By Artists & Illustrators | Fri 13th Dec 2013
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An expert on Renaissance-style techniques, the Classical Art Academy founder Martin Close explains how to paint accurate shapes and forms
1. Practise on scrap paper. Expensive paper can be intimidating. By practising on cheap lining paper from a DIY store, or even brown packing paper, you alleviate such issues. The reduced value of the paper affords more practice – it is better to do three separate 20-minute drawings than one drawing across a whole hour.
2. Think inside the box. Imagine your subject is contained within a box. What shape must the box be and how big are you going to draw it? Mark out the imagined box on your paper as faintly as possible. Getting the box right will not only help you reproduce the correct shape, it will also serve as a point of reference between the subject as you see it and the drawing on the page.
3. Work the angles. It’s difficult for us humans to judge lengths correctly, but we’re really good at angles. By estimating the angle between two fi xed points you can reproduce their position within the box of your drawing.
4. Begin as a sculptor. would Rather than proceeding to the outline of the subject, use straight lines to cut away what isn’t needed from the box. Imagine a sculptor cutting away the marble he or she doesn’t need before beginning to carve. Doing this will focus you on the negative shape around the subject, as well as the subject itself. If the negative shape is correct, the positive shape will be too.
5. Use the 4-8-8 method. Simplify your shape before putting in detail using one set of four lines and two sets of eight. The first four define the box and another eight cutaway from it to fi nd the basic proportion and gesture lines of the subject. The fi nal eight straight lines represent the main shape. You can’t do a detailed drawing in just 20 lines – limit yourself to defi ning the correct proportion, gesture and shape of your subject. These three things are the foundation of your drawing and if you have them wrong, no amount of detailing will make them right!
6. Simplify tonal values. Over your 20 lines, draw the main light and dark shapes en masse using just two tones: black and white. Simplifying is essential to seeing and drawing the tones correctly. Try making a study of a plaster cast in charcoal with just black and white values, similar to the ones pictured right. If the proportion, gesture and shape lines are correct then this study should look right.
7. Introduce complex tones in stages. Once your lights and your darks are drawn, identify the mid-tone and draw it in where it appears. From these three tones, you can find two more mid-tones making five in total. Each of these should be drawn on in turn. On white paper, charcoal can deliver atleast nine distinct tones in this way and, with practice, you will become adept at finding them.
For more information on the Classical Art Academy visit www.classicalartacademy.co.uk
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FAQs
Remember: Face is divided into three equal parts: hairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to the bottom of the nose, bottom of the nose to the bottom of the chin. The eyes are halfway between the top of the head and the chin. The bottom of the nose is halfway between the eyes and the chin.
What are four strategies to create good proportions in art? ›
In order to achieve accurate proportions, there are several methods:
- You can use the sight-size method.
- You could use relative sight-size method.
- You could use reverse sight-size method if working from a photo.
- You can sketch quickly and loosely from life while constantly comparing to your subject.
Remember: Face is divided into three equal parts: hairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to the bottom of the nose, bottom of the nose to the bottom of the chin. The eyes are halfway between the top of the head and the chin. The bottom of the nose is halfway between the eyes and the chin.
What is the proportion technique? ›
PROPORTION DEFINITION IN ART
Proportion can be used to make a composition appear more realistic or more stylized depending on the type of proportion used. Proportion does not refer to the overall size of a composition (scale), but rather the size of elements within the composition in relation to each other.
How to improve proportions? ›
7 Tips for Better Proportions
- Practise on scrap paper. Expensive paper can be intimidating. ...
- Think inside the box. Imagine your subject is contained within a box. ...
- Work the angles. ...
- Begin as a sculptor. ...
- Use the 4-8-8 method. ...
- Simplify tonal values. ...
- Introduce complex tones in stages.
The seven elements of art are line, shape, space, value, form, texture, and color.
How to get perfect face proportions? ›
Ideally, according to the Golden Ratio, the distance between the eyes should be around 1.618 times that width. Similarly, when you look at the relationship between the mouth's width and the span between the eyes and the mouth, the same proportion – 1.618 to 1 – should ideally emerge.
What is the 1 3 face rule? ›
Rule of thirds
In some systems of beauty, the forehead should comprise one third of the height of the face, the mid face one third, and the lips and chin one third.
What is the most perfect face proportions? ›
Golden Ratio
- The distance from the top of your nose to the center of your lips should be 1.618 times the distance from the center of your lips to your chin.
- The distance from your hairline to your upper eyelid should be 1.618 times the length of the top of your upper eyebrow to your lower eyelid.
The closer you can get your waist/shoulder ratio to 1/1.61, the more aesthetically pleasing your body will be. To find out your ratio, measure around your waist, then the circumference your shoulders, (You're probably going to need some help with this part) then divide shoulders/waist to get your ratio.
Proportion is largely about the relationship of the size of one element when compared to another. When drawing or painting realistically, proportion is important. If the proportions are incorrect, then the resulting image will look less realistic or abstracted. Alternatively, artists can use proportion for effect.
What are the 4 techniques used to meet drawing with accurate proportion? ›
8 Sketching Techniques for Accurate Proportions
- Square Grid Method. The first technique I learned was the gird method. ...
- Triangular Grid Method. ...
- Measuring Key Points. ...
- Sighting. ...
- Basic Shapes. ...
- Linear Perspective (1,2,3 point pers) ...
- Basic Facial Proportions. ...
- Gesture Drawing.
The 3 ways to solve a proportion are: vertically, horizontally and diagonally (cross-multiplication). The vertical method is used if one of the ratios has a common multiple between the two quantities.
What are the 4 four steps of an art analysis? ›
There are four basic steps: describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating.
What are the 4 techniques used to critique a painting? ›
Decide how you want the critique to flow, and stick to the same basic steps for each work being discussed. One way to organize a critique is to discuss an artwork in four ways, through description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation.
