The Complete Book of Drawing Techniques: A Complete Guide for the Artist

211 Pages·2004·20.28 MB·English

by  Peter Stanyer

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The Complete Book of
h
e One of the most important aspects of an
PETER STANYER
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artist’s skill is their facility with various
o
Peter Stanyer graduated in fine art at m DRAWING techniques. All practicing artists will over
London’s Royal College of Art. He has p time develop their own style of drawing.
l
The Complete Book of e
had numerous exhibitions of his paint- t Technique is the means by which that
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ings both in the uk and abroad, and is style is given expression. When an artist
DRAWING B TECHNIQUES
joint author with Terry Rosenberg of A o is well versed in a wide range of
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Foundation Course in Drawing. As a k techniques, their creative vocabulary
TECHNIQUES
teacher he has devised and developed o becomes richer and artistic possibilities
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highly successful drawing courses at the D are greatly increased.
A PROFESSIONAL GUIDE FOR THE ARTIST
Chelsea College of Art and London’s The Complete Book of Drawing Techniques is R The artist’s use of technique is however
City Lit. He is currently continuing his intended for artists who are looking to expand A
largely governed by the choice of media.
own work in Yorkshire and teaching at their knowledge and understanding of materials W
The artist must know which media will
the Halifax School of Experimental Art. and the wide range of available media. It will teach
I give the best result and how to use them.
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them about the characteristics of these media and
G This book is intended for artists who are
materials and how to use them to get the required
looking to expand their knowledge and
effect. With a unique combination of instruction
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understanding of materials and the wide
and practice the book provides examples of the E
type of mark-making each medium produces. A C range of available media. It will teach
range of projects then demonstrates effective ways H them about the characteristics of these
of working with them. By the end of the book N media and materials and how to use a
variety of materials and methods to get
every budding artist will have enough knowledge I
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the required effect.
and confidence to utilize the techniques they have
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learnt in a broad range of compositions of their
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own choosing.
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P E T E R S T A N Y E R
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C3BF5B70-8CC4-4870-976C-617F626F3B6F
C3BF5B70-8CC4-4870-976C-617F626F3B6F
Arcturus Publishing Ltd
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ISBN 0-572-02916-0
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data:
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Copyright ©2003 Arcturus Publishing
All rights reserved
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Contents
INTRODUCTION 6
200 Years Of
Part One
Know-How
THE PENCIL
1. Introduction 9
2. Materials and Examples of Marks 10 Nicolas-Jacques Conté was born at Sées
3. Ways of Holding the Pencil 22 (Normandy) in 1755. He rapidly became
5. Pencil Projects 30 enthusiastic about painting and at 20 years of
age went to study in Paris, where he would
paint portraits of the French royal family
Part Two among other works. He was very close to the
CHARCOAL major scientists of his day and met the
1. Introduction 80 Montgolfier brothers, inventors of the hot-
air balloon in 1783, when he carried out
2. Materials and Examples of Marks 84
experiments on the hot-air balloons, since he
3. Ways of Holding the Charcoal 98
was still divided between painting and the
4. Other Forms of Charcoal 100
sciences.
5. Charcoal Projects 104
The French Revolution forced him to
6. Compressed Charcoal Projects 120 change his profession in 1789. He thus
7. Willow Charcoal Projects 140 became a talented inventor in many fields.
He conducted varied research activities,
some of which concerned crayons and black
lead. Indeed, genuine crayons became
Part Three scarce. Being a painter lacking the vital pro-
PENS, INKS, BRUSHES and PAPER fessional tools, Conté found this situation
1. Introduction 155 unacceptable.
In 1794, Conté invented the lead pencil,
2. Materials 156
also known as the graphite pencil. The Conté
3. Examples of Marks and Projects 165
company profited from this invention and
was able to develop an exceptional industrial
know-how in the field of drawing, writing
and pastel.
CONCLUSION 207
In January 1795 he submitted the patent
no.32 and set up a pencil factory. A self edu-
cated painter, chemist, physician, hot-air
balloon pilot and inventor, Nicolas-Jacques
Conté passed away in Paris in 1805.
Today, the pioneering spirit of Nicolas-
Jacques remains within the Conté À Paris
company. Their products for sketching and
drawing are renowned for quality by artists
around the world.
