Drawing Techniques – Drawing is an activity that is always of interest to many people. The proof, the number of this hobby community is increasing in Indonesia. For Sinaumed’s who want to be good at doodling, there is one thing you have to learn as a basis, namely drawing techniques.
Why drawing techniques? Because images or works of art that are done with the right technique and earnestly, will have more value. You may draw for any reason, for example as entertainment, work, or a show. But there’s nothing wrong if the image you make has a sale value?
It’s not easy to get to the stage where your drawings are seen by many people and appreciated – both materially and non-materially. What is clear, every effort you put in must pay off, it’s just that the timing is different.
So if at this point your work hasn’t sold well or isn’t liked by many people, don’t give up yet. Try to learn again from the beginning, who knows your drawing technique might not be fully mature.
After all, there’s nothing to lose if Sinaumed’s continues to hone his drawing skills. No matter how small the benefits you get, it will definitely come in handy someday. That’s why, this time, sinaumedia will discuss some drawing techniques and media that you may not know about.
Basic Drawing Techniques
1. Back and Forth Drawing Technique (Back and Back)
Many artists say that back and forth is the most basic drawing technique and must be mastered by beginners. In this technique, you have to fill in the image area by crossing it back and forth. The image area can be anything from shadows, image blogs, silhouettes, or something else.
The technique of scribbling back and forth actually exists in every human being and is the first instinct that arises when drawing. If you pay attention further, this technique can have a special impact according to the pressure of the pencil when drawing.
For example, if you want to draw fine and thin strokes, you don’t need to put too much pressure on the pencil, and vice versa.
There is one important thing that you must remember when making doodles on drawing media–especially if you are using a pencil–that is the streaks. Every time you make a stroke, the pencil will leave a mark, and this is normal.
Don’t force yourself to cover or erase these marks, because the function of a pencil is to produce markings or streaks. You can get a smoother texture by using paint.
As written in the book Basic Form Drawing Techniques compiled by Miky Endro Santoso, S. SN., MT This book can describe how to draw in a sequential manner, easy to understand, and can be followed by anyone.
2. Shading Technique
The shading technique is a technique of drawing parallel small lines and doing it repeatedly until the image of the empty field is completely filled. Apart from that, this technique can also be used to create a shadow effect on the object you are drawing.
A reliable artist usually uses hatching techniques to make the image look like the original. Therefore, this technique cannot be learned by halves, and requires intelligence in choosing the type of shading used. If Sinaumed’s wants to draw objects in detail, keep practicing this technique.
Veri Apriyatno in the book “Easy Ways to Draw With a Pencil” explains that hatching is a random repetition of lines and crossing each other to fill in an empty image.
Yes, shading can indeed be applied randomly or crosswise, but the main point is still drawing with repeated small parallel lines. So, here are the different types of hatching that you can use:
a. Single shading (unidirectional).
Single or unidirectional hatching is a technique of drawing repeated small parallel lines to fill a field.
b. Crosshatching (two-way).
Cross hatching or cross hatching is a technique of drawing lines from two different directions that cross.
c. Free shading (scribbling).
Just like before, in this technique you still have to draw lines to cover the field, but the direction is more free and random.
d. Gradative hatching.
This is the hatch used to create the shadows. In principle, the darker the object you are drawing, the distance between the line pulls is also getting tighter. And the brighter the object, the distance between the lines also becomes increasingly tenuous.
3. Stippling Technique (Pointilis)
The stippling or pointillism technique is a drawing technique that relies on dots. Usually this technique is widely used by artists to draw rocks, soil, or other natural textures.
In this technique, you can produce dark images by making solid dots on top of the image medium. And if you want to draw a bright object, make the dots more spaced out.
4. Blending (Dussel)
The blending technique is a technique of rubbing pencils to make subtle gradations. The initial stage of this technique is to make smooth alternating lines without leaving too harsh pencil marks.
If Sinaumed’s wants to use this technique, it’s best to choose a charcoal pencil or charcoal pencil so it’s easy to manipulate with rubbing.
5. Typical/Alternative Drawing Techniques
Besides the four basic drawing techniques above, Sinaumed’s can also develop other techniques that suit your character. But remember, you should create or develop a technique based on the basic techniques above.
Drawing Technique Perception Ability
In drawing, techniques related to hand skills are important, but you also have to master intelligence skills that can improve and maximize your drawing skills.
This intelligence ability is knowledge about the image you are making, how you see the object, how your eyes receive input from nature and turn it into a work, as well as sensitivity to light and dark elements, object edges, and so on.
So, below are some perceptions that you can use to improve your drawing skills:
1. Edge Perception
What is meant by edge? Yes, this is the boundary of the image you created. Then why should you pay attention to this edge? The answer is because there are certain edge criteria when drawing.
There are some images that must have soft edges, but there are also those whose edges must be sharp or firm. For example, the outline of a person’s cheek that has a shadow should be drawn gently. Meanwhile, the bright edges must be drawn sharply so that the results look more real.
There are many novice artists or draftsman who make all the edges bold and produce images that are too cartoonish or appear unreal when drawing manually.
Meanwhile, when drawing in digital media, it actually makes all the edges smoother because they are used to using air bursh tools to make streaks.
2. Perception of Dark-Light (Value)
Actually drawing can also be regarded as an activity or activity of filling a bright image area with darkness so that shadows appear, and vice versa. Well, this balance between dark and light colors will make your drawing even more beautiful and in accordance with the principles of art.
