Read You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less for Free Online
Authors: Mark Kistler
direction, spaced equally apart. In my mind I picture the word “parallel” and see the two l’s together in the word. Perpendicular lines are two lines that intersect at right angles to each other. For example, this line of type text is perpendicular to the right edge of this book page.
2. Slant back two parallel lines.
3. Alignment alert! Look how I have drawn this top edge of the box lid in alignment with all of the angled lines slanting slightly up to the left. I’m going to refer to this angle as direction northwest. Think of a compass.
The four most commonly used line directions that I will be referring to throughout this book will be lines drawn in directions northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. Take a look at this compass.
Now, I’ll foreshorten the compass. As you recall, foreshortening is distorting or squishing an object to create the illusion of depth, to make one edge of the object appear closer to your eye.
Notice in this foreshortened compass illustration that the four directions—NW, NE, SW, and SE—all line up with the lines you already used to draw your cube.
I call this my “Drawing Direction Reference Cube.” This is a wonderful tool to help you position your lines consistently in proper alignment. Without consistency in your angles, your drawings will “droop” or look askew. Dr. Seuss achieved world acclaim for his signature style of drooping, melting, Play-Doh-ish characters, buildings, objects, and environments. However, in his work, Dr. Seuss still maintained consistent drawing compass angles. Good examples of this are in his book The Lorax . Turn to any page in The Lorax , and hold up the Drawing Direction Reference Cube to the illustration. You will discover that his buildings, windows, doors, pathways, vehicles, and characters all follow these four important positions.
4. Draw the other side of the box lid lifting up with two parallel lines.
5. Using the bottom of the box line in direction NE, draw the top of the lid in direction NE.
6. Sketch in the two near lid flaps slanting down in front of the box.
7. Once again, using the bottom of the box angles to guide your line directions, complete the near flaps, aligning them up in direction NE and NW. I will be repeating this idea often: Use the lines you have already drawn as reference angles to draw additional lines. By always referring to the lines you have already drawn and by continually checking your angles against the Drawing Direction Reference Cube, your drawings will look solid, focused, and, most importantly, three-dimensional.
8. Draw the short “peeking” line at the back interior of the box. I am still delighted (after all these years) with the visual power that one little line has on the overall three-dimensional illusion of a drawing. This little peeking line at the back of the box creates the “BAM!” (as Emeril would say) moment in our drawing—the one precise moment that the sketch transforms from a two-dimensional sketch into a three-dimensional object.
9. Establish your horizon line and your light source position.
10. To properly draw the cast shadow, use the Drawing Direction Reference Cube as reference. Draw a guide line extending from the bottom of the box line in drawing direction SW. Droop alert! This is the most common point where students tend to droop the cast shadow guide line. Notice how my cast shadow lines up with my guidelines.
Be careful not to droop your cast shadow like this.
11. Darken under the two front overlapping flaps as I have done, creating the undershadow effect. Undershadows are terrific little details that successful illustrators exploit to pop out objects, refine detail, and sharpen edges. In this specific drawing, undershadows have the power to really pull the overlapping lids toward your eye, while pushing the actual box deeper into the picture.
12. This is the most rewarding step of each lesson. Clean up your sketch by erasing the extra sketch
2. Slant back two parallel lines.
3. Alignment alert! Look how I have drawn this top edge of the box lid in alignment with all of the angled lines slanting slightly up to the left. I’m going to refer to this angle as direction northwest. Think of a compass.
The four most commonly used line directions that I will be referring to throughout this book will be lines drawn in directions northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. Take a look at this compass.
Now, I’ll foreshorten the compass. As you recall, foreshortening is distorting or squishing an object to create the illusion of depth, to make one edge of the object appear closer to your eye.
Notice in this foreshortened compass illustration that the four directions—NW, NE, SW, and SE—all line up with the lines you already used to draw your cube.
I call this my “Drawing Direction Reference Cube.” This is a wonderful tool to help you position your lines consistently in proper alignment. Without consistency in your angles, your drawings will “droop” or look askew. Dr. Seuss achieved world acclaim for his signature style of drooping, melting, Play-Doh-ish characters, buildings, objects, and environments. However, in his work, Dr. Seuss still maintained consistent drawing compass angles. Good examples of this are in his book The Lorax . Turn to any page in The Lorax , and hold up the Drawing Direction Reference Cube to the illustration. You will discover that his buildings, windows, doors, pathways, vehicles, and characters all follow these four important positions.
4. Draw the other side of the box lid lifting up with two parallel lines.
5. Using the bottom of the box line in direction NE, draw the top of the lid in direction NE.
6. Sketch in the two near lid flaps slanting down in front of the box.
7. Once again, using the bottom of the box angles to guide your line directions, complete the near flaps, aligning them up in direction NE and NW. I will be repeating this idea often: Use the lines you have already drawn as reference angles to draw additional lines. By always referring to the lines you have already drawn and by continually checking your angles against the Drawing Direction Reference Cube, your drawings will look solid, focused, and, most importantly, three-dimensional.
8. Draw the short “peeking” line at the back interior of the box. I am still delighted (after all these years) with the visual power that one little line has on the overall three-dimensional illusion of a drawing. This little peeking line at the back of the box creates the “BAM!” (as Emeril would say) moment in our drawing—the one precise moment that the sketch transforms from a two-dimensional sketch into a three-dimensional object.
9. Establish your horizon line and your light source position.
10. To properly draw the cast shadow, use the Drawing Direction Reference Cube as reference. Draw a guide line extending from the bottom of the box line in drawing direction SW. Droop alert! This is the most common point where students tend to droop the cast shadow guide line. Notice how my cast shadow lines up with my guidelines.
Be careful not to droop your cast shadow like this.
11. Darken under the two front overlapping flaps as I have done, creating the undershadow effect. Undershadows are terrific little details that successful illustrators exploit to pop out objects, refine detail, and sharpen edges. In this specific drawing, undershadows have the power to really pull the overlapping lids toward your eye, while pushing the actual box deeper into the picture.
12. This is the most rewarding step of each lesson. Clean up your sketch by erasing the extra sketch
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