative activites. Commeretal art a compare
tively new profession. However, the leaders io
the field ure beginning to ennretbuze time and
thrght 8

Sucecss in the ereative folds i always accems
mm ly distinctiveness, someting saz singles
fone ots an individual and sets hes apart Foes,
the crowd. One artist ean eas succesful as
nother in his use of baste knowledge, without
repeating another art's performance. If there
ts any way that one man in the eraft ean really
help anetier, iti by ineceasing his knowledge
of the craft itself, rot inthe particular qualities
of the man’s own werk, The knowledge of our
cxa't mest be pooled, asi sin the seiences and,
other professions, exch
fun contributing. Me is di
teach without presenting his own work a8 an.
cesample. But Tam cesta that in tis book, foe
‘example, there is much macerial which she stu
‘ent ean apply to his own work without refer
ence ta any partiulae style or technique of mine.

Suppose we have two drawings before vs. Oe
appeals: the othe does no: This one is good, the
rier had. Why? Uhelieve Tee potnt ont ander.
ying reasons that are perfectly unGetstanda
Strange’y enough, the reasons are usually not
Four art hock or taught f elases, The ze
sponse to drawing is related to “he emottons and
experience of the individual, aul is wholeh
at, 50 far as I know, from the teaching of art.
Yet Vdo not helfeve net ean go very fat ves
dhe artist has soine soxt of an unlestanding of
‘tvs response. An actist can ge all his Mfe ithe
cout realizing why ls work caes not appeal Fv

ful artists may not really know why wir

work Goer appeal, thought they theak heaven
it docs

5 teach ng
THE FUNDAMENTALS

Ve under

id why a drawing dos ar does
hot appeal, we mst seecy
I Gavalened in every
for excly childhood throug’ adn life. The
tom “Iatelligont perosption” T thisk ensres
close as any te: deserting this faculty. Tv
coerel nated with the h
nese developec by contact ‘At same tin
four brains secept certain ellects or appe:
as tach, ane abide by these decisiens, We lem
to distinguish ane appearance Fem avezhes, in
sige or propastion, in color, end in texture. ATL
give us intel gent perce
‘Lon, We have a sense of space or dept, even if
sve know nothing of the science of
‘We wie quickly aware of dis.ortioa o: defermnity,
since the appeararc
‘exper.ener has taught as is normal or ra
ful. Fo is sogisteced in the mind. even if we
know swing @2 anatomy and pieportion, so
ly, shoul
‘even give a good verbal deseripti
fof it. Or sors of proportion tlls ws tat dis is
1 chil auc thal mieget, or this a puppy and
sanall dg Tatelligeat percep:son includes
for bulk aud vontows, We wy

omni

te senses com ine ti

spective

wh

sve could ne!

feel
froma goose, fw jon Seem 4 each, This tr:
{sas well developed in those who look at art as it
is ‘nv art'sts. We all as decividb
corsclonely accepted contain offecte of Hight We:
Juow when appesiances aro consistent wth ds
Tighe, ariel Hight, twilight, or orighs sealignt
pereeption ts pact of nacure,
‘Tho minate the spectator sues change of prox
portion, distortion, change of orm, colon oF tes=
he realizes that somerhing ts wrarg. The
To tation will net foal hi The daramy
in the department sore ssindow is 2 dumay to
‘everyone. We know flesh Zeon ss by the offeos
that fave previously heen registered iu om
mins,

We artists cannot ignore this intelligent pox
ception and expect to secure intell:gentzesponse,
for oven favorable sesporse, to ont week Make
up your mind thet your audience wil reaet to

your work just 25 If deos to life itself, Ineell:gent
petovption Sndls oly trath convincing, Te lay
rom dane nik med to Roan agltng of ant 0

