Essential Guide to Drawing: A practical and inspirational workbook
By Barrington Barber and Duncan Smith
3/5
()
About this ebook
Barrington Barber
Born 1934, Barrington was educated at Hampton Grammar School and later Twickenham Art Schoo for which he received a National Diploma of Design. He then practised as an illustrator (Saxon Artist) and Graphic Designer, was Art Director at Ogilvie & Mather and S.H. Bensons, and was a lecturer in Graphic Design at Ealing Art School. Other credits include freelance work, designer, illustrator, animator and painter at Augustine Studios. He was awarded a one man exhibition in 2000 at St. Oswald Studios, and also exhibited in Putney in 2003 and Cork Street in 2004. He was Head of Art at St James's Independent Schools. He now paints, draws, writes about art, and enjoys sports, walking, philosophy and meditation.
Read more from Barrington Barber
Learn to Draw: 10-Week Course for Aspiring Artists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Book of Drawing: Essential Skills for Every Artist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fundamentals of Drawing: A Complete Professional Course for Artists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Practical Guide to Drawing Still Life: [Artist's Workbook] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fundamentals of Drawing Portraits Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Practical Guide to Drawing Anatomy: [Artist's Workbook] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/56-Week Drawing Course Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Practical Guide to Drawing Figures: [Artist's Workbook] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anyone Can Draw: Create Sensational Artworks in Easy Steps Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ultimate Drawing Book: Essential Skills, Techniques and Inspiration for Artists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssential Guide to Drawing: Perspective & Composition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Essential Guide to Drawing: Portraits Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Fundamentals of Oil Painting: A Complete Course in Techniques, Subjects and Styles Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Fundamentals of Drawing Nudes: A Practical Guide to Portraying the Human Figure Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ultimate Drawing Workbook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Creative Drawing Workbook: Imaginative Step-by-Step Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDrawing Made Easy: A Stage by Stage Guide to Drawing Skills Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Artist's Complete Book of Drawing: A step-by-step professional guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Introduction to Drawing: A Professional Course for Every Artist Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Fundamentals of Drawing Landscapes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Essential Guide to Drawing: Landscapes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy for Artists: A Complete Guide to Drawing the Human Body Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Complete Book of Drawing Skills: Inspiring instruction from the world's best-selling drawing teacher Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anyone Can Paint: Create sensational art in oils, acrylics, and watercolours Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAdvanced Drawing Skills: A Course In Artistic Excellence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComplete Book of Drawing Projects Step by Step Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Everyone Can Draw Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Mindful Drawing: Create calm and inspiring images Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Fundamentals of Drawing in Colour: A complete professional course for artists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fundamentals of Figure Drawing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related to Essential Guide to Drawing
Related ebooks
The Artist's Complete Book of Drawing Projects Step-by-Step Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ultimate Drawing Workbook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Drawing is Easy: A step-by-step guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creative Drawing: A practical guide to using pencil, crayon, pastel, ink and watercolour Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssential Guide to Drawing: Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fundamentals of Drawing Still Life Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/56-Week Drawing Course Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Drawing: Create stunning artworks step by step Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Creative Drawing Workbook: Imaginative Step-by-Step Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fundamentals of Drawing in Colour: A complete professional course for artists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Guide to Drawing: A Practical Course for Artists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Begin Drawing with 8 Exercises and 8 Projects: Achievable Goals To Get You To Draw Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Art Class: The Complete Book of Drawing People: How to create your own artwork Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDrawing Family Portraits Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPen and Pencil Drawing Techniques Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Drawing Still Life: A Practical Course for Artists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Art Class: The Essential Guide to Drawing: How to Create Your Own Artwork Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Draw Pets: A Step-by-Step Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Beginner's Guide to Drawing: More Than 200 Drawing Techniques, Tips & Lessons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Drawing: People Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Drawing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCreate Realistic Portraits with Colored Pencils Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Drawing: Pets Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Drawing: Faces & Features Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Drawing Cats: A Step-by-Step Guide for Artists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Sketching: A Step by Step Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fundamentals of Drawing Animals: A step-by-step guide to creating eye-catching artwork Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Visual Arts For You
