Complete Drawing Certificate Course

Transcription

1 The Cindy Wider Method Complete Drawing Certificate Course Title: Unit One Outline Drawing Medium: Drawing in graphite pencil Level: Beginners Week: Two Course Code: U1-OD-wk2

2 Week Two: General overview Last week in this unit of the course, you learned how to make the first few sketching markings on your paper. You also learned how to access the natural movements of your wrist and shoulder to help you draw better curves and straight lines every time. This week you will learn six different pencil strokes beginning with how to prepare your pencil, then how to hold it the correct way to achieve a variety of different strokes. You will also learn how to draw using your two different erasers. I am sure that you will soon discover that with the six pencil techniques, both skills of preparing and then holding your pencil the correct ways are crucial to the success of the individual stroke. You will need to practice these two part-skills patiently until the integration of both skills result in the stroke finally being achieved. As with all art techniques, it is only by doing that you will learn these new skills. General information on Graphite Pencils The humble graphite pencil (also known as the lead pencil) does not contain any lead at all! It is actually a non-toxic mixture of graphite and clay. Please take a minute to find out more about the history of the wonderful medium of graphite pencil. Just Google; lead pencil history and you will be fascinated in the amount of information available. Here are two interesting links; It seems like such a simple tool but yet it can achieve some incredible results in the hands of a master like Rembrandt Van Rijn, Albrecht Durer, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Norman Lindsay Armin Mersmann, Kelvin Okafor, Emanuele Dascanio, Franco Clun and others. Please also take time to Google these artists. Type in the artist s name then pencil drawings. Put your search setting on images and prepare to be amazed at the incredible skill of these artists. Once you have completed your studies this week, go back and revisit these artists again to see if you can detect in their drawings, the very pencil marks you are studying here! Page 2 of 26

3 What Pencils to Use When you go to a stationery supplier or art materials store you might become confused with the huge array of pencils available. Here is a reminder of the information given to you in week one of your course notes, about the graphite pencil. The most common graphite pencil used for general drawing is the HB. If you take a look along the side of your pencil towards the bottom, you will see a little code HB written in small letters. The pencils you have gathered for your art kit are HB, 2B and 4B. The letter B stands for how Black the graphite in the pencil is. The higher the number; the more black your pencil will be. The B range is a softer pencil than the H range, however it is also the blackest or darkest pencil range. In this art course, we do not use the H range because it is a harder pencil and can easily indent your page. Indentations are not easy to remove. The H pencil range achieves a paler effect. The higher the number the paler the effect and the harder the graphite is. Art Supplies You will need all of the art supplies from your list of supplies that you were asked to collect in week one. Exercise One: Learn to draw Six different pencil strokes There are six traditional pencil strokes that are commonly used by many professionals in the art industry. Please produce one A4 (standard printing size paper) with each of these strokes on the one piece of paper, by reading the following instructions. Read the full instruction for each individual stroke before you begin. 1. Shading 2. Broad Strokes 3. Chisel point 4. Fine lines 5. Hatching 6. Cross-hatching Page 3 of 26

4 1. Shading The technique for fine shading work is very specific and your pencil needs to be prepared and held in a special way to get good results. There are two main factors that influence your results; how you prepare your pencil and how you hold your pencil. Choosing the correct paper also has a very big impact on your results. Try to use the paper mentioned in the art materials list for unit one. The results what you should be trying to achieve Smooth shading is a very specific technique and the paper directly affects your results. A medium textured or rough paper is too severe for the smooth shading technique, instead use hot pressed or vellum surface papers. I like to use the St Cuthberts Mill Saunders Waterford High white hot pressed paper or for an inexpensive brand the Derwent Sketch pad is fabulous. Its best if you are able to find paper with a little bit of tooth. If you only have ordinary printing paper on hand that s okay but just know that the graphite will probably slip around a bit and you won t be able to build up the graphite very much to make a darker tone. Fig. 1. Results of shading on medium textured water-colour paper Fig. 2. Results of shading on Arches smooth watercolour paper Fig. 3. Results of shading on plain bond paper Different textures of paper will produce significantly different results with shading. The rougher the paper is, the more of the white of page shows through in tiny speckled-patches. Medium and smooth textured papers will show less of the white page. Notice the difference between the three papers above (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3.) You can just use plain bond paper for your exercises just for this week of the course. However, in unit two shading and form we create a lot of drawings with this smooth shading technique. During that unit of the course you will need to use the Page 4 of 26