Aone

hush We tikes gore work or wnt. We vat
nse ll the arguments alibi, and defenses i the
‘wor di we ean explcin ourselves hoarse; bu: we
ceanno™ allect something s0 deeply imeside in
conesloustess. TF what we say fn paint ts
in color wahies or weet, the spectster
fools it, ana dhere fs rating we ean €9 ea con.
‘ince him ocho
ologisalresponse gpes stil further. Fvery
pictine shoul! have some reasen far existence,
some purpose hebied it IF we can make the
spectator feel that purgose we have sueccededd
further ir capturing ‘is interest. Net only is
every man “ving among nature's elects, he is
‘840 living expestenss, Life ts nat anly what he
sect but what he feels. Supplerscaring in our
<écawing ¢ smotion that is alzeady within hira
seoues {tater espoase, You can feel emotion
‘aly witha yourself, and ary emotion tht é in
‘your work must come frora you. You can be sure
that most ofthe emotions you fe! are alse pres-
eat in others. That is way we live though a
movie of a play with che characters. To a cou
sidctabledegues, we lke or dishine
faofar as hss apple to ous indvidual wmo-
tions, Yor the same season we like or dislike a
piewe of eat
Whe ni cus icing tt
paception of the spectalor because
ress of form, texte, space. and lighting, and ¢¢
the same sme appeats to his emotions, the artist
can depend upon a favorable respoase
Drawingshovld note taupht hy teioing spe
cialized or ind'vidual techniques. What should
hie tanght ts the vay ro get the fora, the cor-
Corsa the values, rgd if mannerisms.
How fi nadlis 4 pone Js Bittle to do
with your maia problem, Hew be handles “ight
cm ‘om andl contours what to lk for, incase
bie interests you. However, {Jim Jones is good,
quite certain be goes for his in orm
me est source ~ life itself, Le has

Ars
THE FUNDAMENTALS

ing ty mini
svliene has no other way of getting a resale

sing His tmaginatio

"These
i wichont which ne desing cm aly be
tog

0 far, Ihave been: unable to fina owthaok af
‘hawing which defines tho -ellionsip ef pro
potton and perspective to the stacy of
shadow. Since these elements ar s0 thor
nterdependest, ths book, which presents Chom
shat way should meet a

hose who ha

tac’ laws, plus vison, the greatest teacher is
acureitsll IF the actat has che eechn que of
depleting the cerstrection and contonrs of sn
cect se: ‘9 pees, ous the Kiowledge of how
ligat operares on tke terms we consider basi
he has coin fe srngocd to his own n=
scexpressio, waieh ser al ef greater

cern base

crease se de

cessful I nieve thse eh asents eam Ls

weed

2 understanding of nae

Suppose we csk ourselves what a good éxme=
fng 18? Les us thins Hist of he qualities hae
ke up goad se pone ont the
epartments ef au eft. Anyching ye dew? is
rvewefone’. aus height, breadth, and thicke
tues, There is ratio between the three dren
sioas, which ws eall propertion. Then all the
parts within the subject have zatias tm ere
‘another, and if shese axe covroct thay add up to
make the overall dirsensions cemect. A chasing.
anno be owl ff nt in proportion, sa let
ts call proportion the wamber one elerient
Siree the propadtions evist in the Shag we
Arasen i, Tet
be

veo elo: we Have
shall phioe st with
horndaries of avr paper suefaes, Let us thins of|
the paper os representing open space, within
which we wish to place the subject, We want it
te settle mice'y within the area in whiel itis
anost pleasing and at the sare We moss con
vineing. We look carefully st the subject to

select a viewpoint. We may cut a
lar opening, in a ear that Is iv propor

vith to dw

13

tion to our drawing area — te soe post where the
sanject should go, Hlow big o: small should ic be
now elase or far away, and where? Let os eall
1s clement placement

Wher a viewpoint hes been selecced sad a
rloeement decided upon, we start ro draws. The
third clement paps np. We eaot draw an ob-

{eet withan: parapeesine, Singe serspeetive is the
fist ruin problem that arises it isthe last thing
the satis! shoeld Team An amdenstanding af
should precede or be ¢ part oF every a-tseaonl
Uuaining, Ne d-wsng is rel daseing wr less i
ulated to ar eye level oe horkzen, with the rla-
UGonship undlersiod by the artist, The suljct a
pempoctive ciomet be eavorad completely in
this book, but {shall attsimp: to give the stock
inchade knowledge af ft Caat L bekave i i
persable I suxgest, however, that vou get other
boo’, anid, hile you aro he wing es ws mda
abot it as possible, sinow it is ane of ths mast
important slements af susoossfal dnvwing,
Suppose se understand the perspeesive and
get it correct. Whal news? In cide: lo sol p eos
vincing fonm in the effect of ligt, hates, aad
shades, we amt separate thy Uitee ito plans
Through the effec: of Liat on planes wo aarive
at the solic appease 07 Ce fom, We “ook
Nest ty sveas oz plac of bull light, then, as the
fem say assty frst Big, we Find she
ten2 areas or planes. Beyoud thy halftone planes
we find she areas thet ave in saadow, tae shadows

phew, Within th
ighs, which, though a p:
desines

¢sthe planes, se exo to another
tof good diawing which we may ell
pattern. When we dia with waives, we beconse
elved in the tonal a:sangcane
rattern is anorher aspect of composition, Place
tment relates to eo pasitian in t3ers of Tne: pat
tera relates (9 terms oF
eves where exeativeness gets its Brst chance.

