As far back as I can remember in my art classes, usually the first project we would do is what's called "freehand style", you basically draw the object as you see it giving the subject as much or as little detail as you'd like. This is a common warm-up exercise for many artist because it exercises your muscles, but also your sight. The concept is designed to help practice for more detailed drawings that may come later on. With these exercises you can practice your skills in things like lines, shading, value, and sometimes color. Most freehand styles are completed in a short amount of time, so it's best to stick with the basic outline of your subject and go from there. I'm going to show you an example of the drawing I did and you can see a clear visual of the freehand technique. So lets get started!
You can do your practice sketching anywhere you choose. I wasn't going to let a beautiful day like this slip away, so I picked outside in my backyard/patio area. Grab your sketchbook (or just a few sheets of paper), pencil (preferably), a drink (because Art can make you thirsty), and maybe even some music if it inspires you. I had my sketchbook, pencil, water, and phone outside with me. My cell phone served as my radio, but I'm also one of the few households that still has a land-line phone too.
When choosing your subject, don't go for something complex and overwhelming. Especially if you're a beginner in the field of drawing, you don't want to kill your arm on the first try. Half of the experience in free-hand style is getting you to relax and see objects with a clearer vision. Personally, I think landscapes or small, still life objects are good for sketching because they remain fairly stationary and they give a decent canvas to start with. For my example, I've decided to sketch a group of flowers we have hanging in the back area.
Now if you're wondering "is there a secret as to where you should start drawing first?", I say NO. I've always started at the bottom and worked my way around in an outline form, and then filling in the rest later, but everyone has there own preferences. The main thing to remember is to sketch the basic shapes first and then go back for detailing later. I think flowers and trees are easy to sketch since there's so many random lines within each one's texture you don't have to follow the exact patterns in detailing. Yes, you want it to match as closely as possible... however, it's ok if you don't always "stay within the lines" and go outside the box a little bit. Once you've got your basic outlines drawn, then it's up to your creative skills to lead you through the rest of drawing. Remember sketching is practicing, no one expects your picture to come out looking like something Van Gogh would've had hanging in his bedroom. In fact, here's how my sketch turned out:
Sure, it's far from perfect! But for not having done any serious drawing in a few years, I'd have to say I don't think I did too bad in this round. People and Cars are probably the hardest things for me to draw, but I love a good challenge and I think we can work on those two subjects later on. Overall though, how did your drawing turn out? Don't worry if it's not the greatest looking piece of work you've ever seen, we are all creative in our own unique ways and art is in the beauty of the beholder.
Now it's your turn! Share your sketches with The Creative Cabana by simply leaving a message with an image of your sketch on this post, or you can share it with us on Facebook and Twitter. If you haven't done so already, be sure to "Like" The Creative Cabana on Facebook and follow us on Twitter- @CreativeCabana.
Go out, enjoy the fresh air and expand your creative minds! Stay tuned for more posts on our Drawing series and be sure to watch for the next Creative Mastermind coming up on Monday! Take care and have a beautiful day.
*All images used in this post were taken by myself and I am the sole owner of these photographs.
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