Draw What You See Not What You Think You See: Learn How to Draw for Beginners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Daily Creativity Journal Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Draw Anything Anytime: A Beginner's Guide to Cute and Easy Doodles (Over 1,000 Illustrations) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Special Subjects: Basic Color Theory: An Introduction to Color for Beginning Artists Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Draw Like an Artist: 100 Flowers and Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Art of Handwriting: Rediscover the Beauty and Power of Penmanship Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Draw Every Little Thing: Learn to Draw More Than 100 Everyday Items, From Food to Fashion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Botanical Drawing: A Step-By-Step Guide to Drawing Flowers, Vegetables, Fruit and Other Plant Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn to Draw: Manual Drawing - for the Absolute Beginner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Art Models 10: Photos for Figure Drawing, Painting, and Sculpting Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Visitors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy for Fantasy Artists: An Essential Guide to Creating Action Figures & Fantastical Forms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Journal with Purpose Layout Ideas 101: Over 100 inspiring journal layouts plus 500 writing prompts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Art Models 5: Life Nude Photos for the Visual Arts Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Watercolor Success in Four Steps: 150 Skill-Building Projects to Paint Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Drawing and Sketching Portraits: How to Draw Realistic Faces for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Art Models 3: Life Nude Photos for the Visual Arts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy: A Complete Guide for Artists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sharpie Art Workshop: Techniques & Ideas for Transforming Your World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Art Models: Life Nudes for Drawing, Painting, and Sculpting Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Art Starts with a Line: A Creative and Interactive Guide to the Art of Line Drawing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Harmonious Color Schemes; no-nonsense approach using the Color Wheel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Conscious Creativity: Look, Connect, Create Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Make Hand-Drawn Maps: A Creative Guide with Tips, Tricks, and Projects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Journal with Purpose: Over 1000 motifs, alphabets and icons to personalize your bullet or dot journal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Morpho: Anatomy for Artists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One Zentangle a Day: A 6-Week Course in Creative Drawing for Relaxation, Inspiration, and Fun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Colored Pencil Manual: Step-by-Step Instructions and Techniques Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Essential Guide to Drawing
3 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Essential Guide to Drawing - Barrington Barber
Introduction
Learning to draw is not difficult; it is simply a case of making marks on paper and practising them over and over again, in just the same way as you learnt how to write. Indeed, before you discovered how to write you probably made energetic drawings, full of expression and creativity – but later you may have worried about whether you could get things ‘right’ and lost confidence in your ability to draw.
So, now you are beginning again, hopefully with optimism that you can master this skill. All you need to draw effectively is the desire to do it, some persistence, the ability to observe and the willingness to make mistakes. This last is one of the most important points, since if you worry about mistakes your drawings will be inhibited and static, rather than vivid and lively. Every error is in fact a learning experience and a step along the path to improvement, because you can mark each one up as an error that you will not make again.
Getting together with other people who are also learning to draw is a good idea, as this will help your own progress; you will get some feedback on your work and will learn from the successes and failures in theirs. Ultimately, when we draw our aim is for our art to be seen and appreciated by others, so right from the start, consider your drawings as being for the public view. They may not be to everyone’s liking and you may receive criticism delivered with varying degrees of tact; it is for you to decide whether it is justified or not. Very often you will discover that a fresh eye has seen something that has eluded you while you have been working away, engaged on building up your drawing and perhaps elaborating on something that was not quite right from the start. The opinions of others will help you to take an objective look at your drawing, so welcome them even if you decide that they are wrong.
Most importantly, enjoy your drawing. If you feel you are getting a little stale and progress seems slow, do not feel discouraged – just try new mediums, papers and subjects and set yourself tests such as five-minute sketches, trying to capture animals on the move or drawing passersby from a café table. Your creativity will soon return and with it you will refind your path to being a skilled artist.
Materials and Equipment
The range of drawing materials and tools is wide and exciting, but you do not have to make a big investment in order to equip yourself with the necessities for making vibrant, interesting drawings; on the simplest scale, you can use an ordinary office pencil or break a twig off a bush in your garden and dip it in a bottle of ink. Always be open to experimentation when it comes to mark-making, as that way you will discover the tools and mediums you enjoy the most.
