I am very much fond of drawing figures and pictures and get tempted to draw some meaningful figure or portrait on paper, but very often I make mess of it and have to leave the effort within a short time. My hand cannot create what is in my mind. I thought over it and revealed some hard facts about drawing.
Though it is said that we should start from whole to part and from outline to details, one starts drawing the part which appeals him best, eyes in case of human face. However, one forgets that drawing eyes is most difficult part of drawing a face. Any small deviation changes the face completely. Similar is the shading aspect. If you can truly show shadows, the face gets lighted up automatically. Three dimensional objects can be shown by representing depth by shadow. Even ighted portion of the figure can be shown only by creating contrast shadow for other portion not in light.
One good sculpture once commented; “I do not create statue from the stone. It already exists there. What I do is removal of other unwanted material to expose it.” The point is that the three dimensional picture of statue is present I the mind of sculpture and he knows well what part to cut out from stone. One bad thing with stone sculpture is that you cannot undo the action and portion cut cannot be attached again. In painting you can play around to compensate any mistake in drawing.
One simple method of learning to draw is perhaps copy from existing drawing. This provides a constant guide for shadow, color and scale proportion and does not allow logic or imagination to interfere with exact replication. You can draw a graph on paper to guide you or can see the picture through transparent paper or glass with graph marked over it. I have seen one well known painter using epedioscope to reflect the image of picture on canvas drawing board to help him in painting.
Practice of drawing smooth curves and straight lines is prerequisite for memory drawing. Seeing the picture and then drawing it from memory can help to identify loss of details during memorization. Repetition of checking with original picture and modifying drawing can help in proper visual impression. Memorization, though ridiculed by modern education experts, is very helpful to create the background full of resources.
Abstract intricate combination of lines and shadows can prompt imagination to visualize meaningful objects stored in memory. Highly impressive and realistic pictures can be drawn by staring at clouds, curtains or color faded walls. Our imagination interprets the shapes and shadows into real life figures and scenes. These figures suggest relevant distinctive part of image in perception and can become guide to draw novel and imaginary pictures, which are based on our memory experiences.
Modern Painting – It is one of the most controvertial but equally respected form of painting. Picasso evolved it to describe his feelings and impressions in a symbolic way. I feel that it provides the viewers the background like that which is felt while seeing clouds or intricate designs. Some suggestion is needed to grasp the meaning of image in the mind of creator. Hence suitable name is generally given to modern art picture. Pictures drawn by famous painters also creates stimulus to imagination of the viewer even if name is missing. But, in such a case, the theme assumed by viewer may be entirely different than than the painter had in his mind.
One painter had drawn a series of pictures on a theme of Indian widow with white saree. A foreigner got very much impressed with the pictures and exclaimed “ What a good theme of Gandhi !” He had in his memory the picture of Gandhi in white cladding. The painter was shocked with the interpretation but did not say anything. The foreigner purchased the collection thinking it as of Gandhi. May be if he exhibits the pictures without giving explicit name, some viewers may think it of ‘widow’ the real theme. Thus the picture conveys different meanings to different viewers depending on their experience.
One person approached a psychiatric and asked him to examine if he has any phobia. The doctor showed him one rectangle and asked ‘what is it?’ the person replied ‘it is plan of house’. Doctor showed triangle and asked to explain. The person answered ‘It is roof of house’. Doctor showed one small dot, to it person said ‘It is house as seen from high altitude’. The doctor concluded and told the person ‘You have phobia of house’. The person started laughing. He said ‘ It is not me but you. You have a phobia of house. That is why you are showing me house in different forms and asking me to explain.’ Leaving the lighter part of the story, it indicates how man forms perceptions and ignores other viewpoints.
There are different styles of paintings which do not depend on individual painter but method of showing details in a peculiar way, not necessarily realistic but giving prominence to particular details. Rajasthani, Mughal, Varli and many such styles are famous. For example, eyes on faces, flowers and fruits are shown out of proportion to indicate their importance in such drawings.
It is said that the good painting should depict not the realistic scene but the overall impression of it formed in the mind of painter. It then becomes true medium of communication between painter and viewers.
