Learn Pencil Drawing Online - Spheres

Pencil Drawing Fundamentals - Drawing Spheres
By Remi Engels

Any scene can initially be seen as a composition of a series of forms that are all related to four basic geometric solids: the brick, the sphere, the cylinder, and the cone. In this article we concentrate on the sphere, i.e., we will detail its properties and its place in the overall scheme of a drawing.

Besides the obvious, perfect spheres that form the structure of, for example, a there are also those objects which are almost a sphere such as an egg or a cup. The anomalies from the perfect sphere can sometimes be quite radical but the idea is to see that they are built on such spheres. Once you see this you can make use of your ingrained sphere drawing skill. This makes the drawing of a football (which consists of a sphere with a cone at each end) or a light bulb so much easier.

At first, when drawing an object that has an underlying spherical shape, it is good practice to draw the complete sphere first. Afterwards, you can always make the necessary modifications to render the actual object. With practice you will finally be able to dispense with the preliminary sphere and draw the spherical object immediately. After you draw the initial sphere you should then ask yourself where the anomalies (bulges, less curved portions, etc.) are located and add then to the perfect sphere.

To start practicing, gather a few spherical objects and draw them in any size you wish. But try not to use too small a piece of paper. Make sure you can swing your arm from the elbow and even on larger paper from the shoulder.

A sphere is of course a three-dimensional object and therefore occupies a given amount of space. That means that it is not a flat object. Therefore you should try to convey the bulk of the object. Because you are drawing on a two-dimensional sheet of paper, the three-dimensionality of the sphere will be an illusion. Such an illusion is created mainly through the appropriate shading.

Because in this article we only talk about line drawing we will convey three-dimensionality with a different kind of illusion. This illusion is created by adding to the sphere some of the ellipses that lie on the surface of the sphere.

It helps to draw the lines of symmetry of the spherical object you are drawing. If you lightly establish the lines of symmetry you will get a better idea of how to proceed with drawing the sphere and particularly how to proceed with the perspective. Do not forget that spherical objects, just like any other kind of object, comply with the overall perspective of the scene. Circles become ellipses with just the right amount of curvature so that they seem to go to infinity in a natural manner.

Some objects have only part of a sphere in their form. Nevertheless, it is often beneficial to lightly sketch in the entire sphere. This is particularly so if the object has neighbors that overlap. The presence of the entire sphere often makes it a lot easier to see exactly where all the objects should start overlapping.

As mentioned before, in a line drawing (i.e., a drawing where we do not explicitly use shading) depth or the third dimension is suggested by adding lines, ellipses, circles and other extra curves to the outline of the object. But, eventually, you will also learn the skill of applying different values. In the end, this will be the ultimate way of creating the illusion of three-dimensionality.

In fact, if you think about this for a while, you will realize that values (i.e., darks and lights) are the only things that exist in a black and white scene. There no such thing as a line. In essence, a line is created because two neighboring spaces have different values, i.e., one is lighter than the other, and only because of that do we discern what we call a line.

This is all you need to know about rendering line drawings of objects that have the sphere as their underlying geometric form.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert teacher. Check out his Pencil Portrait Course and his Portrait Print Package Special

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Learn Pencil Drawing Online - Exercises

Pencil Drawing - Quick and Easy Drawing Exercises
By Murtaza Habib

A good pencil drawing can be easily achieved if the artist is willing to invest a lot of time and effort into acquiring the relevant techniques. Even those who feel that they have little or no drawing talents at all can very quickly ascertain how to produce a fine pencil drawing.

There are many good ways of learning these techniques such as attending an art class, joining an online art course and of course, reading or watching books and cd. Alternatively, trial and error with some quick and easy drawing exercises can help to kick - start the learning process.

Try these drawing exercises:

1. Have a look around your house and see if there are any items which you would like to draw. It should be something that you are visually attracted to, a flower for example, a ring, or picture frame? Make your choice and then allow yourself ten minutes to be able to draw it. Once you have attempted your pencil drawing, evaluate your work and be honest but fair about the result.

2. Now find a photo in a magazine that you are drawn to. This could be an image of a person, a place or an object. As you flick through the pages, think about how you would try to draw the images on the pages in front of you. Once you have made your choice, try to connect with the picture and then commence your drawing. You have ten minutes to complete the project, and after you have finished, conclude by evaluating how you did.

3. If you have any animals then your next exercise is to draw the family pet. Once again, allow yourself ten minutes to quickly see if you can capture the likeness whilst drawing quickly. Focus on your pencil drawing and pay special attention to the fur or feathers for example. There is no need to draw everything painstakingly, simply draw what you need to be able to capture the likeness.

4. Now find something else in your surroundings and this time, allow yourself half an hour to focus not only on the drawing but to work on light and shade. By allowing yourself a little extra time, you will be able to work on the pencil drawing and watch it develop. The previous exercises will allow you to feel relaxed and be in touch with your drawing technique and this will ensure that you can then produce your best work.

Are you able to bring your creativity on to your canvas? Will you take action step by step, if I help you to learn drawings and paintings until you succeed? Grab 6 lessons on Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Fabric Painting, Pencil Drawing, Color Theory.

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'Murtaza Habib' has helped hundreds of newbies to start their painting courses, now you can do it too...

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