health4men – valantines day advert

health4men – “party’n play” advert

moneque roos – biokinetics – virgin active

health4men – new branded condom wrappers

health4men – “summer” advert

health4men – “early treatment” advert

health4men – pride shelter – out in africa movie festival adverts

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

health4men – ukwazana – coasters

Grid Drawing – Copying Pictures Using a Grid Squares

Choosing a Picture and Grid Size

When selecting a picture to copy, make sure it is large and clear. You might wish to photocopy or do a computer printout rather than drawing directly on a photograph. You need an image with clear lines and edges – a blurry image makes it difficult to find a line to follow.
Decide on your grid size. If the grid is too large, you’ll have to do too much drawing in between each square. If the grid is too small, you’ll find it difficult to erase, and it can get very confusing. There is no definite rule, as the size of your picture and the subject can be so varied – but something from one inch to half an inch will be about right. You don’t have to divide your photo up mathematically – if the last squares are only half filled, that’s fine.

Drawing Your Grids

a gridded picture ready to draw

Measure up your grid, drawing the lines with a fine black pen. Dark grayscale photographs may need a white gel pen to show up. You can also use a computer to add a grid to your picture, as in this example – using the ‘grids and rulers’ in your graphics program as a guide, and drawing horizontal and vertical lines in a contrasting color.
Copy the grid onto your drawing paper, using a sharp, B pencil (medium hardness) and a light touch, so that you can erase it easily. Beginners should draw it the same size as the grid on the original picture. Once you’re comfortable with the process, you can use larger grids to scale up drawings.

The best way to learn this process is to try it – why not print this picture out and have a go?

A Few Squares at a Time

grid drawing in progress

When copying the picture, use spare sheets of paper to cover some of the image, so you can focus on a few squares at a time. This is especially useful for large pictures which can become confusing. Place your drawing and the original picture close together, so you can look directly from one to the other.

Following Shapes and Using Negative Space

the grid lines act as reference points to help you draw your line in the right place.

Look for clear edges in your picture. With this example, you can clearly see the outline of the jug against the background. Notice where the shape crosses the gridline – this is the reference-point that you can use. Don’t try to measure where it is on the grid, but rather judge its position (halfway up? one-third?) and find the same spot on your drawing grid. Follow the shape, looking for where the line next meets the grid.
The area shaded gray shows a NEGATIVE SPACE formed between the object and the grid. Observing these shapes can help you follow the shape of the line. Notice how the gray space looks fairly triangular, with a couple of chunks taken out – that makes it easy to copy.

The Finished Grid Drawing

a completed grid drawing, showing the main details of the picture

The completed grid drawing will include all the major lines of the object – outline, important details and clear shadow shapes. If you want to indicate the position of subtle details, such as a higlight, use a light dotted line. Now you can carefully erase your grid, patching up any erased parts of your drawing as you go. Then you can complete it as a line drawing, or add shading. If you need a very clean surface, you might want to trace your completed sketch onto a fresh sheet of paper.

Powered by Qumana

Figure Drawing – Proportions of the Human Figure

Relative Proportions of the Body

A common problem in figure drawing is getting everything in proportion. While there are lots of sutbtle differences between individuals, human proportions fit within a fairly standard range, though artists have historically looked for idealised standards against which the rest of us don’t always measure up! In figure drawing, the basic unit of measurement is the ‘head’, which is the distance from the top of the head to the chin. This handy unit of measurement is reasonably standard, and has long been used by artists to establish the proportions of the human figure.

The proportions used in figure drawing are:
- An average person, is generally 7-and-a-half heads tall (including the head).
- An ideal figure, used when aiming for an impression of nobility or grace, is drawn at 8 heads tall.
- An heroic figure, used in the heroic for the depiction of gods and superheroes, is eight-and-a-half heads tall(beware of creating a ‘pinhead!’) Most of the additional length comes from a bigger chest and longer legs.

For most figures, the standard proportions are a safe bet, and lightly placing your seven horizontals at the very outset can be a helpful way to ensure your figure will fit on the page. Then more careful measurements can be taken according to your individual subject. Remember that these proportions are for a basic standing figure, and changes in pose will affect the height.

Measuring the Model

Have you ever wondered what artists are actually doing when they peer at something over an outstretched pencil-top? Now you know: they are measuring up the model (or object). Ok, so a pencil-top is a pretty rough measure, but it is an immense help in getting down the proportions of your subject.

Using this method, it is important to stand in the same place, and to keep your head as still as possible when measuring, and to extend the arm fully with elbow straight, each time a measurement is made. You should not be too close to the model.

Remember that the basic unit in figure drawing is the model’s head, from top to chin. Holding your pencil in a fist with the thumb upwards, and arm stretched out fully, close your non-master eye and align the top of your pencil with the top of the model’s head, and slide your thumb down the pencil until it aligns with the model’s chin. There you have your basic unit of measurement on the pencil. Repeat this step whenever necessary.

Now, to find how many heads tall your model is, drop your hand slightly so that the top of the pencil is at the chin. Observe carefully the point on the figure that aligns with your thumb – this should be roughly below the breastbone. (2 heads – you count the head itself). Drop the top of the pencil to that point, and so on, down to the feet.

To place these measurements on the paper, simply make seven equally spaced horizontal lines down the paper. The actual distance doesn’t matter, so long as they are even. You are scaling the observed information to fit the page. Your top division will be the head. As you begin to draw the rest of the figure, check the placement of key points against your head measurements. The armpit begins just above the second head line, the hips at the third, for example. Naturally this will vary depending on the bodyshape and pose of the model. The head unit can also be used to check the size and relative placement of other parts of the body, as demonstrated by the red lines in the diagram above. Use the ‘scale’ you have established with the height to judge the correct distance on the paper. In this example, the wrist is one head-unit away from the body.

A Simple Aid to Accurate Drawing

Estimating angles against convenient verticals is a useful way of checking that the direction of lines within the pose are accurate. Sometimes existing features – a doorway behind the model, and the edge of the paper – provide this reference. An alternative method, handy for smaller detail within the page, is using two pencils as a sort of protractor. This is an excellent way of minimising error and ensuring a correctly proportioned figure.

Hold them both in the one hand as shown in the example, arm outstretched, such that one pencil is vertical. Use a doorframe or corner to check if need be. Viewing the model behind the pencils, move the second pencil so it is aligned with whatever bodypart needs to be located. Then, being careful not to move the pencils in relation to each other, line them up against your drawing, extending an imaginary line from the angled pencil to draw the required line. This method is particularly useful for correct alignment of the limbs. Of course, you can also use it to check the size of non-vertical angles – such as a bent leg.

If you find this method useful, a handy measuring tool can be constructed by using a split pin to hinge two strips of strong card togther

Powered by Qumana