5 quality drawing paper for every exercise because the graphite just doesn t grip onto the smooth thin paper enough. When you create the smooth shading technique correctly, there should be no evidence of lines, circles or the direction of the shaded stroke just a mass of shaded tone. Different pencils achieve different affects as well. See the image below (Fig. 5b) for three different pencils shaded onto a sheet of Stonehenge paper. At letter A the result if from using a 4B pencil. Letter B is the result of using a 2B pencil and letter C is the result of using HB pencil. Notice how the HB fills the paper a lot more. Step One: Prepare your pencil for the shading technique Your goal is to expose as much graphite as possible by sharpening to reveal a long tip of graphite. Another goal is to also keep the graphite smooth around the edges. If you choose to use wood-encased pencils (which are a cheaper up-front investment) it s a great idea to purchase a sharpener with a winding handle. However, the very best thing you can purchase for the smooth shading technique is three clutch pencils HB, 2B and 4B with a box of refills for each and their little sharpener (see Fig. 4b.) You really don t need these for this unit of the course, but if you study the unit two course you will need them to get great results. If you are fortunate enough to be able to purchase some clutch pencils (I recommend either the new Derwent range or if you can t get those, the Faber Castell TK9400 range) then to me, it is the best option for smooth shading. Without the wood from the outer casing of the pencil, it makes it much easier for you to shade. However, clutch pencils are a hefty up-front investment but in the long term you will save a lot of money because the graphite sticks that go inside the clutch pencils go a really long way.) Fig. 4a. Prepare a wood-encased pencil Fig. 4b. Clutch pencils with refills and sharpener Page 5 of 26

6 Assuming that you are using wood-encased pencils; sharpen your HB pencil with a pencil sharpener, exposing as much graphite as possible without it breaking. It s great if you have a wind up sharpener or electric sharpener but if not, using a sharpener with a long-point preparation is best. 1. If you have a normal pencil sharpener (not a hand-winding one) you may notice some rough edges around the sides of the pencil after you sharpen it. If this is the case, you can prepare your pencil so that it is nice and smooth by using the following procedure. This procedure also applies to preparing clutch pencils and make sure that you wind out quite a length of the graphite part of the pencil before you do this; Place the graphite section of the pencil almost flat to the sandpaper (see Fig. 4.) 2. Lift the pencil on a slight angle just enough so that the wood part doesn t scrape along the surface of the sandpaper. 3. Smooth out any rough or jagged edges on the graphite part of your pencil by rolling it a full 360 degrees (to avoid flat edges) and at the same time as dragging it across a piece of fine-grade sandpaper. You can do this exactly the same with your clutch pencils as well. 4. Gently wipe the excess graphite on paper towel, a rag or tissue. Step Two: Hold your pencil for the shading technique Important: Your goal is to hold the graphite section of your pencil as flat to the surface as possible, whilst still resting the main part of your hand on your page for support. Fig. 5a. How to hold your pencil for shading Page 6 of 26

7 Fig. 5b Different pencils Fig. 5c Blended with a cotton bud 1. Hold your pencil as flat to the page as possible without allowing the wood part to touch the surface (see Fig. 5a) otherwise it can cause scratches and an inconsistent shaded area. 2. Notice the way the back end of the pencil is securely tucked inside the hand and a pinch-grip is made on the post of the pencil. This way of holding the pencil enables the flat edge of the outside of your hand to remain resting on your page as you move your pencil back and forth across the surface. 3. Make sure you place a piece of scrap paper (such as tracing paper or just plain printing paper) under your hand to prevent smudges and to help your hand slide along the surface easily. Tip: Don t ever slide your scrap paper to move it. Pick it up and move it by gently peeling it off the surface and placing it back down again. 4. As you hold your pencil as flat to the page as possible, gently stroke drag it from side to side (without your wrist flapping back and forth.) Make sure you move your entire arm and slide your hand back and forth or up and down while resting on the page for support. You should notice the skin wobble on the underside of your arm and your wrist should be stiff (unless you are working in a very small area.) 5. When working in very small areas or near to edges you can use the tip with either short strokes or tiny circular motions. With the smooth shading technique, there should be no evidence of these circles left behind (whilst using the smooth shading techniques.) Page 7 of 26

