Basics of Drawing: Exercise Practice Illustration

Foreshortening is one of the keys to real painting so that your drawings have a three-dimensional quality. If you do not know how to do this, do not worry. Here’s an exercise routine to practice prediction to strengthen your drawing basics.

What does it foreshadow? A change in shape is the way it looks when it moves in space. Distorting a part of an object creates the impression that the other part is too close to you.

To do this task, find something completely round but flat, like a plastic container lid, CD, or a piece of paper. Keep it clear at that level. Do you see what it looks like as a straight line across? If it is a little stronger, you will see a very small rectangle in front of you. That’s on the side of the circle.

Now start to tilt it and notice how the line changes shape from a single line to a circular shape. See what it looks like in a circle, and then the circle hit?

The more you change it, the smaller it looks, and the more flattering it looks, the more straightforward it will be in front of you. Now it looks like a perfect circle.

With a pen or pencil and paper, use your circle, and practice drawing it in different ways. Don’t think of it as a circle. Just draw what your eyes see in front of you. Tilt it slightly, and draw what you see. Tilt more, and draw what you see at that moment. Your drawings should look different. Draw in advance!

When you are unable to create a circle, try something else, such as a rectangle. You can use a book or one of your folders, or a smartphone. See how close the corners of your eyes look to the corners closest to you?

Don’t think about it. Just look and draw what you see. That is part of the art of drawing. You need to be able to draw what you see.

How can you apply this to your drawings? Of course, if you are drawing a birthday cake, you can paint it as a rectangle, but to make it look threefold, change the top of that rectangle by adding a pre-defined circle to it. Now it looks like a circle and is long.

Repeat this simple task to practice prediction, and it will soon be easier to do. You will be able to apply your new skills to your drawings, and you will be on track to master one of the basics of drawing.