10 the patterns of a subject, nat

all patteans as the camera dacs
Nature’s pattems may be good or bad 1 ovr

oa drawing,

We eau arn
THE FUNDAMENTALS

‘inion and within our particular space Hits,
Evecy drawing i an arst’s eller in spacing
aad arrangement of the pe.

Composition i aa abstract element. Orly a
Lutte of compossion ox be tar ght
books on the subject worthy of hard study. Ask
sears tobe more or less instnetve.
‘would rather mike or esem nanan
bbe told how to micke them

“The bat way 10 reve at aattern or eorpesi-
tio: is to make small
Uhumbnai sketches Mt
feur tones

cons of tone.

cur Tbrary, Fessevar, cnmpostion

sy which ye call
1s them up of three oF
until you got the feel ow subjeck
fol preewee any actual drawing,

lly design, and dosign is
Ie outgrowth of

deqwing, Ona will
the other.
Novy, if yam Is

ways bs

wl alseady notiond 15, we
hove sted fivn elements of god drawing. all
starting with Ue eller EThese ars: proportion,
Phoamest, perspoosve, planes, and pattern. Let
A hc she five

But tse ace not the only considerations of
goad dvavring, A while back we were consider-
ing the emotional quali which every good
raving sould have. If the subject is Saanimate,
dhe emotional quelities wil Me ip the way iis
prevented TE it i x kidscape, 2 may Le the
nocd of she day of the feshaess and ebarn of
haveing. In a stil life may be the appeal af
the subject matter, the beauty of the objeste
icanselves aa figure subject, the emotiar may
‘be revealed tn the action o expression of the
figures, aria te sto:y they tell

Tofcve beggining to dave, close your eyes anc
ty te see the subject. Think of what woald be
happening, Think of dhe basic idea oe purpose
of the efor. I this may be eelled the concep.
ton of che subject. Again we need to make
tumrbmal sketches, evea scribbles, unt our
subjext begins to take shape.

Remembering that
se ama eset i th

se of rightness whi
v-who will ook at or judge
lfrts, we now need infornation n order “0

4 the thin convincingly, We have an idea, we
have made txeickes, and we mast now proceed
with our drawing. The next important element
is vonstanction, New we must collet phate
pps wake sketches and studies, bunt up elt
if go lo any available source for enerect
information, If we eas aor t, we gor 2 model
photographs or statics,

element « closely relcted to
1 mast be considered at the

“There 8 asothor
conesruction that i
without the athe

achieve the one
Tait is conto Constmetion
is concemed wich the boll or the mass from the
inside out, Contos i the outer edge af the mus
inspace. Corsten ts hase on viewpoint and

perspect've, The
be diferent from
mast eateblish a

wppearanes ct an object
y angle, Therefore we
re level ta whicl we relate
all constructlor and contour. No sub vet eam be
Grav eonrecly to moze han one oye Fevel This
3s seeauae IU impos to Tah al any object
front twin poaitions at the sure ime, For this
reacon, the infection we have mast be ad
Josted to Mt the problem. Two clipyings er swe
photographs of the same scbject will seldom
Shave the same eye loved, ar —and this is vitally
important the same sousee or kind of ligat
‘The ideal inZormation, oF cours, seoured by
having al) parts 6f the sxbject before yeu at
ee, in Hae sae Tighsieg, Grom ene viewpoint
of ese of camera, Begioners especially should
wors this way. Thar 6 why still life, artsebool
goses, and outdo scenes are the hhest subjects
ain gwhic to lean to see amd to draw. But we
Stil need the Fundamestal iafommatic
‘a drave thom, ‘Th stiles. who goes to an art
class huowing semetaing af proportion and per
spective and hors aelvowe thos sill pass his
lellow studeats by Teaps and bourds, and when
he leaves seoo} bis work sell gain aceeptaner
such faster chan thes wl
Without a haowkedze of
ighting of the basi
‘ing snd proportion, the aris comes
1 slave to photosiats, prujesturs, 0

spective Ss
oums. or some iden of
“Think of your paper as roprevnting apen space, not a8 8
‘0 dimensional sort, but sits edges were the bow
aris of an open window. You look atall of life and nature
through this paper window

Attempt either to set forms inte this spaue that exists be-
fore you or to given feeling af actuality to forms which you
reste feom 2 Jveledige of the laws of nature, We study
ture for eSeots and sat them dase.

