Lessons
Lesson Info
Class Introduction
Let's just talk a little bit about exactly what we'll be working with. So we're gonna be practicing one point versus two point perspective. Perspective is something that sometimes people feel a bit challenged about but I'm going to present it in a really simple way. We're also going to be learning about how to sight angles and how to place objects with accuracy on a ground plane. Which is really important if you want the things you're drawing to feel like they have weight and balance to them. We're also gonna learn how to measure relationships of height to width. So that's another thing that we're gonna be working with and that's going to help us with a lot of things. Like why would you want to learn to draw basic blocks and space? It's because these simple forms can absolutely be applied to more complex scenarios. So the types of forms we're gonna work with are these basic wooden blocks, like this. I'm choosing these because they're monochromatic, they don't have a lot of detail, they...
're really, really excellent motifs for practicing these ideas. These simple blocks, we'll learn about how to place them in space with believability and how to make simple line drawings from them. So how would this be applied elsewhere? You know we can learn how to draw blocks. Maybe you're interested in drawing blocks, but other objects can be simplified into block shapes, more complex scenarios. Things like a figure drawing. So drawing the figure is super complicated, especially if you're just starting. And especially to try to give the figure dimensionality. If we start to think about it in terms of planes, plane changes you can see how a simple figure drawing could be established with simple geometries. In this case block shapes. So by learning how to draw these simple blocks from different angles and learning a little bit about perspective, you'll be able to move on to more complex drawings. This is an amazing drawing by Luca Cambiaso, he's Italian 16th century. Even way back then they were using this idea. Look at how he structured these figures. The heads, the forms, the planes, the planes of the legs, the planes of the arms, all of that are these loose block like shapes. So it's really terrific to practice this and then apply it later in more complex situations. Earlier, I was up on the roof at Creative Live and I actually started to play with this idea of building blocks. We're working with simple block shapes to establish something more complex. So buildings of course are like a natural thing we think about when we think about block shapes. The rooftop of Creative Live, you've got this great view of the hilltops in San Francisco. And when I was up there I absolutely saw that you could build this complex scenario with these simple shapes. So let's just take a look at that animation but take it slowed down bit by bit. So when I went out there I saw that the foreground buildings were very simple block shapes. Starting to build them a little further adding, adding some more, adding some more and then ultimately adding detail. Almost everything, except for the trees in this are simple block shapes, angled in space, corners coming towards me. So all of that was something that I looked at and I drew and I really distilled into the most simple forms. Camille Pissarro said "It is only by drawing often, "drawing everything, drawing incessantly, "that one fine day you discover to your surprise "that you have rendered something in it's true character." So this act of drawing, this act of especially going outside in plain air and the open air, you know this sort of action is a really immediate act and it means you're increasing your ability to see your environment. And by practicing it over and over again, and learning how to simplify complex shapes, and practicing that, which is what we're gonna do in this video. This will really help you achieve more sophisticated drawings down the line.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
DiDi Hendley
Excellent instructor! Simple to understand instructions, told in few words. Thanks Ms. Wynne and CreativeLive!
Wendy Nelson
Fantastic - I learned so much and got answers to things I was struggling with. This is a great beginner class.