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Introduction
Drawing, just like writing or speech, is a form known as a metaphor. Instead of chasing the
of communication, and in the same way as idea of truth, what we should be doing is
these other forms of communication drawing embracing the medium of drawing and using
can be multi-faceted, and very diverse as a it for a purpose that fulfils our needs as an
means of expression of our observations, artist or designer. Let me now explain how we
thoughts and feelings. Across the broad field can break down our understanding and use
of art and design, artists and designers will drawing to facilitate our needs. As I have said
use drawing as a specific tool for visual before there are many reasons for us to want
communication, and at the same time use a to draw, and there are many techniques and
wide spectrum of drawing techniques to attitudes for us to adopt that will serve our
express, develop, and present their ideas and purpose with the medium of our choice.
work to the viewer for what ever reason. What follows is a list of the reasons for us as
Therefore, it is impossible to make a students or beginners to make drawings.
drawing unless the artist has a clear When using this book you should first
understanding of the type of drawing that is identify the reason why you wish or need to
to be created, and the visual language that is do the type of drawing you are going to do,
to be used which will give form and and then turn to the appropriate chapter in
expressive dynamics to the drawing. This is the book. That will give you the technique for
often forgotten or misunderstood by most the medium, and the knowledge you need to
teachers of drawing. make the drawing.
FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH DRAWING REASONS FOR DRAWING
Usually our first encounter with drawing is to 1/ First Thoughts
try to copy something from observation; this One of the many approaches to drawing is to
could take the form of a portrait, still life, or a use it as a tool to record our first thoughts.
landscape. When we’re children we draw our These usually take the form of sketches and
observations from memory, and when we drawings that have immediacy to them. They
become more life experienced, we tend to are usually spontaneous and inspirational as
draw direct from observation. This is one is drawing one’s thinking process as it
normally when we encounter our first happens. This process can initiate new ideas.
problems with the art of drawing, as we have This procedure is usually done in sketch-
fixed in our minds that to be successful with books or on scrap pieces of paper, and they
this skill our rendition of what we see must be are usually presented as sheets of ideas.
nothing less than perfect. Usually these These types of drawings are then kept and
students of drawing that have this particular developed into something more substantial
approach, those who seem to be chasing a as a statement in the future when our
visual truth through drawing, end up thoughts on the subject are collected and
frustrated and feel a sense of failure. We developed into a finished idea. Many artists
cannot reproduce reality, we can only make a from different disciplines have used this
mark or a statement that acts for that reality, process of working and thinking through
or a mark or a statement that best suits our drawing as a way of developing their initial
purpose to describe that reality, and this is ideas. They range from Michelangelo,
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Introduction
Raphael, da Vinci, Rembrandt, right up to the where to go. Diagrammatic drawings have
present day and the designers of the Disney also been used in different cultures to enable
films. us to read and understand religious or
philosophical meanings, and aspects of that
2/ Research and Information gathering culture. Simple examples of diagrammatic
Artist and designers use drawing research as a drawings come with self assemble items such
way of gathering information on a given task, as furniture, models, and other forms of
or subject, that they have either been com- equipment!
missioned to do or one they have decided to
perform for personal aesthetic reasons. 4/ Theoretical Drawings
Research is usually done in sketchbooks, and Theoretical drawings are important in the
in specific places that hold the necessary history of art in that they give us a means of
information. These places could be understanding proportion, and space
museums, libraries, galleries, in the studio, or through the use of analytical and theoretical
out in the field. It all depends on the type of devices. These drawings are usually referred
research that is needed for the project in to as projection systems such as perspective,
hand. Research can contain all types of planometric, isometric, trimetric, and
information for the artist from shape, form, proportion and measurement drawing
texture, diagrammatic information, tech - systems. This theoretical drawing base is
niques, recording fact, and so on. This type of applied to human proportion, architectural
work is usually completed through drawing, plans, and drawings from nature.
and note taking. Information gathering is the
same as research but is done constantly by 5/ Copies
the artist as a visual resource. It is a visual Copying consists of absorbing the manner in
dictionary that can be used at any point for which other artists have worked using the
reference, and all artists should continuously medium of drawing. In the following chapters
be gathering this type of visual information in the book, copying is used extensively. It
and storing it for future use. Information breaks down and assists our understanding of
gathering is broader in its subject area than the drawing process. It is used to aid us in our
research as it includes anything of visual learning, and to understand more fully the
interest to the artist. If you look at some of language of drawing.
the drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, you will
see the enquiring mind of the artist, gathering 6/ Drawing from Nature
information continuously from nature and All artists draw from nature whether it be a
science. Information gathering exemplifies direct transcription or a drawing that is from
the enquiring mind that sustains an interest memory. Drawings from nature include
in the visual world. drawings of still life, drawings of the human
form, or drawings from the environment or
3/ Diagrammatic Drawings landscape. What we must realise is that when
These type of drawings are usually drawing from nature we must have a clear
instructional, for example a map e.g. when idea what we want to achieve from this
someone needs directions we will draw them drawing, how we want to approach it, and the
a very crude map that gives them an idea of type of language or technique we are going to
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Introduction
use to make the drawing. Students and over look this element in the drawing
beginners often forget this, and not to be process. Calligraphy has developed from
equipped with this in mind is like starting out strict cultural traditions and the earliest
on a journey and not knowing your known examples are from Persian and
destination. When drawing from nature our Chinese cultural draughtsmanship. In these
aims should be to identify drawing cultures, strict traditions and practices had to
techniques that are a visual parallel to the be learned and followed in the execution of a
subject we have chosen to draw. In the drawing.
following chapters in the book, I constantly
refer to many approaches and techniques 9/Drawing in its own right
that will enable you to make drawings of Drawings in their own right are drawings that
nature. Historically artists have constantly are made deliberately or solely for their own
drawn from nature especially as a information aesthetic reasons. However, illustrations can
gathering exercise to fill their minds with be put in this category, as they can act
visual knowledge that is stored for future use. independently or support text. When
connected with text, illustrations bring a
7/ Presentation Drawings visual quality to the experience that stands on
This is usually referred to by its Italian name, its own merits.
the Modello. These drawings are usually for a
patron or are a commissioned piece of work. This book has been put together in a unique
They are also referred to as artist’s way, as it brings about for the beginner and
impressions. Their aim is to give the patron the student of drawing not only the
an idea of what the finished work will look techniques, but also the analytical and
like. Both the artist and the patron can reach emotive approaches and attitudes to
an agreement before the main piece of work drawing. These techniques and approaches
is started. These serve the purpose of are then linked to the appropriate mediums
preventing mistakes being made, sometimes for execution. However, one should only be
at great expense to the artist or patron. guided by the projects in the book as starting
points for your experience with drawing.
8/ Calligraphic Drawings Whenever you feel bold enough to engage
In calligraphic drawings, the artist has a with your own ideas and developments then
repertoire of marks that act as signs or you should embrace them with endeavour
symbols for cultural meanings. As students or and gusto. Breaking with traditions,
beginners of drawing we should develop an techniques, and theories is the hallmark of
inventory of marks for the different mediums the true artist.
that enable us to express our ideas, observa-
tions, and feelings. We should experiment Finally, I would like to acknowledge Philip
with making marks, lines, shapes, tones, Rawson and his book on ‘Drawing’, and
textures, and so on. These type of experi- Dubery and Willats ‘Perspective and other
ments with the various different mediums are Drawing Systems’.
evident in the chapters in the book, and they
are an extremely important part of our
experience when starting to draw, so do not
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Part One
THE PENCIL
The different types of pencil, graphite, erasers.
INTRODUCTION
A pencil is a rod of graphite encased in a Sharpening and exposing the graphite
soft wood such as cedar, about six or seven should be regarded as an important act,
inches long and exposed at one end. because how it is done changes the type of
Crude forms of graphite pencils were first mark you make with it. There are many
used as early as the 17th century. Before ways of sharpening. A particular point
this, rods of lead or silver (known as silver produces a particular result. The artist
point) were used as implements for should experiment to discover what is
making drawings. The modern form of possible and how to make each type of
lead or graphite pencil with its wooden pencil meet his particular needs at any
encasement first came into use about the given time.
beginning of the 19th century. The pencil can be used for a variety of
The pencil fundamentally works by purposes and, as with any material you
pushing or pulling the lead end across the use, you must be fully aware of its
surface fibres of the paper, which act as potentials and its limitations - different
graters, breaking up into small flakes. pencils and types are designed for
Pressure on the pencil pushes the flakes of particular uses. In the ensuing chapter
lead into the fibres of the paper to leave a some of these practices will be revealed
mark or trace. with particular relevance to the
Graphite, a form of carbon, also known appropriate pencil or graphite material.
as mineral black or plumbago, is the major The marks shown over the following
constituent of the modern pencil. The few pages give some idea of the wide range
softness or hardness of a pencil varies of mark making possible. When you have
depending on the amount of clay mixed looked at them, take each of the pencils in
with the carbon. The softest varieties of turn and see what marks you can make.
pencil contain little or no clay. Artists and Apart from being very stimulating and a
designers will use a range of pencils, way of opening your mind to new
varying their choice according to the effect possibilities with your drawing, you will
they are trying to achieve. find it increases your ‘feel’ for the pencil
As the graphite is worn away by use, it itself. As artists, what we feel through the
can be repeatedly exposed. This is done by materials we use has an affect on what we
the action of sharpening the pencil using a produce, and familiarity with those
purpose-made sharpener or blade. materials is vital to a good outcome.
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