3. Spatial Perception
Space is also known as mass or something that envelops the object being drawn. Simply put, without free space, you will not be able to produce an image.
So why should you pay attention to it? Yes, because the form of space is basically abstract or simple. By knowing this, Sinaumed’s can make a picture of the object or model that you will draw.
4. Perception of Connectedness
An image will always have a connection between one composition and another. For example, if a gray object is placed on a white background it will appear darker. Meanwhile, if the background color is black, the gray object will actually appear brighter.
Now, imagine that you are drawing human skin which is heavily influenced by the objects around it. Automatically you have to relate skin color to all of these things.
For example, someone with dark skin will be darker if you dye their clothes light colors.
So, besides elements and colors, the perception of connectedness can also be applied in proportion and balance. Is the size of the object you are drawing in accordance with the original? Are the ear positions correct?
5. Perception of Oneness
The last perception is the perception of unity which pertains to your whole image. Usually this perception is used after Sinaumed’s has made all the pictures and details. You do this by assessing whether all the images are already felt together or not.
Perception will also be very useful when Sinaumed’s learns to draw digitally. As written by Aditya Septian Pamungkas in the book Manual & Digital Drawing is Easy.
Drawing Media
All of the previously mentioned drawing and perception techniques have a relationship with the media or tools for drawing them. Moreover, sometimes the media and drawing techniques can influence one another. So that you understand better, let’s immediately refer to the following explanation, okay!
1. Charcoal Sketch
Charcoal sketches are generally used by painters to draw portraits. Charcoal. in this technique, it becomes a substitute for a pencil or brush. Interestingly, the result of burning blackened wood is one of the first reality drawing tools used by humans. And are still used today, especially for tracing lines and shading.
Charcoal can also create greater fine detail, depending on how it’s used. In other words, you can create striking drawings using just one charcoal pencil.
But not all charcoal is good for drawing. If you are interested in this medium, you should use one specifically for drawing. Even then there are more variations, such as variations in the softness and level of hardness.
2. Graphite for Contrast
If Sinaumed’s wants to make comics or drawing journals, use graphite pencils as your main weapon. This pencil has a silvery gray color with a soft texture so it is perfect for creating depth and color sense for your works.
After all, you have been very familiar with graphite pencils since childhood. You remember how teachers in kindergarten or school taught how to hold a pencil and use it to write.
Not only that, prehistoric humans who lived in ancient times also used graphite to draw in caves. Along with the development of technology, graphite pencils began to appear in various shapes, sizes and categories, for example, namely 9H to 9B pencils. “H” here stands for the word “hard” or hard; then “B” stands for “black” or black. Then there are also HB category pencils which are black and have the same hardness.
3. Colored Pencils for Gradations
Colored pencils are synonymous with children because they have many colors. However, this pencil can actually be used by artists or draftsman, only with an even more difficult technique.
For example, like making shadows and color gradients in your image. Unfortunately, the use of colored pencils for drawing is quite controversial. Not a few people ask whether making streaks with colored pencils is called drawing or painting.
Apart from this controversy, you still have the freedom to use colored pencil media when drawing. So if you want to draw with this medium, you should start with simple shapes like apples.
Why is that? Because even though it looks simple, an apple can have a lot of fine details that you have to draw. After you start to feel comfortable drawing “still life”, then continue with your own drawing technique.
To be more proficient, Sinaumed’s can buy the book Master Drawing with Colored Pencils by C. Hariadi because this book is the best reference in drawing with colored pencils for both beginners and advanced levels.
4. Pen for Originality
Everyone must have scribbled on a notebook at school with a pencil, either because they were bored or because they really enjoyed doing it. Regardless of the motive, these doodling activities are a great first step if you want to become an artist or a draftsman.
Although indeed, in general, the pen is not used much in art. However, this tool can help you to draw an object. Remember, learning drawing techniques doesn’t always have to come from books and theories, nor does it have to comply with existing rules.
An artist must have creativity and create a style according to his own creativity.
5. Pastels for Drawing Cues
Apart from colored pencils, children also often use pastels when drawing. This tool, which is made from a mixture of powdered color pigments with a non-greasy binder, can also be used by Sinaumed’s.
But first, you have to know the two categories of pastels and their differences:
- Oil pastels, softer and more suitable for blending
- Hard pastels are tougher and perfect for drawing lines or creating details for a picture.
Apart from categories, you also have to master several drawing techniques with pastels, such as:
a. Hatching
The technique of drawing lines and strokes, either perpendicular or otherwise, with side-by-side spacing. Hatching using two different pastel colors can create an optical mix.
b. light touch
A necessary technique if you want to create details by using fine lines to highlight certain areas or darken them.
c. glaze
A technique used to cover some colors with other colors. In this technique, layered colors can usually create more harmony in the image. For example, a light color overlaid by a dark color will bring out the brightness; whereas dark colors overlaid with pale colors can provide greater depth.
d. Fragmentation and dotting
This technique uses thick pastels to create an image from a dot. The end result is a combination of points and lines without blurring or blending. The fragmentation and dotting techniques are a bit tricky to work with, but if you focus on two or three colors and keep an eye on rendering, the results will be stunning.
So that Sinaumed’s’s ability to draw with pastels continues to improve, try practicing drawing animals in motion and then incorporating their movements into your work.
The drawing medium you use to create a work of art and develop your personal drawing technique really depends on your goals and references.
Some materials and techniques may suit you better than others. So keep practicing with an open mind while trying new methods!
Those are some basic drawing techniques that Sinaumed’s can practice, because basically everyone can draw.