Drawing Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-19-2022

Learning how to draw people is a process that starts with purchasing the right art supplies. Try a simple method for drawing a human head and if you make a figure drawing mistake, use some quick techniques to fix the problem. Drawing people in public settings is fun and relaxing, so consider this list of inspiration spots — just be sure to take the supplies you need with you.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-25-2022

The Japanese comics and cartoons known as manga bring a unique style to age-old art forms. Like the art forms that precede it, manga works within specific archetypes and genres. However, the manga conventions are a new twist, and if you’re exhibiting at one you need to know what to bring.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-28-2022

Fashion drawing is all about attitude, exaggeration, and style. As you develop your fashion illustration skills, infuse your work with personal flair — your signature — to create a look unlike any other. Start by observing the golden rules of fashion drawing, mastering the S curve and other figure drawing techniques, and putting a creative spin on the fashion drawings you create.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-18-2022

Discover everything you need to know to get started with drawing, including what supplies and styles to use to create different types of drawings. You'll also find ways to come up with ideas about what to draw.

Article / Updated 11-12-2021

Geometric perspective (sometimes called linear perspective) makes subjects in a drawing look like they recede into distant space, appearing smaller the farther they are away from you. Geometric perspective can also create the illusion that you are either above or below the subject of a drawing. Using geometric perspective makes your drawings appear three-dimensional (rather than flat), and more realistic. To get started with geometric perspective, you first need to acquaint yourself with the following: Horizon line: An imaginary horizontal line, sometimes referred to as eye level, which divides your line of vision when you look straight ahead.Objects below this line are below your eye level, and objects above this line are above your eye level. Artists draw horizon lines to accurately establish perspective in their drawings. Perspective lines: Straight lines, drawn at an angle from the edges of objects, back into perceived distant space, until they finally converge at a point on the horizon line. These lines establish guidelines for drawing objects in proper perspective. Angular lines: Straight lines that are neither parallel nor perpendicular to the horizon line. Vanishing point: The point on the horizon line where the angular perspective lines of an object visually continue past its edges and eventually converge. Objects become smaller and smaller the closer they are to the vanishing point and, at this point, seem to completely disappear (or vanish). Some objects can even have more than one vanishing point. Lines of objects that are parallel or perpendicular (at a right angle) to the horizon line don't appear to go back in space (such as the top, bottom, and side edges of a building from a frontal view) and therefore don't meet the vanishing point. Creating a drawing's horizon line Always draw your horizon line parallel to the top and bottom of a square or rectangular drawing space. You determine the viewer's eye level by choosing the position of the horizon line. You control whether you want viewers to feel like they're above, below, or at eye level with the objects in your drawing. In the first drawing in Figure 1, the horizon line is close to the top of the drawing space, higher than the cubes. Imagine that you are standing on the top of a high cliff, or floating in a hot air balloon. The perspective lines of objects below you angle upward toward the horizon line and converge at the vanishing point. Figure 1: Observing cubes from two different perspectives, below and above the horizon line. If you want viewers of your drawings to feel like they are looking downward, draw the subjects below the horizon line. Looking upward The horizon line is below the cubes in the second drawing in Figure 1. You sense that you are below the cubes — maybe looking up into the sky or standing in a valley looking upward. The perspective lines of the objects all lead downward to the same vanishing point. The cubes almost look like helium-filled balloons, and the perspective lines seem to hold them anchored at the vanishing point. To create the illusion that the viewer is looking upward, draw your subjects above the horizon line. You are at eye level as you look into Figure 2. The horizon line is the first horizontal line, almost halfway down from the top of the drawing space. Look at the angular lines (neither horizontal nor vertical) that define the edges of the objects, and visually follow them to the vanishing point on the horizon line. You should notice the following: Angular lines of objects at your eye level (touching the horizon line) converge both downward and upward. The lines of objects above your eye level (above the horizon line) converge downward. Angular lines of objects below your eye level (below the horizon line) converge upward. Figure 2: An eye-level perspective — all angular lines converge at the same vanishing point. Finding vanishing points When an object's perspective lines recede into a properly placed vanishing point, your drawings appear more three-dimensional and visually correct. Finding and properly placing a vanishing point allows you to draw your subjects more realistically and in proper perspective. Many artists work from photos, without realizing that a camera lens can sometimes visually distort a scene. This may not be a problem when drawing landscapes. However, if you have human-made objects in your scene, such as buildings, stairs, or other objects with horizontal lines, you need to find the vanishing point and use geometric perspective to make them look visually correct. The following steps explain how you can find a vanishing point in a photograph or sketch. These basic principles also apply to rendering a final drawing from one of your rough sketches. Find an image that includes a level, man-made object with horizontal lines, such as a railing, deck, or wharf; or the roof, horizontal siding, or steps of a building. Then, follow these steps: Find an object in the image that you know is level and has more than one horizontal line. In Figure 3, the horizontal lines on the edge of the railing and the wooden planks in the deck are level. Tape a piece of tracing paper over the entire image. With a pencil and a ruler, outline the upper and lower horizontal edges of this object, as well as any other lines that you know to be parallel, such as railings, decks, or the upper and lower edges of doors and windows. Look at the outlines of the upper and lower edges of the railing and some of the spaces between the boards in the second drawing in Figure 3. Figure 3: Tracing the outlines to find the vanishing point. Tape your traced drawing to a larger sheet of drawing paper, leaving room to extend the horizontal lines of the object. Refer to the lines on your tracing and take note of the direction in which they point. You can visually identify which lines are going to eventually converge. Tape only the outer edges so that the tape doesn't tear the center area of your drawing paper when you remove it. Use your ruler and a pencil to extend all of the horizontal lines until they meet. Keep your lines light, so you can erase them later. Note the point where most lines converge. This is your vanishing point, which is located on the horizon line. When an object has only one vanishing point, its perspective is referred to as one-point perspective. Draw a straight line (the horizon line) through the vanishing point, horizontal to the top and bottom of your drawing paper. Figure 4 shows the location of the vanishing point and the horizon line (Line AB). Remove your tracing, redraw the lines of the object using the vanishing point as a guide, and complete your drawing. Figure 4: Extending the horizontal lines until they converge at the vanishing point. Sometimes you can see more than one side of an object, such as a building. If the angle (or corner end) of the building is closer to you than one of its sides, you need to use this same method to locate the second vanishing point (this is called two-point perspective). Horizontal lines on other visible sides of this object also converge at vanishing points somewhere on the same horizon line. Finding a horizon line and vanishing point in real life To identify the horizon line in an actual scene, mark it with your eye level. Remember — your eye level and the horizon line are one and the same. Look straight ahead, and the horizon line is in front of you. Some clues for finding a vanishing point in a real setting include the following: A building or object with horizontal lines provides a perfect clue. Follow the same procedure as in "Finding the vanishing point in a photograph or sketch" earlier in this article. However, instead of drawing the lines, you simply eyeball them to find the approximate position of your vanishing point. Then you mark it in your drawing. Two parallel lines of the edges of straight roads, railway tracks, and fences can lead you to the vanishing point.

