Below are definitions and descriptions for some terms I use
Drawing definitions 2016
Learning to draw is the process of acquiring an Eye-Hand coordination skill. It can be likened to learning to play the guitar or piano or learning to shoot a basketball. But, in addition to that skill, drawing uniquely requires that we learn a trick of visualization and then, build better memories for the things we wish to draw. Once better visualization (Artistic Seeing or Seeing Flat) is established, It is a combination of the Eye–hand skill and improved knowledge that causes our drawing skill to increase.
There is no innate ability possessed by a chosen few, which enables them to draw better than the rest of us. The difference, once correct Seeing is established, is a willingness to put in the necessary time. It takes “X” number of repetitions to develop an eye-hand skill, to train our muscle memory. We cannot bypass this need to do the repetitions, but we can discover a way to speed up the learning process.
Terms:
Seeing Flat: When I use this term I am referring to the acquired ability to look at a three dimensional scene, and see it’s various components as if they were on a flat surface (as though you had taken a photograph of the scene). This is a major stumbling block for many people trying to learn to draw.
Cone of Focus: normal persons eyes only focus in a cone of about 6-8 degrees! And with a very limited depth of field. This means that though we think we are seeing an in-focus environment, we are really seeing a pieced together construct made up of a series of brief snapshots as our eyes dart around from one point of interest to another.
Relationships: are: parallel lines, similar or exact shapes within a scene, lines which flow or lead into other lines, and other less well defined consistencies that our right side brain picks up on and which help us to “organize” complex visual material. Relationships become apparent once we learn to “see Flat”. They are the basis for more advanced and interesting composition.
Subliminal: this refers to information which we constantly process that doesn’t intrude into our conscious thoughts. Finding and exploiting Relationships on a subliminal level is a powerful way of making our compositions more interesting.
Left side/Right side: This refers to the differentiation of tasks by the left and right sides of our brain. Understanding how this works is important to rapid improvement of drawing skills.
Focus in Depth: This is, along with Cone of Focus is a vital concept to understand when interpreting Three-dimensional material in two dimensions.
Proportional and Angular measurement: This is a fundamental skill that all persons desiring to draw what they see accurately must acquire. Initially it seems a cumbersome and mechanical procedure, but once mastered (a week at most) it becomes a natural and integral part of the drawing process.
Touch and how you hold the pencil: Touch is the ability of the Draftsman to control the intensity of a line by the amount of pressure applied. Being sensitive to this concept and attempting to apply it will greatly improve your drawing. A lack of touch is the main reason I recommend that beginning draftsmen use a medium grade pencil like an HB or a B. How you hold your pencil has a critical effect on touch. By holding the pencil way back from the tip (loosely between the thumb, index and middle finger), it is possible to draw very loose, almost imperceptible, lines that allow you to establish correct relationships of size, direction and spatial positioning while preventing you from reverting to seeing edges and contours. Touch is a critical component of Blocking In.
Fast Drawing and Slow Drawing: Both ways of drawing are essential to developing skill as a draftsman. Fast drawing teaches you to see gesture and to put down the overall picture, if you will, without focusing on detail. It also relies on your current knowledge of the subject. Slow drawing is the process of learning new details, techniques and conventions, and training your hand to the shapes. The Slow drawing process allows us to input and upgrade data in our memory bank so that we have it available to improve our skill the next time we see a related situation. Rembrandt could draw with such seeming ease, especially in his later years, because he had developed such detailed knowledge of his subjects.
Negative Spaces-Gaps: Untrained people don’t pay much attention to the gaps between objects, but as an artist you should consider the spaces between objects just as important as the objects themselves. To perceive a negative space you had to have seen a relationship!
Slick Drawing This is drawing quickly to affect a style, but without an underlying knowledge based upon study of basics (Slow Drawing).
Mental Construct: The current level of visual knowledge/memory we possess about a given subject. So, for example, when you begin to draw the human figure, your mental construct is not very strong, but as you draw more and really study the shapes and proportions your memories of those elements are enhanced and your mental construct improves. If you approach each attempt seriously (by that I mean if you really try to be accurate about your current subject as opposed to relying on your already internalized memories), your knowledge (mental construct) will improve more rapidly. If you study the drawings of very skilled draftsmen, picking up the subtleties of they way they make marks and the conventions they use for describing anatomical shapes your knowledge will improve even faster.
Blocking in: This is the second stage of a drawing and refers to the process of using a very light touch to roughly place the major elements in a scene as they relate to the gesture or flow. It should be the basis for any representational drawing.
Imaginative Range: This is a term to describe the amount of visual information you have acquired, with sufficient detail, to be able to utilize it for your own creative efforts. When your instructor says you must “draw, draw, draw” or you should be drawing all of the time, or “you aren’t drawing enough” he or she isn’t just referring to the advancement of your muscle memory or even to your improved mental constructs. As much as anything you are building knowledge, particularly of things with which you are not familiar so that you expand the possibilities of your imagination. If you haven’t built strong memories into your imagination then they won’t be there for you when you try to create. You can only draw,/paint/sculpt a convincing Dragon to the extent that you have internalized knowledge (through close study [drawing] of subjects and details relevant to the appearance of a dragon.
Gesture or Flow: Seeing a gesture, particularly in figure drawing is a desirable skill but it is not always easily perceived. Often the gesture is only a raised arm or a cocked hip or in a seated figure just the hint of a lean to the side. These are the critical elements of a pose that the beginner never sees because he is so intent on the details of the scene. It is the same with landscape and still life. Gesture and flow are neglected in the rush to get at the details. It is only with experience that the artist understands the critical importance of imposing the details on the gesture or
The stages of a drawing:
1. Gesture or flow
2. Blocking in- very loosely and lightly establishing relationships of the objects you choose to include in your composition – holding the pencil well back from the tip so your mind doesn’t shift into the detail drawing mode.
3. Contours (details – only now do you start to see the exact shape of contours)
4. Finish (tone application etc.)
FIGURE DRAWING
The Three basic kinds of poses:
1. Standing: divide the body in half at the pubis. Divide the upper half into thirds: head and neck, Rib cage, and pelvis plus waist. Divide the lower half in half at the knee joint. Thigh (femur) upper half, lower leg (tibia f/fibula) and foot, the lower half. I think this is much more logical than the “heads” method.
2. Seated, as in a chair. Distance from top of shoulder to base of rear end is roughly equal to the top of the knee to the bottom of the foot (middle, not toes). Depending on foreshortening, can also be equal to the back of the rear end to the front of the knee (but these are basic dimensions to check when setting up a seated pose).
3. Scrunched up poses – Use a simplified basic shape (four or five lines at most to establish the mass – maybe leave off the head but leave room for it) Use this to establish locations and directions before drawing any details