Drawing Lesson 4, Part 2 – How to Draw Something

How to Draw Something Using Geometrical Drawing Methods

Video Lesson Description

In this video lesson you will discover how to draw something very geometrical like Japanese vases. This lesson presents classical constructive drawing approach every proficient fine artist must master.

How to Draw Something as Beautiful as Japanese Vases

When it comes to a question of how to draw something, a fine artist must always consider what geometrical form depicted object has. The Japanese vases we are about to draw have a well-defined, beautiful yet simple shape that is great for a geometrical object drawing exercise.

The drawing steps of how to draw something like a still-life are simple. We begin the drawing by marking the overall proportion of the still-life composition. We mark left and right edges of the composition as well as the outermost top and bottom boundaries. The width of the still-life is a bit bigger than its height. When a fine artist has a task of how to draw something with precision, he or she can use a pencil as a measuring tool to check proportion.

The still-life will consist of three vases. When you considering how to draw something as beautiful as Japanese vases, think about the purpose of such exercise. The purpose of this drawing is to show you how to construct a drawing of round objects in perspective. So we will leave this drawing at a stage of a wireframe drawing rather than finish it by rendering shades.

When you think how to draw something that has symmetrical shape, examine the symmetry of such object. Imaginary vertical axes go in the middle of each vase. You shall check the correct position of each axis in correlation to each other. Pencil can be used as a measuring tool for this task. On the drawing, the oval is divided in two parts – upper and lower by the horizontal axis. Our point of view is above the vase and therefore, the lower part of the oval is closer to us than the top part. Also, according to a perspective rule, closer objects appear bigger than farther ones. Therefore, the closer part of the oval, which is below the horizontal axis in our case, is slightly bigger than the further part of the oval.

Please note that the top oval has a bit slimmer proportion than the oval located in the widest part of the vase. When you think how to draw something in perspective, consider the following linear perspective rules. The further away from the horizon line an oval is, the more rounded its shape. And vice versa…the closer to the horizon line the oval is, the slimmer its shape. When a horizontally positioned circle coincides with the horizon line, it will be foreshortened to the extreme and we only see a single line instead of an oval.

Once again, when we consider how to draw something, we use the rule of drawing not what we see, but what we know. Therefore, this drawing looks like a wireframe as if all objects are completely transparent. This is done to ensure that the vases are not intersecting each other and also, to see the relationship between the vases standing on the same surface.

Constructional wireframes is an essential part of good drawing and good drawing is the foundation of great art.