Article / Updated 11-12-2021

When you know how to draw a manga figure, you're ready to turn your attention to creating your own characters. A number of common archetypes appear often in manga. In this case, archetypes are basically sets of personalities and attributes assigned to a character. An archetype may include, for example, the color of the individual's hair and eyes and the type of body build the character has. The decision of what your character looks like is ultimately yours, but first explore these established archetypes and see if they will work for you: The main protagonist: Every manga story must have a main leading character, either male or female. Readers lose interest in manga very quickly without a lead character to identify with. Even if everything else about your script is terrific, captivating the audience with memorable lead characters is crucial. Common main protagonists are the androgynous student, the varsity team captain, the Army Special Forces rookie, the innocent daydreamer, and the martial arts warrior. The lovable sidekick: For every lead character, you have at least one supporting cast member — otherwise known as the sidekick. These archetypes can be male, female, or neither (animal or alien). Conquering battles and winning over hearts of loved ones gets pretty lonely without supporting sidekicks. Humans learn from interacting with each other, and that's true of manga lead characters in every story. Lead characters look alike in so many manga stories, so the sidekicks make the difference — by either helping the lead character's mission go smoothly or by turning it into a living nightmare (usually unintentionally). Regardless of their impact, a sidekick's existence is just as crucial as the lead character's. Some common sidekick archetypes are the dimwitted muscle-man, the loyal little brother or sister, and the spoiled brat. The Dreaded Villain: No action manga saga is complete without an opposing bad force — for every protagonist, there must be an antagonist; otherwise, you don't have a strong plot. Contrary to most American comics, where villains are portrayed as teeth-gnashing and grotesque, modern manga stories rely on good-looking, intelligent, and cunning lead villains to make the plot more interesting. These archetypes expand and change, just like every form of popular entertainment does, but you want to at least recognize the common trend that has flooded the popular manga market for the past several decades. Current popular villain archetypes are the handsome, yet icy-cold villain, the military vixen, the well-trained warrior, and the evil sorceress. Damsels in Distress: Ever watch one of those silent movies featuring attractive women tied down to the railroad tracks? How about the girl who gets abducted and taken up the tall building by a giant gorilla? Well, guess what — the manga world is flooded with these characters. Damsels in distress give your main protagonist an obvious mission — save the girl! These characters shouldn't steal the spotlight from your main characters; they should play secondary roles in advancing the focus of your story. Common types of characters that need saving are the "little sister" princess, the innocent schoolgirl, and the loyal and selfless damsel.

