Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Drawing Basics for Beginners
    Drawing Basics for Beginners
    Drawing Basics for Beginners
    Ebook167 pages1 hour

    Drawing Basics for Beginners

    By Sulet Hofmeyr

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Drawing Basics for Beginners is an e-book based on the reputable art course aimed specifically at absolute beginners that the author has been offering at her studio since 2011.
    Drawing Basics for Beginners is written in an easy to read style with lots of illustrative images, step-by-step illustrated demonstrations, and exercises to help you unlock and develop your artistic talent.
    The e-book covers important topics for learning to draw and includes: what drawing materials to use; learning new muscle memory for drawing; how to utilize the creative part of your brain; how to develop your artistic observational skills; how to create realistic perspective, proportions, shading and compositions; and how to draw from life versus how to draw from reference pictures.
    If you follow the instructions, do not skip steps and practice often, you will never doubt your artistic competence ever again.
    See Charcoal Basics for Beginners (free for a limited time only) and Colored Pencil Basics for Beginners.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSulet Hofmeyr
    Release dateFeb 6, 2015
    ISBN9781311178909
    Drawing Basics for Beginners
    Author

    Sulet Hofmeyr

    Sulet attended a graphics design course at the Art Director’s Workshop in Cape Town in 1988 after which she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Africa.In 2011 Sulet decided to combine her natural talent for teaching with her love for helping people and creating art. She recognized the shortage of art instruction available to people who lack confidence in their artistic capabilities and she answered this need by developing an art course specifically aimed at teaching absolute beginners the basic art skills and creative confidence they need to get started. This art course for beginners expanded to instructional art e-books for beginners.Sulet is currently trying her hand at authoring and illustrating e-books for children – an art style new to her. She is also in the process of expanding her art course for beginners even further in the form of online art courses for beginners soon.

    Read more from Sulet Hofmeyr

    Related to Drawing Basics for Beginners

    Related ebooks

    Creativity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      How To Make Confident Marks

      Nov 29, 2019

      The final instalment in my series on core drawing techniques will focus on the importance of being confident while you work and what that means. As artists we’re often insecure about a range of issues: who we are, our skill level, how hard we work, f

      2 min read

    • Article

      I Can’t Draw a Straight Line

      Feb 22, 2019

      I Can’t Draw a Straight Line
      5 min read

    • Article

      Drawing Circles

      Feb 8, 2018

      Drawing Circles
      4 min read

    • Article

      Basic Drawing Techniques

      Nov 15, 2017

      Contributed by Brett A. Jones Drawing has been overshadowed in the modern era – to some extent – by the emergence of forms such as abstract and cubism which really don’t demand much from the artist in areas like realistic representation of the subje

      4 min read

    • Article

      Hatching and Crosshatching

      Jun 7, 2018

      Hatching and Crosshatching
      8 min read

    • Article

      Drawing Straight Lines

      Feb 8, 2018

      Drawing Straight Lines
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Loomis METHOD

      Oct 29, 2021

      The Loomis METHOD
      4 min read

    • Article

      IMAGINARY Figures

      Jan 22, 2021

      IMAGINARY Figures
      4 min read

    • Article

      MINDFUL Portraits

      Aug 7, 2020

      MINDFUL Portraits
      5 min read

    • Article

      Core skills: Part 1 GET BETTER AT LINE DRAWING

      Aug 9, 2019

      Creating quality line art with a pencil can be more difficult than with ink or a digital medium, so I’m going to give some tips on how to achieve work that is clean and easy to read. Since working with a pencil can have varying values, inconsistent m

      2 min read

    • Article

      Learn To Draw What You See

      Jul 10, 2020

      Learn To Draw What You See
      4 min read

    • Article

      Pen & Wash Sketching

      Jun 7, 2018

      Pen & Wash Sketching
      4 min read

    • Article

      1. Bone Structure

      Dec 27, 2019

      1. Bone Structure
      3 min read

    • Article

      Drawing BUILDINGS

      Sep 6, 2019

      Drawing BUILDINGS
      4 min read

    • Article

      Watercolour Pencil Techniques

      Feb 15, 2018

      Watercolour Pencil Techniques
      2 min read

    • Article

      3. Weight And Form

      Feb 21, 2020

      3. Weight And Form
      4 min read

    • Article

      Curves, Ellipses, and Spirals

      Jun 7, 2018

      Curves, Ellipses, and Spirals
      5 min read

    • Article

      5 Stages of Line Drawing

      Oct 25, 2019

      When talking about the nature of the actual lines that are used when drawing any freehand composition, there are to my way of thinking five clearly separate stages you go through to take your layout from a blank piece of paper to the precise and accu

