Lessons
Lesson Info
Class Introduction
So, in this Drawing Basics 2, we're going to be talking about cross contour line and ellipses. And so, we're going to talk about what that is and what we'll be covering. So let's just take a look at that. The things that we're going to be doing, really, I'm going to be helping take your drawings to the next level. Initially, drawings are often just two-dimensional, but how do we make them three-dimensional? So, we're going to talk about turning 3D forms in space, things like cylinders and eggs, turning them in space, and using cross contour lines, lines that wrap around them to help show their dimension. And I'm gonna have some really fun, easy ways that you guys can practice that and really help you move to the next level with that. We're gonna learn how to draw and measure the height to width of ellipses. And so, ellipses, basically being something is circular and you turn it away from you, that changes, sort of squashes the circle. So, we're going to talk about how to draw ellipses ...
with volume and fluidity. It's a really important thing to learn. And we're gonna apply the knowledge of those ellipses to things like drawing eggs, cylinders, coffee cups, and we're even gonna play one of my favorite games, which is called Diagram a Banana. Okay? So we're gonna do that too. So, this starts to get a little bit more technical in a way, but it's also, we're gonna approach it in a really simple way, and we're gonna find some fun in it, but also have devices to make it easier. And one of those devices to make it easier are some of our downloadable practice pages, which all of you have a little folder of those, but I also have some examples of those downloadable practice pages that people can refer to online and practice. So, every step of the way you'll have some guidance in that and we'll work with that. So, those are for everybody's reference. They can work with those, make it a little bit easier. So, you know, why would you want to make things 3D, who would want to be able to do that? Well, you know, sort of for me it feels like a logical next step in a way, right? We've made some beautiful line drawings but now, I want dimension. When I was in graduate school in New York, I was required to take a sculpture class and I thought going into it, because I was a painting major at the academy, I thought, "Oh, now I've gotta take "sculpture on top of everything else!" And I'll never forget, I went in and they had the model on a big Lazy Susan and they were turning her in space every 15 minutes, and every time she turned, I had a little Lazy Susan and I turned my piece of clay in space, and I was sculpting her in the round. Previously I had just been drawing and painting the figure like, right there in front of me. And, within two weeks, my drawings had become so much better because I started to understand the volumetric nature, I started to understand, like, what would happen if I walked around a form, right? So that's part of what we'll be working with. It's like, what if I walked around the egg? What if I walked around the cylinder? How can I give the illusion of roundness to something that's actually just facing me, right? So, that's the benefit of drawing from life, because it's a sculptural object in front of you. But it's also the benefit of some of the devices I'm gonna teach you to help you along the way. All right?
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Melisa Williams
I am taking all of Amy's beginner drawing classes. I like them because her approach is really concise and just very helpful. I am learning lots of techniques. I was one of those "I don't have talent" people and this makes me realize it's a skill anyone can learn if they want to. Thanks Amy!!
Joy Hunter
I've SO wanted to learn to draw and have tried different things, I've tried tracing photos, creating a grid and then putting in the lines section by section, but this is teaching us more - the ideas behind just the mechanics. I love she tells us to feel a connection with the objects we're drawing. I really feel like I'm getting better.
AShley
A great course to learn how an artist visualizes objects to make their drawings look 3-dimensional on a 2-dimensional surface (such as your paper). Awesome!
Student Work
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Illustration