Article / Updated 11-12-2021

Following are the basic stages that a manga-ka (a manga artist) uses to create an original plot. The basic stages are widely embraced by the manga-ka community today, and they originate from classical Chinese poetry. Stage 1: Ki — Introduction of an idea Stage 1 basically sets up the context and scene so that the story can begin and the characters can begin to interact. To start this Ki (introduction) stage, a manga-ka draws the opening frame, called an establishing shot, to give the readers a sense of the location where the story takes place. These shots are usually larger than the average-sized frame the manga-ka draws because he wants to include more detail in the setting. By the time this stage is complete, readers should have a good sense of who the important characters are, as well as the time and location of the story. Stage 2: Sho — Developing the idea In the second stage, you focus on building up the suspense of the story based upon the characters and concepts you introduced in the Ki stage. You introduced your readers to your characters and briefed them on the context of your story, and now you build up their curiosity. In this Sho (development) stage, the tempo of the story should steadily increase. What kinds of conflicts are your characters taking on to achieve their goals? Do you leave clues to the readers about possible dangers that the main characters themselves don't know about? What are the perils or challenges ahead? In most manga, this section is crucial because if the readers don't care about your characters, they don't care about what happens to them. Stage 3: Ten — The dramatic, unexpected turn of events In the third stage, you want a surprise development in which your characters face a situation that throws the readers off guard. Note that it's the readers and not necessarily the characters that you want to engage. In the Ten (turn) stage, the result of all the building up since Stage 2 leads to the ultimate climax where readers are sitting on the edge of their seats holding their collective breath. If you want to reveal to the readers the largest showdown of your story sequence, this is the right time and place to do so! Stage 4: Ketsu — Conclusion Stage 4 (or Ketsu) finishes the story. While some episodes may end by fully resolving an issue, others end by opening another can of worms, leaving the readers hanging from a cliff, wanting to know what happens in the next issue.

Step by Step / Updated 11-12-2021

Here, you’ll find five downloadable mandalas to color. You can color the more basic images with less detail with crayons or markers, but the incredibly detailed mandalas might require a steady hand and a fine-tip marker or pencil. Color them however you’d like.

Article / Updated 11-12-2021

In the trend of coloring as a form of relaxation, one of the most popular types of patterns to color is the mandala. Mandalas are usually circular geometric patterns. Some people find the drawing and coloring of a mandala as a form of meditation. As they focus on coloring in the patterns of the form, they relax, their mind grows quiet, and they may enter into a spiritual space. What exactly is a mandala? A mandala is a spiritual symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism. It's a symbolic representation of the universe with an inner and outer world. The word mandala comes from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. Literally mandala means "circle." The circle is seen as a magical form, without beginning and end, just as the universe is believed to have no end. The Sanskrit word mandala indicates everything that is round or circular. In tantric traditions, it often refers to a sacred space, which can be round or square or any other form. Deities are invited to enter this space by uttering powerful words (mantras). The prototype of the mandala is a square with four gates containing a circle with a central point. Often the mandala is also in an outer circle. This basic form can be found in many ancient mandalas, but there are many more variants. The mandala can also be filled with all kinds of patterns: geometric figures, Buddhist saints, flowers, you name it. The mandala is used as an object to focus your attention on while meditating. Because of the symmetrical shape, your attention is directed to the center. People in the Western world often used a freer form of the mandala, which is more reflective of the inner self and the unconscious self. Regardless of what mandala you use, coloring it can be very meditative and relaxing. Why coloring mandalas is for everyone You don't have to be Buddhist to color mandalas. It's an activity everyone can enjoy: Children: Because the mandala isn't a literal representation of reality, children can fully enjoy their creativity. They don't have to worry about choosing the right color green for the trees or what color blue the sky should be. The mandala can have all the colors of the rainbow. Or just their favorite color. Coloring a mandala is an excellent way to end a busy class and help children unwind. Adults: Everyone has had those days when your head overflows and your thoughts just seem to keep running in circles. Coloring a mandala for an hour may help you calm down. By focusing only on the pattern and colors, your mind may become wonderfully empty. You come to rest for a little while. Elderly: For the elderly, coloring mandalas may help you keep your memory in shape. The repetitive nature of many mandalas allows you to create beautiful symmetrical patterns, but you must concentrate to ensure that your colors are symmetrical (if that is, indeed, your goal). Remaining focused on a creative endeavor of this sort may keep your mind sharp. Finally, you may not think at first glance that coloring mandalas is something that can be done in a group, but it's a great activity to do with friends or relatives. Make a photocopy of a mandala that everyone can work on at once and go to town. Or give everyone their own copy of the same mandala and see how people come up with different colors and patterns for the same design. You can also just pass out different mandalas and enjoy being creative together.

Step by Step / Updated 11-12-2021

When you think about coloring even though you’re all grown up, you might feel a little silly. After all, you have more important things to do than color in pictures of princesses and superheroes. But that’s exactly why you should color. Here are five pages that adults who enjoy coloring as a hobby can download and color to suit themselves. Color them however you’d like.