Drawing Objects
If you want to broaden your artistic horizons or get into still life, you will need to start drawing objects. Sometimes an object will pop up in a portrait or in a landscape, and sometimes you’ll choose to draw a basket of fruit. Lucky for you, objects are relatively easy to draw depending on the object.
Choosing an Object
If you are going to be starting a sequence in still life, you should choose to practice drawing a variety of objects. First, learn how to draw some basic objects – cubes, spheres, eggs, cylinders, etc. Practice drawing and shading these objects. Once you feel confident with these shapes, you can move onto real objects.
You can start by drawing objects around the house. Draw fruit, vases, toys, office supplies, books, tools, etc. Draw one at a time or draw a group in a creative placement. Try not to draw all circular objects or all squares. Also, use plain and intricate objects. Vary what you draw.
Start with a Sketch
You should always begin each piece with a layout sketch. Sketch for placement and get a rough outline of each object. With pencil, it’s easy to just build on your sketch. Draw the big picture and add detail.
Drawing circular objects
Because spheres don’t have any hard edges, they can be very difficult. Spheres are all about shading. You want it to pop out and not look like a circle. The same goes for any rounded objects. Practice your shading technique to get the right dimensions.
Drawing Complex Objects
Obviously not everything you draw is going to be a box or sphere. You will run into some ovals and sticks, but most objects will be a mix of everything. A stuffed animal may have an oval body, spherical head, and cylinder shaped limbs. Also, the objects won’t have straight lines. You might have to draw the fur of an animal, the shine of an apple, or a smooth flower petal.
The most important think to remember when drawing is that you can’t easily be taught how to draw each and every object, texture, or thing you come across. Whether it be because it’s too difficult to teach or too time consuming doesn’t make much of a difference. You need to try out for yourself. Experience and practice will get you where you want to be.
Choose some objects and practice different ways of drawing them. Practice getting the dimensions, texture, and shading just right. As always, practice makes perfect.
