08-27-2015, 03:17 PM
Heya, its good that you're drawing from observation already, it will invaluable as you begin to invent and construct.
I feel the breaking down into simple volumes is not only a matter of technique but as a way of observation?
Try to observe things in the round, as in when you are observing things by measuring shapes, also appreciate how some parts of the shape are deeper or shallower in space.
Say for instance, you are seeing a fellow passenger on a bus or train and he is presenting his side profile to you. Observe how one shoulder is larger than the other as one is closer to you. Now imagine he is wearing a sweater with horizontal stripes, appreciate how the shape of the stripes are changing as they curve around his chest proceeding further away from your eye.
Lets imagine you are studying a face of a person in 3/4 profile on the train. Setting up the vanishing points would be great if you had the time and a large enough surface to do that; if you place the vanishing points too close together, the face ends up being hella distorted (lets further discuss if this is unclear).
A better way, imo, would be to setup the sizes of similar things to suggest depth, the eye that is closer is larger, the shoulder that is closer is larger etc. Next, check to see that you are consistently referencing a fixed eye level.
Say for example an UPRIGHT cylinder, it is above your eye level in the view/scene, it presents its side surfaces to you as well as its bottom surfaces. You will see little or none of its top surface. Now lets imagine the cylinder as a human head with horizontal striped warpaint it XD, the stripes will be more likely to curve upwards like the shape of the letter "n" than that of the letter "u".
Appreciating things you observe in their entirety is half the drawing done I feel.
Sorry for the text wall, I hope it gives you some useful ideas! Best of luck!
I feel the breaking down into simple volumes is not only a matter of technique but as a way of observation?
Try to observe things in the round, as in when you are observing things by measuring shapes, also appreciate how some parts of the shape are deeper or shallower in space.
Say for instance, you are seeing a fellow passenger on a bus or train and he is presenting his side profile to you. Observe how one shoulder is larger than the other as one is closer to you. Now imagine he is wearing a sweater with horizontal stripes, appreciate how the shape of the stripes are changing as they curve around his chest proceeding further away from your eye.
Lets imagine you are studying a face of a person in 3/4 profile on the train. Setting up the vanishing points would be great if you had the time and a large enough surface to do that; if you place the vanishing points too close together, the face ends up being hella distorted (lets further discuss if this is unclear).
A better way, imo, would be to setup the sizes of similar things to suggest depth, the eye that is closer is larger, the shoulder that is closer is larger etc. Next, check to see that you are consistently referencing a fixed eye level.
Say for example an UPRIGHT cylinder, it is above your eye level in the view/scene, it presents its side surfaces to you as well as its bottom surfaces. You will see little or none of its top surface. Now lets imagine the cylinder as a human head with horizontal striped warpaint it XD, the stripes will be more likely to curve upwards like the shape of the letter "n" than that of the letter "u".
Appreciating things you observe in their entirety is half the drawing done I feel.
Sorry for the text wall, I hope it gives you some useful ideas! Best of luck!