You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less (36 page)

5. Position your light source in the top right corner. Use a light guide line in direction SW to draw the cast shadow next to the left side of the scroll. Using curved contour lines, shade all the surfaces opposite the light position. You see how I’ve pulled the light position toward your eye, in front of the drawing. Notice how I’ve shaded a bit on the right side of the scroll as well. Experiment with your light position. In your practice drawings, try placing the light source directly overhead, over to the left, or perhaps even below the object. This is a really challenging exercise, but so rewarding. It will really help you nail down the concept of shading opposite the light source.

Okay, how wild do you want to get now? How much time do you have left in this drawing session? I can see you easily spending another couple of hours enjoying drawing scrolls. So, draw the scroll below. Combine all the applied drawing concepts of shading, contour, shadow, overlapping, size, placement . . . and you have a very three-dimensional scroll, really alive in that space with depth and volume.

Why stop now? It’s only three hours into this drawing session, so let’s push on ’til dawn! This is a fun scroll that I’ve been drawing since watching the old Robin Hood adventure cartoons, where the sheriff’s tough guys are hanging the scrolled “Wanted” posters all over town. I also see these cool scrolls on the covers of many children’s DVDs and any Renaissance type of fair or celebration. My favorite scroll was actually the rolled carpet character in
Aladdin
. I’ve spent hours drawing and studying that wonderful carpet.

Take a look at my sketchbook page on the left, and get inspired to draw your own fancy scroll!

These student examples are so cool! I’d sure enjoy seeing yours! Why don’t you e-mail me some of your drawings (at
www.markkistler.com
)?

I
In this lesson, you will learn how to draw a three-dimensional pyramid. Why a pyramid, you ask? Because I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt to climb the ancient pyramids. Until that day, I always have my imagination and my sketchbook handy! And so do you! We will be drawing the pyramid by using the following drawing concepts: overlapping, horizon lines, shading, and shadows. This lesson will also help you practice smooth single-value shading. Because the sides of a pyramid are flat, they require one consistent tone for shading, unlike cylinders, flags, and other curved surfaces that require blended shading from dark to light. Now, let’s begin.

 

 

1. Draw a straight vertical line.

2. Slant the sides of the pyramid down, keeping the angle of the slanted lines identical and keeping the middle line longer.

3. Thinking of your Drawing Direction Reference Cube, draw the bottom of the pyramid in directions NW and NE.

4. Anchor the pyramid to the sand with a horizon line. Position your light source, and draw a guide line in direction SW for your cast shadow.

5. Now, add smooth one-tone, single-value shading to the side of the pyramid opposite your light source.