revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Following on from CS's experience with arty buggers' 'personal statements', I wondered whether this would be of interest to anyone?

I can draw and paint, reasonably well. But I don't consider I'm 'an artist', instead a 'copyist'.

Many people say they can't draw. They start knowing what they want to achieve - but the end result never looks 'right'.

Here's the way I was taught.

We did a three-stage process to prove the point. In actual drawing you don't have to do stage one, jst use your imagination.

Collect objects, arrange on a square base.

1. Tape string between obvious (from your position) 'corners'

2. Draw a framework of the string, matching the angles. Lightly, join the 'corners'. This will give you outlines of the objects.

3. Squint, shade darker areas.

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Next, repeat 2 & 3

Squint, look for light, medium, dark.

We used chalk and charcoal on sugar paper.

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Repeat, but full tones rather than blocks of L, M, D

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When actually drawing, look for angles and proportions to create the grid of corners

If you are only drawing outlines, then draw outlines of the objects.

Otherwise, draw them very lightly and use the L, M, D tones to define the shapes.

If you've heard "draw what you see, not what you know", it will start to make sense now.

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Just using pen; some outline, some tone.

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The first things my tutor got us drawing were a) the bit at the end of a violin where the tuning pegs are and b) the hand that wasn't holding the pencil.

It involved drawing and rubbing out then using the ghost of what you had left and doing again - better. Repeat. (As many times as you like).

It seemed to work - I ended up with something that looked like part of a violin and something that was recognisably my left hand

I think I got through 2 erasers in 3 days.

Introducing colour instead of grey scale tone

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What's "L"?


What's "M"?


What's "D"? (depth??)


Note for teacher - never assume your students understand TLAs.

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 5:16 pm The first things my tutor got us drawing were a) the bit at the end of a violin where the tuning pegs are and b) the hand that wasn't holding the pencil.

It involved drawing and rubbing out then using the ghost of what you had left and doing again - better. Repeat. (As many times as you like).

It seemed to work - I ended up with something that looked like part of a violin and something that was recognisably my left hand

I think I got through 2 erasers in 3 days.

To a certain extent that sounds like:

1. Have a try
2. Stop, decide
a. It doesn't look 'right', go to '1"'
b. It looks right, stop.

Talking of erasers, it was ages before I really understood that shiny = light

Also, do draw something with light areas, you have to draw datk

That drawing was a single two-hour session. Pretty much the only thing I was 'taught' in a two year A Level ...

Mixing colour wasn't taught.

We all know the basics:
Primary colours: blue red yellow
Green = blue + yellow
Orange = red + yellow
etc

But you'll rarely get an accurate match to what you are looking at.

Which is where this book comes in:
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The gist is to have six primary colours:
Purple-red
Orangey-red
Mauve-blue
Turquoise-blue
Brown-yellow
Greeny-yellow
(NB my descriptions)

If you want a bright leaf green, mix the greeny yellow and turquoise blue.

If you want a khaki green, mix mauve blue and brown yellow

The 'trick' is in looking at the colour you want to replicate.

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Oh, and if you're using watercolour paint, don't use black or white.

Rockburner wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 5:35 pm What's "L"?
What's "M"?
What's "D"? (depth??)
Note for teacher - never assume your students understand TLAs.

Squint, look for light, medium, dark.

I was reading something recently which said something like 'if you mix opposites on the colour wheel you end up with 'vacuum-cleaner-dust-bag-grey'....which is probably the same colour all kids plasticine used to end up.

Horse wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 5:41 pm

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 5:16 pm The first things my tutor got us drawing were a) the bit at the end of a violin where the tuning pegs are and b) the hand that wasn't holding the pencil.

It involved drawing and rubbing out then using the ghost of what you had left and doing again - better. Repeat. (As many times as you like).

It seemed to work - I ended up with something that looked like part of a violin and something that was recognisably my left hand

I think I got through 2 erasers in 3 days.

To a certain extent that sounds like:

1. Have a try
2. Stop, decide
a. It doesn't look 'right', go to '1"'
b. It looks right, stop.

Nearly.

Leaving the trace of the previous attempt (a palimpsest if you will ) means you sort of automatically readopt the bits that look 'right' and work on the bits that don't. I found it worked for me.

The other was keep drawing and drawing quickly (the pencil never stops moving and never lifts) but not too heavily....then rub out the 'wrong/unwanted' bits. Works well with charcoal too. (I ended up looking like the coal man stroking a black cat in the coal cellar at midnight after one session...more charcoal on me than the paper. ).

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 6:37 pm I was reading something recently which said something like 'if you mix opposites on the colour wheel you end up with 'vacuum-cleaner-dust-bag-grey'....which is probably the same colour all kids plasticine used to end up.

Payne's grey

... is a dark blue-grey colour used in painting. Originally a mixture of iron blue (Prussian blue), yellow ochre and crimson lake

One way of depicting sunlight (in watercolour) is to use a wash of Payne's grey over the main colour for shadows.

Look at the dome and the paving.

NB not one of mine, wish it was.

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My dad started painting in his 70's & got good at it.
Me: I didn't know you could paint?
Dad: Nor did I until I took some classes, it's like learning anything else.

Horse wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 5:14 pm When actually drawing, look for angles and proportions to create the grid of corners

Otherwise, draw them very lightly and use the L, M, D tones to define the shapes.

@Count Steer Is this similar to your draw-erase experience?

Horse wrote: Sun Jul 06, 2025 6:58 am

Horse wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 5:14 pm When actually drawing, look for angles and proportions to create the grid of corners

Otherwise, draw them very lightly and use the L, M, D tones to define the shapes.

@Count Steer Is this similar to your draw-erase experience?

Sort of. He uses the second brush as a sort of eraser equivalent but we'd get to roughly where the vid ends with the pencil sketch then rub the whole thing out leaving a ghost of the image. That left a lot of information on position, shape(s), tones etc which you then refine at the second pass.

The other tip that stuck was, when drawing faces (from life), always start with the left eye.

The video is very neat, the image is suddenly there from a few shapes. It's a bit like watching a sheet of photo paper develop in the developer tray, the darker stuff showing up first.

As ever though, the experts make it look easy.

The art course I model for has the students using a variety of techniques to challenge them. A metre long willow stick held arm's length, not taking the charcoal/pen/chalk from the paper, staring at the model for 15 minutes then the model leaving the room and them drawing from memory, a decreasing number of lines to capture the model's form, drawing with their eyes closed, using their non dominant hand and more I can't remember.

cheb wrote: Sun Jul 06, 2025 10:41 am The art course I model for has the students using a variety of techniques to challenge them. A metre long willow stick held arm's length, not taking the charcoal/pen/chalk from the paper, staring at the model for 15 minutes then the model leaving the room and them drawing from memory, a decreasing number of lines to capture the model's form, drawing with their eyes closed, using their non dominant hand and more I can't remember.

All stuff I might have benefited from. I do detail ...

Tudor House, Ludlow

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