Citizen Sketcher

This is the one of three exercises from the Richmond workshop : 01 Single Line | 02 Tone Shapes | 03 Post and Rail Panoramas

Ok, I’ll admit this last exercise is less about your pen work – but it’s a good application of the previous two exercises. Plus, this is a very common situation when you’re travelling with a sketchbook. Don’t you always go to those tourist spots with an amazing view? And of course you want to get it all in. (Note: In fact, we did not do this exercise in Richmond. I wanted to do it, but I think I’d put too much on the timeline. Everyone got a worksheet with these notes, so they can try it when they get home. ~m)

Here’s one way to tackle a panorama without getting lost in the details. (And without spending all day at it).

Direct to Ink Exercise: Post and Rail Panorama

• Decide how wide you want to go. The wider the field of view, the ‘shorter’ your drawing will be compared to its length.
• In a small book, this can make your drawing little more than bumps-on-a-horizon-line.
• Choose how many pages in your drawing. Will you work across a double page spread? Or keep going as you flip the page? There are also accordion fold sketchbooks that offer plenty of length.
• I prefer loose sheets as I like to start in the center, and work outward in both directions.

• To begin, choose a landmark that is the most important thing in your view. Something highly distinctive, a recognizable part of the skyline.
• This is your first ‘post’.
• The idea is to build your drawing like a fence. Placing posts, and joining them with rails.

• Each ‘rail’ is  a Single Line Sketch (see Exercise One).
• If you want to make it a little easier, roughly sketch a few key posts in pencil first, and you have a chance to do some sight measuring before the ink.
• Personally, I try not to be obsessive about accuracy, and often enjoy going straight to ink (or watercolor).
• Then it’s simply a matter of squinting at the values and scribbling in Tone Shapes (Exercise Two), and adding color if you want.

This is the one of three exercises from the Richmond workshop : 01 Single Line | 02 Tone Shapes | 03 Post and Rail Panoramas

Direct to Ink Exercise: Tone Shapes

• Every scene can be thought of as three values: Light, Middle and Dark.
• In this exercise, we will create the silhouette shapes you see, with masses of accumulated pen marks.
• Think of it as simply scribbling in the dark shapes. working from left to right in a continuous ‘blob’.
• This exercise will develop your ability to see the composition as a big shape.
• You’ll find this skill invaluable as a painter. But even if you stay with drawing, you’ll benefit from a better sense of mass and volume.

• This time, do not outline. Instead, build values shapes from the inside out with passages of pen hatching.
• Merge the shape of cast shadows into connected mid-tone shapes. High key passages can be left as negative space.
• Foliage and trees, or dark rooftops can be seen as solid dark shapes.
• Try to imply internal structure by varying your mark making.

• It’s ok to ‘color outside the lines’. Just approximate what you see – try to interpret reality into simple shapes.
• Dark masses (windows, contact shadows) can be done with the brush pen.

• These tonal drawings should have more solidity and sense of three dimensions than the previous line drawings. Compare your linear sketches vs. your tonal ones at a distance. Stand back a few feet. See how the big tone shapes hold up?
• This is why paintings work on the wall, and drawings work in a book. You read a drawing, you view a painting.

• When you’ve tried a few of these ‘shape only’ exercises – add back in the Single Line Drawing.
• Use the line for detail, the tone shape for masses.

I’m going to do a short series of posts about the exercises from the Richmond workshop. This is the one of three exercises: 01 Single Line | 02 Tone Shapes | 03 Post and Rail Panoramas

These projects are designed to be quick jolts of inspiration. Something you can do in under an hour.

Each one is a visual/perceptual game. Just have fun playing with them, and see what you can do. Don’t worry too much about the results – these are aimed at fun and relaxation.

Although, I hope at the same time, they will get into your subconscious and help you be more spontaneous, more ready to just throw down and make a sketch in a few moments.

You will not need any special supplies. Just a drawing pen and a brush pen. Any brand will do (but I do have supply notes here).

These types of sketches all work very well with watercolor (because, that’s my ultimate goal – drawing methods that translate well into painting). But for the first few times, don’t worry about tinting your sketches. Just concentrate on feeling what it’s like to draw quickly with confidence.

Direct to Ink Exercise: Single Line Sketching

• In this exercise we’ll be sketching with a continuous line.
• We’ll do five sketches in 20 minutes. Work small. 4×6″ or 5×7″ would be great.
• When you start drawing, don’t allow yourself to pick up the pen point. Make the sketch in a single, uninterrupted line.
• Keep the pen moving, letting the line flow between objects, cross forms, and break out of shapes.

• Finish the line drawing with the brush pen, placing darks in trees, windows, and cast shadows.

• It’s best to work on location (you can see so much more looking around), but if you want to draw at home, Google Street View or Image Search are good resources.
• This probably won’t be easy at first – but that’s ok! You are learning with every sketch. The more you do, the faster you learn.
• See how far you can get with one uninterrupted line.
• Feel free to leave things out – edit reality.
• You can pause your pen and study what’s going on before continuing.

• If you accidentally lift – just keep going where you left off. Don’t be too strict.
• Work left to right, leave negative shapes, break forms, join shapes, connect objects to the ground.
• Use overlapping objects to move the line back and forth in space.
• Have FUN with it!

Direct to Ink Exercise: Cinq-à-Sept Sketches (5-7 lines)

• After a few rounds of Single Line Sketches, your drawing hand should feel more relaxed.
• Now try a slightly larger drawing with more detail. 6×9″ or 8×10″.
• Aim to get three drawings in 45 minutes.
• Don’t lose the feeling of flowing lines and rapid observation.
• This time: allow yourself 5 to 7 continuous lines. One line for each major object or passage in your drawing.

• The limit is meant to keep the drawing fresh. Don’t worry too much about the exact count.
• Establish a central shape in a few lines, then do the background with another line or two. Save a couple of lines for people, cars, and small objects in the foreground.
• Remember to weld shapes when possible, to reduce the number of objects. Feel free to leave out detail in areas away from the focus.
• Reduce distant figures and street clutter to brush marks and floating squiggles.

• Save some time to go back and add darks with the brush pen.
• These drawings will look great with color but don’t stop sketching yet. Paint them after you get three in 45 minutes.  Often I’ll paint in a café when I’m taking a break to eat.
• If you are spending a day on location, see if you can get 8-10 sketches in an afternoon of sight-seeing.