by Henk ter Heide on Friday July 31, 2009
This was a very nice drawing to do.
Although I like to draw, it always took a large amount of effort to get myself to sit down and work on a drawing.
I always suspected that it had something to do with the autistic need for structure. But I couldn’t find a way.
On week days I could draw in the evening. But if I have a holiday I would like to draw in the morning. In the weekend I do my shopping in the morning so then I would like to draw in the afternoon.
So no structure what so ever.
After I had figured out what it is that I like about drawing I was planning to take some time out to find the best way to get some structure to drawing. But it wasn’t necessary.
Turns out that not knowing what I felt was the reason why drawing took so much effort.
This drawing almost drew it self.
Which is one reason why this was a very nice drawing to do.
Gaining heart
The other reason is a small victory.
When I first started drawing I thought that having a photographic memory would mean that I would be able to project an image on the paper (so to speak) and then trace it.
But I couldn’t.
I found I couldn’t keep up my concentration long enough. The image would get vague and disappear long before I finished drawing.
But while drawing circles in my last drawing I discovered that I could imagine how a circle looked and then almost draw it.
With this drawing I explored the technique.
I can put a dot on the paper for the center. Then I can draw a line to use as the radius. Then I can imagine that the line is a kind of cord that is attached to the point of the pencil. And draw the circle.
I checked these circles using coins and found that they are five of the best freehand circles I’ve ever done.
With the sixth I lost my concentration.
But it’s a start. A promising start.
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by Henk ter Heide on Monday February 4, 2008
Some more free hand circle drawings.
I wasn’t satisfied with the circles I drew last time, so I did some more. Here are 2 of the 4 sheets with circles I did.
It turns out to be very hard to draw consistent round circles. But after some practicing I found that the easiest way is to start making a circular motion in the air and then lower your pencil onto the paper.
And for some reason larger circles are easier then smaller ones.
Freehand circles3
Freehand circles5
But my circles are still more oval shaped then round. I’ll have to practice some more.
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by Henk ter Heide on Friday February 1, 2008
Drawing my first freehand circles.
Reading a little more in the book I found that one of the reasons to practice a lot of shapes with box was to practice drawing freehand straight lines. Which worked perfectly. While concentrating on getting the right shape and the right perspective I didn’t think about the lines what helped my lines.
The other thing I found is that I’m apparently to be envied for my ability to draw straight lines in more then one direction.
Here are my first freehand circles. The technique is to draw the circle from the shoulder and to hit the paper running.
well, I’m not sure whether that good English. What I mean is that you should start making the circler movement before the pencil hits the paper. If you don’t you tend to begin with a very little circle that grows to a larger one.
That doesn’t look very good.
Freehand circles
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by Henk ter Heide on Tuesday January 15, 2008
Drawing free hand perspective boxes
I started this series of drawings of boxes with the remark from the book that it is better to learn to draw straight lines free hand. The reasoning being that it is cumbersome if you have to carry a ruler around.
But drawing boxes free hand I had the feeling that it introduced a lot of mistakes.
After doing a number of perspective boxes with a ruler I find that the way perspective reshapes a box is so unexpected that it really doesn’t matter if the drawing is mathematical correct.
People won’t see the difference.
Free hand perspective boxes
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by Henk ter Heide on Monday January 7, 2008
Aiming straight lines.
Yesterday I drew a few straight lines. Or almost straight lines.
Today at work I realized that wasn’t enough. In a real drawing you not only want to have a straight line but it has to run from one point to an other.
In this study I tried to aim the lines from one point to an other. The only thing is that these line are a little short. Tomorrow I will try longer lines.
Drawing straight lines exercise 2
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