      6 min read

    • Article

      Drawing Perspective

      Nov 26, 2021

      Drawing Perspective
      1 min read

    • Article

      Drawing Elephants

      Mar 22, 2019

      Drawing Elephants
      2 min read

    • Article

      Magic Pencil Tricks

      Jun 21, 2019

      Magic Pencil Tricks
      8 min read

    • Article

      Gouache Flowers

      Feb 19, 2021

      Gouache Flowers
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Drawing Basics for Beginners

    3.5/5

    3 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Drawing Basics for Beginners - Sulet Hofmeyr

      At the Tip of a Pencil: Realistic Drawing Basics for Beginners

      Second Edition

      By Sulet Hofmeyr

      Copyright © 2015 Sulet Hofmeyr

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      ISBN: 9781370694822

      Disclaimer

      The information contained in this book is for general information purposes only and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to this book or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on this book for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever.

      Every artist was first an amateur.

      - Ralph Waldo Emerson -

      Contents

      Preface

      Introduction

      Drawing tools

      Paper

      Pencils

      Ruler

      Erasers

      Sharpening tools

      Blending tools

      Other tools

      Before sketches

      Pencil control

      Pencil grip

      Pressure control

      Making the switch from logical to creative

      Hourglass faces

      Three-dimensional drawings on a flat surface

      Develop your artistic observational skills

      Upside down

      Blind contour drawing

      Pure contour drawing

      Negative spaces

      Achieve realistic perspective

      Foreshortening

      Ellipses

      Kinds of perspective

      Linear perspective

      Informal perspective

      Aerial/atmospheric perspective

      Proportions

      Grid

      Reference pictures and copyright

      Shading

      Light sources

      Identify and use value

      Basic shapes

      Different ways of shading

      Hatching and cross-hatching

      Blending

      Texture

      Sharp, soft and lost edges

      Contrast

      Draw from life

      Structural sketches

      Good composition

      Primary focal point

      Rule of thirds

      Flow

      Arrangement of objects

      Use value to create flow

      Line

      Space

      Planes

      Glossary

      Bibliography

      About the Author

      Preface

      I used to be one of the many people who wished I could draw beautifully realistic pictures, but try as I might, my attempts always left me frustrated and on the verge of giving up. I started believing everyone, including myself, who told me that I didn’t have the talent. Fear of failure set in, but I do love a challenge.

      In 1988, I enrolled for a graphic arts course in my rebellion against becoming a teacher as my family tradition dictated. During that year I was introduced to Betty Edward’s book, Drawing on the right side of the brain, and I discovered that one doesn’t have to be born brilliantly talented - in fact few are so lucky - and that the ability to make art, is a skill that can be learned. Some of the exercises in this book was inspired by, and modeled to, Betty Edward’s teachings.

      After the graphic arts course, I enrolled for an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Human Sciences with Psychology as my major. There I learned how the brain works and how one learns new skills. The path for my life was paved… I didn’t want to go into psychoanalysis or art therapy. I wanted to make a difference by teaching art. Teaching, right? Did you catch the irony?

      So, here is a bit of background information and your first lesson: Inside your brain, there are billions of neurons forming trillions of neural pathways. They are the hallways along which information travels around in your brain and to your body. When you learn a new skill, new neural pathways are established that disappear when not used often and improve when used often and frequently. Frequently used neural pathways become so strong over time that the actions become second nature.

      For example, when you practice holding your pencil correctly for drawing and shading it will feel uncomfortable at first (it is new), but you will get used to it and soon it will be second nature.

      In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell examines the 10, 0000-hour rule to success. Gladwell quotes John Lennon in an interview about the eight hours per day, seven days per week The Beatles performed at a strip club in Hamburg: We got better and got more confidence. We couldn’t help it with all the experience playing all night long. (p49) With all the hours of performing they strengthened neural pathways for performing their songs and in the process, it became second nature and they became a very successful band.

      When you struggle with the techniques in this book, remind yourself of the 10, 000-hour rule of success and keep trying.

      I hope I can help you establish new neural pathways in your quest for artistic success. I hope I can keep you inspired to strengthen those pathways until the art process becomes second nature to you. I hope I can lead you through your fear of failure to artistic confidence.

      Introduction

      If you wish you could draw, but you have always been too scared to try, I want to

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1