Painting, a creation by painter, is called as ‘Frozen Music’ and should give the pleasure like music composed by a good singer.
Though it is said that we should start from whole to part and from outline to details, one starts drawing the part which appeals him best, eyes in case of human face. However, one forgets that drawing eyes is most difficult part of drawing a face. Any small deviation changes the face completely. Similar is the shading aspect. If you can truly show shadows, the face gets lighted up automatically. Three dimensional objects can be shown by representing depth by shadow. Even ighted portion of the figure can be shown only by creating contrast shadow for other portion not in light.
One good sculpture once commented; “I do not create statue from the stone. It already exists there. What I do is removal of other unwanted material to expose it.” The point is that the three dimensional picture of statue is present I the mind of sculpture and he knows well what part to cut out from stone. One bad thing with stone sculpture is that you cannot undo the action and portion cut cannot be attached again. In painting you can play around to compensate any mistake in drawing.
One simple method of learning to draw is perhaps copy from existing drawing. This provides a constant guide for shadow, color and scale proportion and does not allow logic or imagination to interfere with exact replication. You can draw a graph on paper to guide you or can see the picture through transparent paper or glass with graph marked over it. I have seen one well known painter using epedioscope to reflect the image of picture on canvas drawing board to help him in painting.
Practice of drawing smooth curves and straight lines is prerequisite for memory drawing. Seeing the picture and then drawing it from memory can help to identify loss of details during memorization. Repetition of checking with original picture and modifying drawing can help in proper visual impression. Memorization, though ridiculed by modern education experts, is very helpful to create the background full of resources.
Abstract intricate combination of lines and shadows can prompt imagination to visualize meaningful objects stored in memory. Highly impressive and realistic pictures can be drawn by staring at clouds, curtains or color faded walls. Our imagination interprets the shapes and shadows into real life figures and scenes. These figures suggest relevant distinctive part of image in perception and can become guide to draw novel and imaginary pictures, which are based on our memory experiences.
Modern Painting – It is one of the most controvertial but equally respected form of painting. Picasso evolved it to describe his feelings and impressions in a symbolic way. I feel that it provides the viewers the background like that which is felt while seeing clouds or intricate designs. Some suggestion is needed to grasp the meaning of image in the mind of creator. Hence suitable name is generally given to modern art picture. Pictures drawn by famous painters also creates stimulus to imagination of the viewer even if name is missing. But, in such a case, the theme assumed by viewer may be entirely different than than the painter had in his mind.
One painter had drawn a series of pictures on a theme of Indian widow with white saree. A foreigner got very much impressed with the pictures and exclaimed “ What a good theme of Gandhi !” He had in his memory the picture of Gandhi in white cladding. The painter was shocked with the interpretation but did not say anything. The foreigner purchased the collection thinking it as of Gandhi. May be if he exhibits the pictures without giving explicit name, some viewers may think it of ‘widow’ the real theme. Thus the picture conveys different meanings to different viewers depending on their experience.
One person approached a psychiatric and asked him to examine if he has any phobia. The doctor showed him one rectangle and asked ‘what is it?’ the person replied ‘it is plan of house’. Doctor showed triangle and asked to explain. The person answered ‘It is roof of house’. Doctor showed one small dot, to it person said ‘It is house as seen from high altitude’. The doctor concluded and told the person ‘You have phobia of house’. The person started laughing. He said ‘ It is not me but you. You have a phobia of house. That is why you are showing me house in different forms and asking me to explain.’ Leaving the lighter part of the story, it indicates how man forms perceptions and ignores other viewpoints.
There are different styles of paintings which do not depend on individual painter but method of showing details in a peculiar way, not necessarily realistic but giving prominence to particular details. Rajasthani, Mughal, Varli and many such styles are famous. For example, eyes on faces, flowers and fruits are shown out of proportion to indicate their importance in such drawings.
It is said that the good painting should depict not the realistic scene but the overall impression of it formed in the mind of painter. It then becomes true medium of communication between painter and viewers.
Painting, a creation by painter, is called as ‘Frozen Music’ and should give the pleasure like music composed by a good singer.