Pencils
You can buy pencils in a range of grades from 9H (very hard) to 9B (very soft), with HB as the midway point. In practice, HB, B, 2B and 4B are the ones you are most likely to use, the harder ones for detail and the softer ones for expanses of tone. Pencils also come in a range of qualities, from everyday to high-quality types for artists.
While the common types of pencil are often referred to as ‘lead’, they are in fact made from graphite mixed with a clay binder. You can also buy solid sticks of graphite without a wood casing which allow you to quickly make broad areas of tone, while a white carbon pencil will come in useful for contrasting highlights.
Conté pencils or crayons date from the late 18th century and are made from compacted clay and pigment, usually black, brown or red. As with graphite, conté is also available as a stick, with no casing. The mark that conté makes is rather like that of pastel, but is harder and more stable.
Watersoluble pencils allow you to make an easy transition from drawing to painting. Used dry, they behave like ordinary pencils, but by sweeping a wet brush over your marks you can produce a wash resembling watercolour. They are available in graphite and in a range of colours.
HB B 2B 4B
Conté pencil
White carbon pencil
Watersoluble pencil
Charcoal, chalk and pastel
As charcoal is simply made from charred wood, it is one of the oldest drawing materials available. Like graphite pencils, it comes in a range of grades. It is very crumbly, so you can smudge it with your fingers to produce soft tones and cover large areas, and you will need to use fixative once you have finished your drawings. A box of willow charcoal will give you sticks of different sizes that may be slightly unpredictable as to how hard or soft your marks will be, but if you prefer a more even result and less dust on your hands you can buy charcoal in pencil form.
White chalk is an inexpensive but effective medium, excellent for providing highlights and for using on toned paper, with the paper colour acting as the mid-tone and charcoal for the darks. For colours, try soft pastels, which offer a range of pigments and are available in sticks or as pencils. Like charcoal, chalk and pastel need to be sprayed with fixative.
White chalk
Conté stick
Willow charcoal
Ink
There is a wide range of tools to use for ink drawings, from everyday fountain pens, biros and felt-tipped pens to watersoluble brush pens, expensive fine-nibbed drawing pens and traditional steel nibs to dip into a jar of ink. Choose watersoluble inks if you want to use brushes to wet your drawing and create washes of tone, or permanent inks such as Indian ink if lightfastness is your primary interest.
All tools will create a characteristic mark, so have fun trying a variety of them – go out into the garden, looking for natural tools such as twigs or perhaps a bird’s feather to give you a quill pen.
Drawing ink
Fine line pen
Fine nib push pen
No 5 sable brush
No 2 nylon brush
Paper
For drawing, any good cartridge paper will meet your needs at first, but if you plan to use washes you should buy paper with a weight of not less than 220gsm (100lb) in order to avoid the paper cockling when it is wet. It is best to start with relatively inexpensive paper as you will be less inhibited about mark-making, but later on you can explore all the different types of paper suitable for drawing.
You will also need some sketchbooks in which to practise your drawing skills and make reference sketches that can be turned into finished drawings later. A4 is a useful size, but it’s a good idea to have an A5 one too as this can be tucked into your pocket when you are out and about.
Accessories
You do not need a lot of expensive accessories, fun though they may be to have as extras. Of course you will need an eraser, and the best type to buy is a putty rubber as this can be moulded into a point to erase fine lines and will not leave any debris behind or scuff the surface of the paper.
The best way to sharpen your pencils is with a scalpel or craft knife, so that you can make a long point that can be used to create tone as well as line. However, if you find it hard at first to make a sharp point with a knife, a pencil sharpener will be useful.
You can buy a drawing board from an art supplies shop, but the cheaper option is a piece of MDF or thick plywood from a DIY store. A2 is the most useful size, and you may be able to get the store to cut that for you to avoid the task of sawing it from a bigger piece yourself. Sand the edges to smooth them, and if you wish to protect the surface, paint it with primer or white emulsion.
To attach your paper to the board you can use traditional clips, drawing pins or masking tape. Whether you draw sitting down or standing up, you need your paper surface to be at a reasonably steep angle. This means an easel if you prefer to stand, but if you are sitting down you do not need to buy a table easel – you can lean the board