A Beginner’s Guide to Drawing | Lesson 4: Applying the Basics

[New Masters Academy]

The New Masters Academy Beginner Series helps aspiring artists start their artistic journey on the right foot. Your expert instructors will gently guide you to an understanding of drawing fundamentals. In this fourth lesson of the series, Chris, Heather, and renowned illustrator Mark Westermoe will show you how to apply the basics using tone, value, and line drawing exercises. You will learn the Laws of Light, rendering techniques, and how to construct basic forms in 3D.

 

Materials

• Pentel EnerGize Mechanical Pencil
• BIC Cristal Ballpoint Pen – Black
• Staedtler Graphite Pencil
• Conté a Paris Sketching Pencil – Black
• Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencil – Black
• Cretacolor Monolith Woodless Pencil
• Prismacolor Verithin Pencil – Black, White
• Faber-Castell Graphite Pencil
• Uniball Pen
• General Charcoal Pencil
• Tracing Paper
• Bristol Paper
• Sanding Pad
• Toned Paper
• Paintbrush
• Dish Sponge

[domanicojames]

The drawing casts of the head used in this video are very interesting.  Where might I find them to purchase?

 

[David preni]

No offends to the teacher but I hardly got through the video he kept putting me to sleep. Although on the bright I now have a cure for insomnia.

[Ann Bodkhe]

All of the lessons are valuable.  I want more Mark Westermore.  Fantastic teacher!

[David Carter]

I’ve looked in vain for the first drawing by Fortunino Matania.  The one with the lady prone on the beach. Does anyone know it’s title?

[Federico Gioppato]

I state that I am Italian and novice.
Despite being able to understand everything, or almost, I have a couple of doubts about the exercises to do !!!
I thank in advance who can help me !!!
What is meant by utensil? Any items I have at home?
What is the difference between hard and soft utensil?

Federico.

[Chris Austin]

Is it expected to struggle with some of the homework? I’m drawing the basic objects and feel like I’m struggling with it a good bit.

[Mr. Mir]

 

Hi Federico, I will answer your questions to the best of my ability, for I am new to this site and still learning as an artist.

Utensils would be things like pencils, pens, colored pencils–anything that you can draw with.

If you use Graphite pencils there are two different types of marks that they can make. Hard marks, defined by ‘H’, such as ‘2H’, ‘4H’. The bigger the number the harder it will make a mark. Soft marks, defined by ‘B” such as ‘6B’ stand for ‘Blackness”. How dark of a mark you can get with a softer pencil, I believe that’s what it means.

I hope this helps, and anyone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong!

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Mr. Mir.

[Mr. Mir]

Hi Chris, I believe it’s alright and expected to struggle with some of the homework because for most this is their first introduction into art, so it’s only natural to struggle when it comes to learning new things at first, and as you keep at it you gradually get better.

[Geanna Rush]

I definitely don’t think the teachers put you to sleep, in fact I found it quite energising how the teachers are quite energetic and love what they are doing.  My only problem is I need to replay over and over as they move fast as I am very new.  I’m sure Ill get faster.

[Joshua Jacobo]

To answer questions, yes you’re intended to struggle with this.

Beginner’s course doesn’t mean easy. We teach the real fundamentals of art here, so you will be pushed to your limits. Do the exercises, repeat the videos, try again. Just keep drawing and it will get easier.

[John Riley]

In part 5 of lessons 4 he proceeds to quickly draw a bunch of lines to the vanishing points and draws cubes from different perspectives.. He talks as if he has explained the basics of perspective with simple detailed examples in a previous lesson? He has not. I am confused. (did you recently alter the layout of this lesson?)

[Joshua Jacobo]

John, Chapter 5 of lesson 4 is indeed where basic perspective is introduced. You didn’t miss anything. I assume you’re referring to where Chris says “Remember when I was doing those”. When Chris radiates lines out from a vanishing point he is reminding you that we practiced how to freehand draw lines like these in our chapter 2 line exercises. The idea is that if we can draw straight lines freehand then radiating them from a vanishing point easily is possible which sets us up for perspective.

 

Does that answer your question? Did I understand you correctly?

[John Riley]

Thanks very much for the quick response!  I’m probably hallucinating but bear with me. I have come back to this after a while and I was sure I had seen a very detailed instruction for basic cubes and cylinders. if you look at the start of part 6 he gives a “review” of the basic techniques for drawing the objects. This has not been presented in previous lessons. In part 5 he goes directly into drawing cubes from all the various perspectives without taking about basic figures. Anyway this “”Review” is what I expected before the material in part 5. Thanks.

[Joshua Jacobo]

John, let me look into this for you and get back to you.

[Author]

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