INTRODUCTION TO DRAWING

Introduction

Drawing is the making of marks on a surface to create images. The techniques which may be used to make marks on a surface are many but the three main ones are rubbing, smearing and scratching.

The technique of rubbing is the one which is most commonly practiced in schools. In this technique tools such as pencils, charcoal, crayons, chalks, or pastels are held firmly in the hands and then pressed on a surface such as paper. When the point which touches the paper is dragged on the surface a mark is made. A series of marks made on a surface create an image or many images.

You should explore all the dry point tools which make marks on surfaces and use them in drawing. Each of these tools: pencil, charcoal or oil pastels are found in a wide variety. Each has its unique qualities. Each can produce certain effects.

Pencils are found in two main types: soft and hard, graphite of coloured. Soft pencils range from B to 6B while hard pencils range from H to 6H. All these types of pencils should be used in drawing so that you get acquainted with their qualities.

Oil pastels are found in varying thicknesses and colours. It is quite interesting to draw in Oil pastels because of the variety of colours which can be explored and the beautiful textural effect which can be produced. Chalks and pastels are similar.

Charcoal is rather different because it produces only black marks. Charcoal is found in a variety of sizes and also in different degrees of softness.

Another technique of making marks on a surface is by smearing. The media which are smeared on surfaces are inks, paints and dyes. The tools used are bamboo pens and brushes. In this technique, the medium is prepared and a tool for applying it on paper is selected. If it is a brush which is selected for use then it is dipped into the medium and applied onto the paper.

If it is a pen, then it is dipped into the ink and then applied onto the paper. It is important to note that each of these tools used to smear ink on a surface has its own characteristics. For example, a brush produces strokes with varying thicknesses that cannot be made using a pen. However, a pen makes thin flowing lines which other tools cannot produce. It is advisable to use all types of brushes and pens in drawing so that you gain experience in working with them in creative activities.

The other major technique of making marks on a surface is by scratching. In this technique, the surface becomes the medium and the tool is the sharp pointed object used to scratch the surface. For instance, in crayon etching, which is basically a drawing technique, the medium is the crayon which is rubbed on a surface and covered with Indian Ink or paint. The tool is the sharp pointed object such as a pair of dividers which is used in scratching lines on the surface. When scratching marks on a surface, hold the tool firmlv in the hands, place the sharp point onto the surface and push it to the direction desired. A series of marks scratched or etched on a surface creates the desired image.

The techniques of drawing (‘rubbing, smearing and scratching marks) may be carried out on a wide variety of surfaces. The surfaces may be paper, cloth, walls, canvases, boards or skins. Since each of these surfaces has unique qualities, it is necessary to practice drawing on all of them using appropriate tools and media. For example, the wide variety of paper surfaces such as sugar paper, cartridge paper, newsprint paper and wrapping paper should be used in drawing with a variety of media such as ink. paint, charcoal, pencil, chalks, dyes. and pastels.

The most appropriate tool to use for drawing on walls, canvases, skins and board is paint.

When drawing it is usually important to support the paper on a flat board. This board should measure approximately 60 cm x40cm and should be made of light material. The board should be soft enough to allow easy penetration of pins for holding the paper in position.

Drawing Process

The general approach to drawing should be as follows:

1. Select the topic to be drawn.
2. Determine the new tasks to learn as you draw.
3. Prepare tools and media to use. If they are ready made, then select appropriate ones.
4. If drawing is to be done on paper, then select and cut it out to the required size.
5. Paper should be placed on the board to provide support so that its edges and those of the board are exactly parallel. The edges of the paper should be parallel to those of the board to help in estimating the direction of the angles and lines in relation to the vertical and horizontal edges of the paper and the board.
6. Hold paper onto the board using a clip.
8. As you start drawing, refer to the vertical and horizontal edges of the paper and draw two vertical and horizontal lines passing through the middle of the paper. These two directions become the guidelines for drawing lines that define forms in the drawing. These are the lines of reference as you continue drawing.
9. It is more practical to hook your little finger over the edge of the board to enable you to draw straight lines freehand. Once hooked, the hand can move freely up and down the board to draw vertical lines or check for vertical relationships. If the paper is not pinned on the board with edges parallel to those of the board this will not be possible.
10. When drawing, hold the pencil, charcoal or crayon in a relaxed manner. Leave a portion between your hands and the point touching the paper. This gives you a relaxed position for moving your hands up and down or side ways on the paper.
12. Sit straight with your back perpendicular to the seat and face the board on which the drawing is to be done. Continue to draw until you feel you need to relax then take a break for a few minutes. Return and continue drawing. Try to concentrate on the activity as much as possible. While drawing avoid discussion with others, or listening to music since this will cause distraction.