Issue 04
April 27, 2006
Hi, and welcome to Learning2draw.com's newsletter. This issue includes:
1) Our Q&A Answer Session, where you will learn exciting secrets
of the artworld exposed through answers to your questions.
2) Send us Your Success STories- we'd love to hear from you!
May 5th is approaching, Send Stories for Chance at Drawing!
3) Da Vinci's secrets to the human figure. What was the Mona Lisa
Hiding from us? Proportions Part 4
4) Tip of the Month- By Rober Barrett on Clothing the Figure
5) This month's tip is two quotes by
Frank Lloyd Wright and DaVinci, inspiration pieces to help.
You will not want to miss this!
6) Learning2draw.com Announcements, upcoming changes to site!
Natalie Portman and more!
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Feel Free to Pass This Newsletter On to Anyone Interested!
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1) Question and Answer Session with Todd
QUESTION: from Devin
Hello, I am an artist who has been drawing for over 12 years
seriously and I am really struggling with my line quality. My
lines are broken up and I don't know what else to try. The one
thing I can't seem to improve is the quality of my pencil lines.
Other people's sketchbooks have lines that are bold and continuous.
But no matter how hard I try to get things just right, My lines
always have this broken up look to them. Do you have any advice
that might help me?
ANSWER: from Todd
Hi, thanks for your question. This is a very important
question. The topic of line variation or line quality is
of high priority to the artist. Control is essential in
our line quality.
Mostly it looks like a control problem. It may be just a
habit that you need to break at this point if that's how
long you have been drawing.
So, use the side of the pencil and hold it parallel with
the paper with your hand on top of the pencil. Your thumb would
be underneath. This is hard to explain being that I don't have
a picture to show you.
Draw a straight bold line from point a to point b. Even if
it doesn't go perfectly where it is supposed to. Bold not
meaning dark but a bold confident unbroken controlled line
comes from the sensitivity to pressure. Generally, more
rounded edges have softer lines. Harder edges are darker
sharper lines. For instance, on the human form, edges of the
form where there's muscles or fat are softer, where bone
tendon show through the surface is usually shown with sharper
edges. Let me know if this helps at all but line is all about
variation and control, especially in figures.
Let me finish by saying the old addage, Practice, Practice,
Practice. Oh yeah, did I say Practice? That sounds really
cliche' but there isn't anything that is going to give you a
better understanding to your art than practicing.
Thanks for your question, please let me know if you need any
other questions answered.
Please, if you have a question you would like answered by Todd,
email him at info@learning2draw.com.
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2) Send Us Your Success Stories!
We would love to hear from you on how our site and ebook have
helped your art! So much so, that we will enter your name in a
quarterly drawing for an art supply starter kit. Just email us
your story to info@learning2draw.com with the subject line
Success in Art Stories, and we will enter your name for a chance
to win pencils, paper, kneaded erasers, and more. Please email
your story by May 5th for our first drawing.
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3) Da Vinci's Secrets! Proportions...Part 4
So what was Mona Lisa really smiling about? Find out in our
series on proportions by Da Vinci. Learning from the masters
is a privileged step in being successful and mastering skills
that will transform your figures into masterpieces.
Relative Proportion of the Hand and Foot by DaVinci
1) The foot is as much longer than the hand as the thickness
of the arm at the wrist where it is thinnest seen facing.
2) Again, you will find that the foot is as much longer than the
hand as the space between the inner angle of the little toe to
the last projection of the big toe, if you measure along the
length of the foot.
3) The palm of the hand without the fingers goes twice into the
lengthof the foot without the toes.
4) If you hold your hand with the fingers straight out and close
together you will find it to be of the same width as the widest
part of the foot, that is where it is joined onto the toes.
5) And if you measure from the prominence of the inner ancle to
the end of the great toe you will find this measure to be as long
as the whole hand.
6) From the top angle of the foot to the insertion of the toes is
equal to the hand from wrist joint to the tip of the thumb.
7) The smallest width of the hand is equal to the smallest width of
the foot between its joint into the leg and the insertion of the
toes.
8) The width of the heel at the lower part is equal to that of
the arm where it joins the hand; and also to the leg where it
is thinnest when viewed in front.
9) The length of the longest toe, from its first division from
the great toe to its tip is the fourth of the foot from the centre
of the ancle bone to the tip, and it is equal to the width of the
mouth.
10) The distance between the mouth and the chin is equal to that
of the knuckles and of the three middle fingers and to the length
of their first joints if the hand is spread, and equal to the
distance from the joint of the thumb to the outset of the nails,
that is the fourth part of the hand and of the face.
So what's underneath the Mona Lisa's smile? That's our focus today
and next time as we study the proportions of the human figure from
the shoulders down. Da Vinci has a lot to say on proportions, we'll
try and get it all in. I hope that you have learned something from
his formulas on proportion and stay tuned for Part 5, where we will
learn like Da Vinci, how to draw like the masters and have our human
figures come alive. We'll discover his secrets to the hidden parts of
the Mona Lisa in our next issue. You can always check out our page
at www.learning2draw.com for more info on how to draw faces and
the human form.
Also, on www.learning2draw.com/how.htm we have an article that
simplifies proportions and measuring. Check it out and let us
know what you think!
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4) Tip of the Month
Inspirational Quotes by Frank Lloyd Wright and DaVinci
Frank Lloyd Wright (architect)- I know the price of success:
dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things
you want to see happen.
DaVinci- One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery
of oneself.
* I chose these two quotes because they went along well
with the Q&A section with Devin. Control and practice!
It give us great advice on becoming better artists and advice on
better understanding!
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5) Upcoming changes to site!
Something new this way comes! Check your email this coming week
for a special announcement from learning2draw.com.
We are excited about the upcoming changes to our site. We are
in the process of adding more illustrations to the site. Check out
the new 30 minute sketch of Natalie Portman at
www.learning2draw.com. More are on the way!
Peace and Have a Great Weekend!
Todd Harris Learning2draw.com
If you like this newsletter and would like to share it with
a friend, have them send an email to newsletter@learning2draw.com
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Copyright 2006 Learning2draw.com. All rights reserverd.
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