Sketching Lesson 1 - SIMPLIFY!

On my blog you will be finding tips and tricks for drawing and painting. These are the distillation of a lifetime of courses, classes, books, DVDS,  self-tuition, and weekly practice!

1) Let's start with sketching for beginners - the basis for all realistic drawing and painting. 

Where to begin? Whether you are drawing from a photo or from reality, you must SIMPLIFY. 

Top Art Tip 1: Place and rough in the main forms first - then they are easily corrected if you decide they're the wrong shape or in the wrong place. DO NOT draw any detail until the main shapes are in.

In the above initial sketches, the main shapes and angles are roughed in. So left to right, notice 

1. In a box shape, the angles of the walls and roof. ( Verticals always stay vertical.)
2. The oval of the cat's body.( and the little triangle of her eyes and nose.)
3. Again, the sleeping cat's body appears oval.
4. My cat sleeping on her back appears to have a triangular or actually pyramid-shaped head.
5. The sunflower simplified is an oval turned into a bowl by a curved line below.