Art Magic—Second Session

DAY 2 (10.8.09-Jefferson)

Portraits Without Worry

Progressive drawing techniques

I like to do drawing games. I think of them as a way of loosening up a bit like playing scales on the piano or stretching before exercise. 

This is a game in two parts:

PART 1

When you think of drawing portraits you probably imagine yourselves holding a pad of paper, a crayon or pencil, and sitting with the person you are going to draw facing you. You then begin to draw-or do you? Are you stuck already? Do you begin with the nose, or the eyes or the shape of the head? Do you add shading or fill in, do every hair on their head? It does not really matter but for arguments sake we will only use lines. While you are drawing I want you to look very carefully at the person you are drawing. What makes this a little different though, is this:  Do NOT look at your drawing as you draw.  and don’t lift your crayon from the paper!

1. Look carefully at your subject, in this case your subject is the person you are drawing.
2. Do NOT look at the paper you are drawing on while you are drawing. This is hard to do. I’ll be impressed if you can do this.
3. Do NOT lift your crayon from the paper. This may be even harder to do.

Remember this is a drawing game, and should be fun.

There is a difference between silly and fun. The more serious you are about trying to do a good drawing the funnier the end results. Hopefully you will be surprised and delighted by what you did.

PART 2

Now we will do this again but this time you will use your other hand, ...or your feet!