Jerry Seinfeld once quipped "There's no such thing as fun for the whole family." He probably wouldn't have changed his mind after seeing Ed Emberley's series of simple step-by-step instructional drawing books, but I happen to think they are fun for the whole family. I've owned his books for years, and they are a constant source of enjoyment and inspiration for me and for my daughters. You can apply Emberly's technique of taking simple shapes and building on them, not only in the step-by-step instructions in his books, but in your own creations as well. The more you study his work, the more you can use it in your own style.
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In this segment from the 1980s Australian television program Curiosity Show, the host shows you how to make accurate drawings of natural history specimens using graph paper. You place the specimen (in this case, a spider) on a piece of graph paper. Then you use another sheet of graph paper to draw the spider, using the grids as a guide. You can use enlarged graph paper to make a larger-than-life drawing of the specimen, as the host does here. Read the rest
I have been learning to draw with this set of affordable colored pencils!
With the help of YouTube and this set of colored pencils, I am trying once again to draw a monkey that doesn't end up looking like a penis. Thats just how they look to me, but I swear its a monkey. I do wonder what a Rorschach test might uncover...
50 pencils for under $8? OK.
Sargent Art Premium Coloring Pencils, Pack of 50 Assorted Colors, 22-7251 via Amazon Read the rest
Hellboy creator Mike Mignola talks about his 35-year career, his concept design work on Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and winning an Eisner Award in this interview on Inverse.
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My kids and I like to draw. We sometimes go to the weekly figure drawings sessions at the Art Directors Guild in LA, or we just sit at the dining room table and draw. As an amateur sketcher, I'm in awe of illustrator Mark Crilley's skill with a pencil, and with his instructional books and videos. His videos are enjoyable and useful -- he explains what he is doing with a calm, soothing voice, and the tips he offers are often just what I need to gain new understanding about drawing. In his latest video, Mark shows how to add shading to faces.
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I keep a pack of Crayola colored pencils in my bag.
This is a good deal the 36 pack for about the price of the 10. I keep a pack in my travel carry-on, incase I am overcome by the urge to sketch something.
My ability to draw anything is very limited, but not by the pencils.
I also love the watercolor colored pencils.
Crayola Colored Pencils, 36 Premium Quality via Amazon Read the rest
As a high school student, I would have enjoyed learning to use ruled paper to draw anamorphic illusions instead of (not) taking notes. (via The Kid Should See This)
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This is as thrilling as when I learned to draw a dog face in third grade! (via r/intereatingasfuck)
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Around 73,000 years ago, humans used a chunk of pigment to draw a pattern on a rock in a South African cave. The recently discovered fragment of the rock is now considered to be the oldest known drawing in history. From
Science News:
The faded pattern consists of six upward-oriented lines crossed at an angle by three slightly curved lines, the researchers report online September 12 in Nature. Microscopic and chemical analyses showed that the lines were composed of a reddish, earthy pigment known as ocher.
The lines end abruptly at the rock’s edges, indicating that a larger and possibly more complex version of the drawing originally appeared on a bigger stone, the researchers say. Tiny pigment particles dotted the rock’s drawing surface, which had been ground smooth. Henshilwood suspects the chunk of rock was part of a large grinding stone on which people scraped pieces of pigment into crayonlike shapes.
Crosshatched designs similar to the drawing have been found engraved on shells at the site, Henshilwood says. So the patterns may have held some sort of meaning for their makers. But it’s hard to know whether the crossed lines represent an abstract idea or a real-life concern.
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Circle Line Art School explains how to draw this simple but effective anamorphic illusion of cubes falling into a hole in the page.
(via The Kid Should See This)
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Shin Shinrashinge created a meticulous setup of his two-dimensional drawings, then guided his phone through his 3D creation to create this one-take story of a boy daydreaming about fighting monsters. Read the rest
Artist Kathleen Darby takes viewers through her step-by-step process of drawing a colorful bird on black paper. Start at the beginning for more details. It's interesting as well as relaxing, as there are some important differences when starting from negative space. Read the rest
Hungarian illustrator Sándor Vámos is a master of anamorphic illusions, 3D drawings that emerge from the paper. Don't miss his time-lapse videos either.
(via Laughing Squid)
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While wearing eye tracking glasses, seven young people and three professional artists each donned eye tracking glasses and drew the same scene, and some interesting patterns emerged. Read the rest
Spend an hour relaxing as Peter Deligdisch aka Peter Draws experiments with cool glass inkwell pens and glowing ink. Read the rest
If drawing stairsteps on an Etch A Sketch seems like the pinnacle of achievement, these masterworks by Kyle Fleming may inspire you to new heights. They may also inspire you to shake yours clean and permanently donate it to the nearest toddler. Read the rest
Zaria Forman was inspired to create large-scale pastel drawings of icebergs and glaciers after going on a scientific expedition. She created this one earlier this year while she was artist in residence at the Mountainside Northstar resort. Read the rest