"This involves dimension, contour, vlewpomt (meaning per-
peodive), and lighting. Only through light, which pro-
dduow all tone, color, and appearance, can we produce a
tuue image of life.

Realy te draw, 20 cannot think only af any singe aspect
of drwwing, such us contour, without Uhe ether essentials
‘but most seek to unify all aspects ato & complete and
‘organized whole.
THUMBNAIL ROUGHS

The habit of setting dawn your mental conoep- and try to visualize what is taking place, a6 fe
tion of a subject in miniature rows can play would be in life: You have no detail to go by. so
fa most important part ja your development just suggest the materil, Thik of some kind of
fs an artist. The best way isto shut yuur eyes light. It will come.

ie
THE FUNDAM

snechanicel means that will substitute for the
knowledge he lacks. Tf he trawes o> projets pho
togmphs Instead of éraungg his sabjeet, the
result wil show up fu bis work, Suet am artist
ssl sedan reach the front sank, unless his work
thas otaer quatitins that soauehow make it beter
thas the suck of other photograph copyisis. IE a
drawing f to be individval and dynamic, the
sts cast cae the exiners only to peovide some-
thing (9 draw from, a8 ke woule drag from a
model. The camera does not see ia the same per
spective et proportion as do the to human
eyes, Being a slave to the camera usually leaves.
the stamp of the photographie 0» a mar’s wor
AF you use photographs, sqnare che eff and
eas, but always dease, ant tee

once knew of en artist who was asked to do
1 subject away from hone, when all his copying
pesaphemalis was ack in his studio. Fer once
Ihewas forced te draw. He went through torture
before he dnd finished. The de
(good. He had never realized low ruck ho do-
pended upon his crutches, He went back home
an started drawing its earnest. The slave to the
‘camera nover really hows how bad he really is
cor what his work lacks, vat] he ean see the dif
ference of veal drawing on his own deawing
beard. The say he
tess, hut i should Ke pounded énte the novice
that is grestest hope lcs ia hs ewan good feoo-
hand diswing

Wen, by dint of hard offort, wo succed in
gelling construction and contour, there is some=
thing else, closely related to both, which we
myst he constantly thinking ef. That is ch
ote. Character iv the ching Ua distinguishes

for person from any ether. Usage

brings eharneter to an object experience rings
it to man, Character is alway a singularity. Pie
tovally, character 8 a form that belongs to this
‘subject and no olthor. It i farm in a particular
‘plac, wader particule lighting conditions, from
fa particular viewpoint, with partcalar effect, IL
{somathing immadio'y, eacyht as fat a gance
~ Ane set of Ue Features at that moment, the lok

‘a anan’s own bust

ALS.
of the eyes, the mouth, tke planes of the face
in chat lighting, all Raving to d9 eth ren
stances then andl there. Here is where the emer
‘can eatch valuable information. But before the
‘camera clicks, the emotion andl app
‘ste present—Felt within the art
‘posed to the model, oF in the mele and
reeagilzed and emight by che artist
through she whola efort, the art feels the
thing he wants to express, the thing that niches
him sant to say something with kis pencil or
Tors, Sich feeling as a way of getting into the
techaieal expression, the handling of the me
dium, Sometimes the aetist s rot even eonscfous
of if but i sill contributes to the success of the
work, simply because tbe feeling is #160 cone
ate

‘The study of elodhing and deapery does much
to adel character, the hand, the shoes. The ges-
ture, in ooreet spacing and drawing, does its
past And yot gesture i really eonstruction and
‘contous, planet and values. A portralt skotel :s
about Soe hundred per cont character, witch

ances all
nd tran

veyed 0 the sp

eans accurate spacing of features, planes, acd
fonton, Character eanmot be achioved without
all the elements of geod drawing. Real presen:
tation of character ifs the artist ta the top af

cf all,
aes

ich $ constancy. Cansistney eta
Consistenay is really truth, as 200
ognized by that intelligent pereeption we all
Jue, ati and layman ak. Consistency che
nicl, mets tha hghting,propertion, perspec
tive are 40 handled that all elements slong 10
cme particular sujet an ae ocher. Thee is 2
camssterey of papose, when all things press

home that purpose. There ts te
sisteney of troatment, 90 that all parts of the
subject seem to be done by the same end, in
the sume individual way. Td not saean that all
surfaces showld Lv lailled as if made of the
same material, oF with dhe same kind of ste,
but that all parts save 8 val of appreads and
ccyaaizns the subject ito a single

sen wh