8 6. Begin your first layer of shading with minimal pressure and gradually apply more pressure to create slightly darker areas. It is better to build your shaded areas up in a series of layers rather than pressing too hard right away. Darker areas should be built up by using darker pencils and never built up too much using a HB as this can cause a shiny film to develop on the surface of your page which will repel any further layers of 2B and 4B pencil. Use your darker pencils on a slightly higher angle off the page as the tip is softer and will not indent as easily. You will need to do this to achieve a dark-enough result. You can also do this if the graphite isn t getting into the little dips of the paper, but be careful not to create lines in your shaded areas. 7. For this exercise, please create an even area of smooth shading with each of your three pencils; 4B, 2B and HB (just as you see in Fig. 5b) so that we can see the texture of the paper and with no smudging or blending of the area just yet (save that for the next step.) Using a cotton bud to blend the shaded area Fig. 6. Dip your cotton bud into the graphite powder Fig. 7. Cotton bud techniques Never use your finger to blend with as it contains oils that will repel any extra pencil you wish to put down, as well as leaving a greasy imprint. You can use a variety of objects to blend the shaded area with, such as a paper stump, a small piece of leather, chamois or even a tissue. A cotton bud is also a useful instrument for shading with and can create a beautiful soft finish to the shaded area (see Fig. 5c bottom half of the rectangle.) Blending with these different objects and textures will create a variety of effects. You can experiment to see these for yourself. Be careful not to overwork the surface though, as it can tear or be spoilt in some way. You can first of all shade a new area to blend (as mentioned previously above) then gently rub the section with a cotton bud, using soft circular movements or vertical back and forth strokes; generally follow the shape of the form. Be careful not to damage your paper by rubbing too hard or too much (see Fig. 5c bottom half of the rectangle.) Page 8 of 26

9 Another way to shade using other textures is to shave the pencil across a metal tea-strainer and tip the powder onto a spare piece of paper. You can also shave the graphite across smooth sandpaper to create some graphite powder but this isn t ideal as tiny particles of glass from the sandpaper can get into the graphite powder then scratch the surface of your page. If you are using clutch pencils, you can use the shavings from the little sharpener. Just store these particles in a little jar or pot each time you empty your sharpener. When you need to blend with the graphite powder, just dip a cotton bud or soft brush into the powder (see Fig. 6.) You can draw with the cotton bud or even a paper stump or paint brush if you wish to. This technique will enable you to achieve very soft effects (see Fig. 7.) 2. Broad Strokes This stroke is ideal for achieving long, wide lines and to indicate objects like fenceposts, tree trunks, grooves on a tin-roof etc. It requires confidence. The results what you should be trying to achieve Fig. 8. Broad strokes are wide lines and can be all shapes and sizes Step One: Prepare your pencil for the broad stroke Prepare your pencil exactly the same as you did for the shading stroke. This time use your 4B pencil. Step Two: Hold your pencil for the broad stroke Although you prepared your pencil the same way you did for the shading stroke, your pencil must be held in a different way for the broad stroke (see Fig. 8.) Page 9 of 26

10 Fig. 8. How to hold your pencil for broad strokes 1. Hold your pencil on a slight angle off the page (almost flat but lifted up a touch) without your hand resting on the page this time. 2. Apply pressure with your index finger and drag as you press firmly. Pull the stroke very confidently and quickly. 3. Practice a full sheet of straight broad strokes. Broad strokes can vary too, they can also be curved and closer together or further apart, wiggly, short lines etc. Experiment with this stroke. 3. Chisel Point The chisel point stroke is fascinating and can produce a large variety of effects. When used with a flicking motion the stroke has a wide base and a thin tail as it tapers off (see Fig. 9.) The chisel point shaped pencil can also be used to shade small areas or draw broad lines that don t taper. The results what you should be trying to achieve Fig. 9. Chisel point strokes Page 10 of 26

