a problem with borders and lines
by menna
(Egypt)
thanks a lot :D
the other drawing was imaginary so it didn't work so well, but i took your advice and i did it, i think this drawing seems a lot better, of course not perfect because i don't use a ruler, so my shapes seem to be a little tilted or irregular,
people told me not to use a ruler when drawing,is that really right??
and about borders or lines, i know i'm not supposed to draw a line unless i do see a line, but sometimes i feel like over doing it, so the drawing seems a little messy or undefined, so can you help me with that??
i would also like to know your opinion on this drawing and how can i improve it :D
thanks a lot.
Answer:Yes, good work - I already notice an improvement in your drawing. The objects all appear to be sitting on the same surface and that is great. Your shading could improve but is pretty good nonetheless! I love the shadow that the cone is casting on table/background surface on the right hand side of the drawing. Very smooth gradation - it's perfect!
About the tilted lines: I see that your objects do appear to be skewed. If it helps your drawing, I say go ahead and use a ruler. Another great trick is to look a the edges of your paper while you draw. Try drawing all vertical lines so that they are parallel to the edges of the page on which you are drawing.
About the borders: It's not so much that you should not draw borders. What you want to avoid drawing is outlines. Drawing outlines around every object or every edge can make an object look cartoonish. Now, you actually have a bit of both going on in this drawing. Notice the far right object (the cylinder), where it meets the background table. That's simply a dark area meeting a light area instead of an outline. You could have done the same thing with the object on the left hand side of your
drawing (the cube). The table / background could be darkened so that when it meets the cube, it's simply a dark area meeting a light area and not an outline around the cube. The same goes for the area where the sphere overlaps the cone. Take a look at the objects on the table (not the drawing) - which of those objects appears to be darker? The sphere or the cone? Even if they are the same color in reality, the light hitting them will affect each one differently. The difference in shading does not have to be dramatic - for example, an area of light gray meeting an area of medium gray will create a line without having to draw a black outline for definition.
I talk a little more about this subject in the
Beginning Charcoal Video.
Try experimenting with your erasers to create sharp lines in this manner, without using dark outlines. Make sure you use the edge of a brand new eraser, or cut a sharp edge on your used eraser using an x-acto knife. You can also use a thin piece of paper to protect the area you do not want to erase. Then erase along the edge of the sheet of paper (no need to have a sharp edge on your eraser for this). When you lift up the paper, you will see a sharp line.
Other improvements: Again, take a look at the actual object on the table (not the drawing). Specifically the cube. Now notice the edges of the cube (not the outside edges). Are they really outlined in black? Or, are they outlined in white? I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually highlights. And that's another point. If you enjoy being able to make objects very defined, consider using your eraser as a drawing tool. You can use erasers to draw sharp white edges (instead of sharp black outlines). This way you can avoid the cartoon look, but still have very sharply defined edges.
Keep it up Menna, it's only been a few days and already you are improving!