A&OLFA DRAWING TIPS FOR LEARNERS

Introduction

As a student, make sure you develop personal interest in drawing as much as you can.

2)         You need to spare at least half an hour each day to draw. Do this in different materials and tools.

3)         Be careful with your lines. Remember you are not perfect as a camera. A slight error in line will not make the whole drawing wrong!

4)         Avoid using a rubber. You can avoid this by always drawing using faint lines at first and confirming them with strong ones. Rubber kills creativity.

5)         As a student get a sketch book, do anything creative with it. If a drawing becomes dull, drop it and begin afresh. Also make brief notes in your sketch book especially on concepts that are not easily remembered such as colour, and other details that you may not be able to record in a short time while sketching.

6)         Learn how to copy drawings from masters or any person you think is very good and better than you in drawing. Using this knowledge then apply it on real objects and develop your own style.

7)         Always begin with faint-light strokes and run the desired parts of the objects with thicker strokes. Do not put a lot of emphasis on one object when you have a group of them.

8)         You need at times to look at your drawing from a distance. This will help you correct mistakes easily.

9)         Your eyes must look between the objects you are drawing and the paper. Never spend time looking at the drawing only. Everytime you do this, know that you are making a huge mistake.

10)      Take some time, observe and re-examine the objects. The three minutes spent studying a specific object will save you from beginning again.

11)      Be sensitive about Art compositions Some art compositions have major objects. Use these as a source of inspiration to draw others.

12)      Do not lag behind! Do not be shy to use your sketch book and

drawing tool in public.

13)      Always take some time to observe your object before drawing.

14)      Do a lot of practice. Your learning to draw will greatly depend on serious practice.

15)      “The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude”. Remember everything you do with interest will produce some fruitful results. “To affect the quality of the day – that is the highest of the arts.”

Drawing mistakes done by Students or Art Beginners

Drawing is often self-taught and many learners keep making mistakes much longer than when a teacher is available to help. Some of these mistakes are big, some small but all fixable. Students should try and get some tips on fixing errors that crop in their drawing projects.

Drawing with a Hard Pencil: If you have very dark tones or shadows in composition and it is rather pale,then check the pencil you are using. Are you using a number 2 (HB) pencil? Students are required to get a B, 2B and 4B for darker values.

Having No Clear Direction For Yourself As An Artist: No matter what talents a person has, one must have some type of plan or goals for the use of that talent.

The more talented and skilled you are, the evident it is that your talent has a purpose. Many students never take the time out to set a plan for themselves as artists. The point is, set a plan and then work on that plan.

Skipping the basics and Undervaluing Your Work: For example incorrect proportions and, twisted features. Because of the way we focus on features, we are used to looking at straight objects, we naturally try to make their features look level when we draw them.

We also either draw them too big or too small compared to the rest of the main objects. It takes time learning the basic techniques in order to come up with great drawings that people can appreciate more than usual. Always follow the basic elements and principles of drawing techniques. Impregnate them in your mind.

Drawing on the Wrong Paper or Surfaces. Avoid drawing on wrong papers.