11 Step One: Prepare your pencil for the chisel point stroke 1. Prepare a 4B pencil for this stroke by first of all resting the tip of the graphite on a sheet of fine sandpaper. 2. Place it carefully on an angle that is just about 30 degrees off the surface of the sandpaper. Begin to shave the graphite section backwards and forwards only, do not roll it at all! This is to grind down the tip on an angle in a special way (see Fig. 10.) Make sure that you maintain the exact same angle as you rub the graphite section against the sandpaper because if you wobble or roll your pencil around at all, you will not achieve the shape on the tip we are after. The shape we are after is a beautiful elongated ellipse on the end of the graphite part (see Fig. 11.) 3. When viewed from side on, this ellipse shape appears as an angle on the tip of the graphite section (see Fig. 12.) 4. The chisel point stroke will only work if you prepare the chisel point correctly as mentioned. You must continually shave and prepare your point as you work using this procedure. Once the chisel point loses its shape, you will no longer be able to achieve the chisel point stroke. Fig. 10. Prepare your pencil for the chisel point stroke by shaving it backwards and forwards across fine sandpaper Page 11 of 26

12 Fig. 11. The Chisel point now has a wide ellipse shape on the end of the graphite Fig. 12. When viewed side on, the graphite now has an angle on the end of it Step Two: Hold your pencil for the chisel point stroke 1. First of all the ellipse shape must be placed snuggly and evenly onto the page surface. Make sure it is completely flat. This means it should be held on the exact same angle that you recently held it on when you shaved it across the fine sandpaper (see Fig. 13.) 2. Once you have placed the ellipse flat onto your page, swipe it across with a flicking motion, like you are drawing a tick using the large ellipse surface. The result should be a line that has a thicker wider end and a graduating fine tip (see Fig. 13.) Page 12 of 26

13 3. You can draw long straight or wavy lines or tiny short stumpy shapes with the chisel point stroke. The short lines are really just little marks and they make great leaves on drawings of trees. (see Fig. 13 and Fig. 14.) Fig. 13. Place the ellipse shape flat on your page first before you begin the chisel point stroke. You can achieve marks that look like leaves on a tree Fig. 14. A variety of lines can be created with the chisel point stroke Page 13 of 26

14 4. Fine Lines It is amazing how fine a line you can achieve just by being vigilant in pencilpreparation. If you want to draw many fine lines be willing to carefully prepare your pencil constantly. As soon as you forget to prepare your pencil your lines will not be as fine as you would like them to be. It requires continual sharpening and preparation. The results what you should be trying to achieve Fig. 15. A wonderful array of strokes can be achieved using fine lines. Step One: Prepare your pencil for fine lines Prepare your pencil exactly the same as you did for the shading stroke. This time use your HB pencil and concentrate on maintaining a sharp tip. Step Two: Hold your pencil for fine lines To achieve very fine lines, you must use the very sharp point of your pencil. To do this, you must hold it in an almost upright position. Find a comfortable position for this stroke so long as the pencil is almost perpendicular to your page. You can roll it often on the sandpaper to keep the tip sharp. Page 14 of 26

15 5. Hatching The main characteristic of a traditional hatching stroke is that it is usually laid down on the page in a series of equidistant lines stroked alongside one another called a set. Hatching strokes also gently taper as the near to the mid-length and tip. This technique requires great skill and can take years to fully perfect. Some of the great masters of art became extraordinarily disciplined in this part of their craft. For practice fill an entire sheet of paper with random sets of hatching lines. Try curved lines as well as straight. Try long with short lines (see Fig.16.) The results what you should be trying to achieve Fig. 16. Various sets of hatching lines Page 15 of 26

