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banjodi β Tutorial: How to Build a Drawing
Published: 2012-07-07 15:07:10 +0000 UTC; Views: 8620; Favourites: 296; Downloads: 207
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Description
I've been thinking over a drawing tutorial for some time now, but I wanted to make sure I had something solid and not just a work-in-progress type thing that reads much like the "How to draw an Owl" meme.These are the basic steps I've learned to take when working on a drawing. Learning these moved me beyond the plateau I had gotten stuck on back when I was drawing directly and not planning my work - it's allowed me to work more and more from imagination, make more complicated and complete drawings, and generally polish my work.
The steps are derived from Classical techniques, but I hopefully made them applicable to any style of drawing!
I did the samples in pencil because I wanted it to be clear that it was pure drawing and all you need is a pencil and paper. If I ever get a scanner that does a better job, I'll redo the examples!
I hope this makes a difference for some who might be struggling as I once did, being able to draw really well when it comes to copying a photograph but lost when confronted with an original idea.
KEEP AT IT AND HAPPY DRAWING!
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Comments: 53
I found it here after all, in case you want to put it in your favorites! Β
Though I still want to do new art for both of them!
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Thank you! Β And yes, I did do a painting one with it using some Classical techniques in Photoshop, but I found myself unhappy with it the last time I did some organizing here and must've tossed it out. HOWEVER, it's still on my website here:Β www.dianekraus.com/classical-tβ¦
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Thank you for the link! 
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Thanks! It's derived from a very interesting book called "How to Paint like the Old Masters" by Joseph Sheppard, just translating oil techniques onto digital. Β You've inspired me to take a look at these again and maybe get them updated soon!
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Great to hear and good luck with it!
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Glad to hear it, thanks!
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Amazing... How long does it generally take to finish one picture like this? And how long have you been drawing to obtain such skills?
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I've been doing observational drawing (still life's, landscapes, portraits, drawing from photos, etc.) for a long time, but it's been in the past three or four years I got to concentrating on the foundations of art - composition, proportion, perspective, value and so forth - that have made it possible to draw like this consistently. The observational skills are really important and I'm always telling people to draw from life as much as possible, but at the same time it's the knowledge of art itself that makes it all really work.
The sample drawing for this took maybe two hours? But that was stopping to scan each step and really watching what I was doing so I could describe it in the tutorial. It really depends on what I'm drawing and how polished I want it to be. The first five stages or so actually make drawing move much faster than when I was just drawing directly, because you get the whole thing sketched out and can then sort of choose when to call it "done". Less finished portraits can take under 30 minutes but more finished ones can take days.
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But after finishing a portait, you alright... scan it to the computer. How do you add the colour and such. Do you use some kind of a tablet or do you just use mouse to do them? Since they really are amazing with the shadows and everything.
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I use a Wacom Intuos tablet and paint in Photoshop. I'm planning on following up this tutorial with another on painting very soon, using the drawing here as the first step. Stay tuned!
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Thanks! I'm glad to hear it!
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Lol, is it ok ifi copy these into microsoft publisher? only for my own reasons, and I'm not the kind of person who takes credit!
Best Regards
Moon (I'm almost 12 btw!)
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Thank you! I need all the help I can get...
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thanks for this tutorial, its really helpfull
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More accurate than you may realize.
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This a very different approach from what we usually find concerning building a drawing.
Also, you did a portrait here but I'm sure this can help out in any subject one draws.
Thanks a lot for sharing, well done!
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Thanks! I did a portrait because they are one of the basic "things to draw to learn to draw" things, but yeah! You can use it for anything. All the drawings (and paintings!) in my gallery from the last two years or so have basically been built this way.
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You're welcome! I guess it's a tried-out and verified method for doing it 
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originally, I read this as 'How to Draw a Building'. .-.
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You can use it to draw a building if you like!
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lol. I'm no good at realism.
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You can use it for anime or cartooning, too. It's all about planning and organizing.
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yeah, I suppose so ^^
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Best one I've seen so far! Bullet pointing the reasoning points as well as a more detailed explanation really helps in the breakdown of drawing well, for any ability level.
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Thanks very much! I was hoping doing those bullets would help make the "but why do this?" reasons easier to understand.
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This tutorial is amazing. Thank you so much for doing this! I don't really have problems with drawing once I get going, but I end up staring at a blank piece of paper for days and days until I get up enough courage to start. Bravo and thanks!
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You're very welcome! Best of luck defeating those empty pages!
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great tutorial! makes me wish my high school art teacher had been more thorough. (she touched on every area of art...but unfairly. One day for anatomy and gestures..over a week for color...and just basic color stuff at that. 
I can't wait to start art in college, where I can really learn all of this awesome stuff!
anyway..sorry for rambling, I got a bit carried away. Awesome tutorial!
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I totally feel your pain with that kind of frustration, as I've experienced it myself way too many times in the past. But keep up that kind of enthusiasm and you WILL learn all kinds of stuff, from your college courses, tutorials like this, books, websites, videos, etc. All it really takes is wanting to learn it and do it. KEEP IT UP!!
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Clear and easy to follow, it is a very helpful tutorial! Thank you
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Thanks, I rewrote it a few times really trying to get to the point of things and not get swept up in "arty talk". So I'm glad it's clear! And you're very welcome!
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I like this tut' even though I have been sketching for a long time, there a few simple new things here to try!
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Thanks! Sometimes the simplest things can do wonders. Good luck with it!
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