ASSIGNMENT 10
YOUR FIRST STILL LIFE
Your first still life! Place an apple, a pear and a tamarillo, if they are available or whatever you can lay your hands on, if not. But do three. When composing a composition it’s always more dynamic to have uneven numbers. Even numbers will create an uninteresting composition that does not attract the eye. Take time to compose the elements of your work. If you have a tamarillo there is an ideal opportunity to use the stalk to direct the eye where you want it. I’ve used the stalk on the tamarillo to bring the eye into the drawing and the stalk on the pear to create “contrast of axis”, a compositional tool which creates a dynamic image. The pear stalk is going in the opposite direction to the tamarillo stalk. The shadows are also being used to add to the interest and link the shapes, ie; the tamarillo stalk connects the mandarin. Pear and apple stalks will do the same thing. I would rather you place the objects so at least two overlap, because objects relate to one another. A pear will cast a shadow on the apple next to it. Your individual elements affect one another, they form abstract shapes in a relationship. Take the compositional element of this assignment very seriously. An unattractive composition will affect the level of interest you have in the drawing. If you’re not sure, post some photos and we’ll give you some support and advice.
HELLO, LEFT HEMISPHERE!
The most challenging part of the drawing is the big light shapes. It’s very easy at this point to want to rush and cover the area quickly. This is a classic LH imperative, “Just get on with it and get over it!!” Use your mindfulness techniques to get you through the potential impatience of LH. You will be rewarded once you start laying in the beautiful midtones and you can see the image taking shape. It’s magical! The other issue you will have are the annoying dark gitches that happen when you inadvertently put too much pressure on the pencil. Don’t worry, we all do it. Mostly they can be integrated as you lay in the darker tones and if not just know that you do get better at this and accidents become less likely to happen. Work on the tonal shapes of your two linked shapes together. They are interacting, ie; I put in the tones on the upper side of the tamarillo where it connects with the pear at the same time as working with the pear. Think of the whole as abstract shapes, rather than thinking you have to get one piece of fruit finished before you can do the other, work them up together.
THE END…
We’re done! Hurrah! Congratulate yourself big time! I’m very proud of you all and as always with a new set of students, I’ve learned a whole lot. I’ll miss you all – thanks for enhancing my life. Happy drawing, don’t stop and do look out for my next course. “Coloured Pencil for Absolute Beginners”. It will take you into the exciting world of colour using coloured pencils and will consolidate and build on all the learnings you have gained in this course.
10 Comments on “Class 1 Drawing for Absolute Beginners – Unit 12 Classroom”
Hi there, Kimbra. I have put together an apple, a pear and a very small rock melon for my still life. Our tamarillos are not yet ready and I tried with a passonfruit but it didn’t look good – too small and yet another stalk that didn’t work. Anyway, I hope you think these are OK and I would welcome any suggestions as to how to rearrange them before I start. As they are, there is very little shadow from one fruit to the next – just a touch on the pear from the apple. Anyway, please let me know what you think.
Many thanks Jenny
Good idea to send the photo Jenny. I might include that as a recommendation in the course! I would exchange the apple and the rock melon. Compositions generally work better if the visual weight is on the left – this is because the right hemisphere presides over the left side of our body. I like the way you have linked the melon and the pear and the apple is separate, you can do the same with the melon and the pear and have the apple apart on the other side.
I think the lighting looks good, you have some lovely darks, some highlights and beautiful reflected light. You may find that when you exchange the melon and apple , the shadow of the melon will link with the apple. Don’t worry if it doesn’t!
You might also consider turning the pear so the stalk leads us into the composition. At the moment, it is tending to lead the eye out of the picture to the left. This will also give the pear a right hand lean, again taking us into the composition. Good on you for going the extra distance to discuss the composition.
Many thanks for this. I have changed it as you suggest and I think it looks much better now. I hope it looks good when I have drawn it!
Great, glad I could help.
Well, what a lovely way to spend a very wet morning. I hope you are as pleased with this as I am. I particularly like the apple. I am amazed I can produce something that actually appears slightly 3-dimensional. Yay! I am sure you will have lots of comments about it but here we go for now.
And here is what I was drawing – maybe not exactly the same angle though
Yes, it’s just lovely to see you drawing and observing the tonal shapes so accurately. It is a source of great pleasure, I agree. Your tonal work is really good and your drawing skills are all that I would hope for. Just a few tips!
I think you can generally go darker. Have a look at your tonal ranges in the exercises – the darks and mid tones are very rich. This tonal depth gives the whole thing a more powerful impression of 3 D. I know this can be scary but if you build it up slowly just putting more pressure on your knuckle resting on the paper and tightening the grip on the pencil a bit with your fingers as you go, I think you will be fine!
You may notice lines around the outside of your fruit, of course they’re there because that was your initial contour drawing. I rub these out gently and replace them with tone. If you take the tone right up to the shape next to it you will get the definition the line describes and it will look more 3D. Sometimes there are light shapes at the edge of objects that literally fuse into the light background and dark shapes that fuse into the shadows. This fusion also adds to the 3D look.
You are doing so well Jenny, these are just little things that you can change if you want to. I’m delighted with your posts and as I’ve said very gratified that it’s all working so well and has become a source of pleasure for you.
How did I know what you were going to say!! So I have made it darker and, of course, I think it looks much better. I was sort of nervous of spoiling it originally as it had started to look quite 3-d like. But it is amazing that as I darkened it it kept looking better and better. I also tried to disappear the outlines that were there. Anyway, I hope you think it is better now.
I didn’t notice the comment you posted earlier Jenny – I’m sorry, I usually spot them very easily amongst my emails. It’s lovely! There’s a delicacy in the pear and melon that is quite emotive and your tonal work is excellent. Yes, I have a couple of little tips! The pattern on the apple can be adjusted tonally so that we can tell it is receiving the same light and shadow as the apple itself. The stripes in the light areas are much lighter than the stripes in the dark areas. This is a little adjustment you can make that will transform your apple.
I’ve so enjoyed working with you Jenny and it is a shame that so many of the others dropped out. Ella is still going – she has just done a beautiful ball. Paul has just opened up the evaluation page – we still have a few teething problems! I’m wondering if you would write me a testimonial that I can put up in the online course pages. I would really appreciate that. I’m doing lots of SEO work and am writing a blog now which will have drawing tips and my personal experiences of the various projects I’m doing. This will hopefully drive traffic to the website and people from round the world may start signing up.
It’s great that you want to do the colour course – it’s a perfect follow on as it consolidates everything you’ve learned. Paul will start the job of putting it up now that we’ve had a nudge – thanks! I’ll let you know when it’s up. I bumped into Phemie today and she was very inspired by you. Awesome work Jenny – I’ve loved every minute of it! I’ll be in touch. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. :):)
Hi there, last time I promise you. I have lightened the markings on the apple and hopefully it looks better now. I see ll the pictures have gone from the postings above but I will try to attach my new one here