16 Step One: Prepare your pencil for hatching strokes Prepare your pencil exactly the same as you did for the shading stroke and fine lines. Again, use your HB pencil and concentrate on maintaining a sharp tip. You can hatch with a chisel point but in this exercise we use a fine tip. Step Two: Hold your pencil for hatching strokes 1. To achieve the fine hatching stroke, use the very sharp point of your pencil. Hold it on a slight angle so that it is not quite upright (see Fig. 17.) 2. Find a comfortable position for this stroke and continually turn your page around until you find your natural hand motion. This will help you to achieve many different effects. Eventually you will find the best position for you. 3. Begin by simply placing the tip of your pencil and resting it gently on your page to avoid indenting and creating a dot or short line. 4. Once you have placed your pencil on the page flick your wrist as you swipe your pencil across the page to achieve a tapered line. Its much easier to do this one quickly without thinking too much about it. If you drag too slowly your lines will wobble but you also need to make sure the lines are equidistant, so try to find a happy medium. Fig. 17. Hold your pencil so that it is comfortable for the hatching stroke. Place the pencil on the page gently then flick with your wrist. Page 16 of 26

17 5. When you are hatching, think of the object you are rendering (drawing) and follow the shape of the form. If you do not do this, your object can easily look flat. There is a big difference in the results of a drawing where hatching is used to follow the shape of the object and one where hatching is simply applied (See Fig. 18. and Fig. 19.) Fig. 18. Hatching on an angle Fig.19. Hatching following the shape of the form 6. Cross-hatching Cross-hatching is two or more sets of hatching laid over each other. Traditionally, the first set is laid over the other on a slight angle which results in a diamond-like pattern (see Fig. 20.) Other sets can later be laid over the top by gradually altering the angle each time until a set becomes horizontal or vertical (see Fig. 21.) Cross-hatching can also be a series of random curvy lines that follow the shape of a variety of different forms. Have a go at these nothing specific, just do random curvy lines (see Fig. 22.) For practice fill an a4 sheet with random sets of hatching lines. Try curved lines as well as straight ones. Try long with short lines (see Fig. 23.) Page 17 of 26

18 The results what you should be trying to achieve Fig. 20. Cross hatching with two sets Fig.21. Cross hatching with three sets Fig. 22. Cross hatching with a series of random curvy lines Page 18 of 26

19 Fig. 23. Cross hatching with a series of random lines Step One: Prepare your pencil for cross hatching strokes Prepare your pencil exactly the same as you did for the hatching stroke and fine lines. Maintain a sharp tip by continually sharpening and then rolling on your fine sandpaper. Step Two: Hold your pencil for cross hatching strokes Hold your pencil the same as you did for hatching; continually move your page until you feel comfortable. Hatching and cross hatching should be produced using the natural movement of your hand. First of all lay down one set of strokes just like you did for Hatching. Then lay another set on a slight angle to the first one. See the examples above (Figs. 20, 21, 22 and 23.) Page 19 of 26

20 Getting to know your erasers: Many people think of the eraser as being a tool that simply removes mistakes in pencil drawing and although it is most valuable for that task, it also has another wonderful use. We can actually draw many parts of artworks using a variety of erasers. In this section of the course we look at these erasers and their various uses. In the Essential items list of art materials (from week one of this course) you will see that there are two different erasers listed; the hard plastic or vinyl eraser (see Fig. 24 letter A) and the kneadable eraser (see Fig. 24 letters B and C.) You will also see on the Optional extra Items list that I have recommended some removable mounting poster putty (see Fig. 24 letter D) and a battery operated eraser with refills (see Fig. 24 letters E and F.) Fig. 24. A variety of erasers for drawing with All of these items can be used to create various effects when used with graphite and we can actually draw into the graphite with these erasers. Wonderful white markings appear almost like magic as they are drawn into the grey graphite using these erasers. Let s begin by looking at what these erasers can do. Here are some techniques to experiment with. Page 20 of 26

