Drawing and painting ideas, hints and tips in drawing and painting....check them out...

13 - If you are drawing or painting three people in a portrait make sure that the two outside people are turning slightly inward towards the central person if possible so that the viewers eye see's the outer two people and then are drawn into the centre of the portrait.

14 - Use the side of the pencil or pastel to lay in broad areas of tone.

15 - When you first draw in a light basic drawing and then you draw your finished drawing over the top of your basic drawing try not to make the finished drawing or painting too mechanical (keeping to the basic lines you first drew in). Always think to put life into a drawing by not being afraid to go outside the boundaries of your first basic lines.

16 - Always have a good light source for your portrait, a light that is coming from above and from either the left or right produces a powerful light source and a good portrait effect.

17 - Always paint with contrasting warm and cool colours placed against each other if possible.

18 - If there is texture in your drawing or painting always try and place it at the centre of interest and only have a little bit of texture there, having it all over your picture isn't very artistic and the viewer wont know where to look first.

19 - When drawing or painting a portrait first look at the whole head and say to yourself is it a square looking head, is it more rounder or oval shaped, use this same technique with the features of the face, is the eye shape more oval, or square looking, always ask yourself questions you will get a better likeness this way.

20 - Use a putty rubber to pull out highlights in the eyes or leave white paper for the highlights.

21 - Turn your back to the portrait you are drawing and holding a mirror in front of you see your portrait through the mirror, you can often see structural mistakes this way.

22 - Try drawing or painting upside down, no not you silly! but the picture you are drawing or painting, it forces you to concentrate on the picture without distracting details....it might surprise you.

23 - Try drawing a grid, although I'm not in favour of using grids some people are quite successful with them. Divide the picture you are drawing or painting into equal squares and transfer this to your paper or canvas you can then concentrate on copying from the photograph one square at a time. Although you can get your drawing or painting more accurate this way (Likeness etc) you lose out in putting vitality, character and freedom in your portrait.

24 - Follow the form in you work, if you are drawing or painting a person and the form of the hair seems to curve to the left follow this curve with your pencil strokes, if it curls or goes straight follow it with your pencil strokes.

25 - Set yourself a time limit, say two minutes to draw a face this can help you loosen up.
 

If you would like to comment on or send in any tips and tricks to display here please email me I reply to you within the hour.

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