21 Exercise Two: Learn to draw with your hard plastic eraser In this exercise you can use the corner of your hard plastic eraser to remove the graphite and draw into it (see Fig. 24 letter A.) Step One: Prepare and then use your hard plastic eraser 1. When your eraser is brand new it often has a hard edge and a sharp corner, however once you begin to use it, the corners become worn down and rounded. If you have a pair of scissors handy (or a craft knife) you can slice a thin slither off the end of your plastic eraser to create a fresh new sharp edge and corner to use (see Fig. 24 letter A.) We won t be using the thin slither and it may need to go into the rubbish bin unless you can find another creative use for it. 2. On a sheet of white paper use your 4B pencil to shade an area of graphite approximately 6 x 7 cm. Apply two or three layers with medium pressure, then a fourth and fifth layer with firm pressure. Keep your hand resting on the surface of the table with scrap paper beneath (for an even application.) Just work quickly and vigorously sliding your hand back and forth across the paper. If you can spare it, use your best quality paper for this exercise. I have used Bristol Vellum in this example (see Fig. 25a.) Once you have shaded the area, then gently rub it with a piece of paper towel to blend the area and make it smooth. Don t overdo it though or you will ruin the paper. Just gently stroke it back and forth or in a circular motion. 3. Using the sharp corner of your freshly-prepared eraser, begin by simply pulling lines into the area of shaded graphite. Wipe it off onto some scrap paper between strokes or it might smudge everywhere. Create all kinds of markings and just have fun with it. Use your whole shoulder to get involved in the process. See what you can do with the plastic eraser. Here is an example of my experiments (see Fig. 25b.) Fig. 25a. An area of shading Fig. 25b. Erasing with the hard plastic eraser Tip: Make sure you use your soft brush to sweep away any erasing particles (and not your hand.) Page 21 of 26

22 Exercise Three: Learn to draw with your kneadable (putty) eraser and removable mounting poster putty In this exercise you will discover how to use the kneadable putty eraser (see Fig. 24 letters B, C and D) and the removable mounting poster putty. We use the same techniques for both of these putty materials. We create our drawings by removing the graphite from our paper and the result is a wonderful image left behind as the white of the paper. In this way we can effectively draw into the graphite (see Figs. 26a for effects created with the kneadable putty eraser and 26b for the effects achieved using the mounting poster putty.) Step One: Prepare your putty eraser 1. Take a small piece of the putty eraser and roll it in your finger-tips and mould it into shape. There are various shapes that we can create the putty into ready for erasing; a large ball, a small cone tip, a sausage shape and chisel shape (just squish the sausage flat.) These various shapes can help us to achieve different effects. Try a variety of tip-preparations to see what each can do. Fig. 26a. Putty eraser Fig. 26b. Mounting Poster Putty 2. On a sheet of white paper use your 4B pencil to shade two areas of graphite approximately 6 x 7 cm. Apply two or three layers with medium pressure, then a fourth and fifth layer with firm pressure. Keep your hand resting on the surface of the table with scrap paper beneath (for an even application.) Just work quickly and vigorously sliding your hand back and forth across the paper. If you can spare it, use your best quality paper for this exercise. I have used Bristol Vellum in these examples (see Figs. 26a and 26b.) Once you have shaded the area, then gently rub it with a piece of paper towel to blend the area and make it smooth. Don t overdo it though or you will ruin the paper. Just gently stroke it back and forth or in a circular motion. Page 22 of 26

23 3. When we wish to create a softer effect we can use the kneadable putty eraser either as a sausage shape (Fig. 24 letter C) or a type of ice-cream cone shape and we can use the ball or the tip (see Fig. 27 letter B.) We can also mold the kneadable putty eraser into a larger ball shape (see Fig. 27 letter A.) The ball with create the softest-edge especially if you only press lightly. For all of these shapes with the putty eraser, we must peck at the surface of the paper to achieve our results. You will need to mold it into shape constantly between these pecks at the graphite because it becomes filled very quickly with almost every peck. Fig. 27. Kneadable Putty eraser and removable mounting putty shapes to erase with 4. To remove more of the graphite from the paper we can use the removable poster putty in exactly the same way as we use the putty eraser. However if we wish to create harder edges we can create a ball (for circular shaped areas) and press really hard (see fig. 26b.) 5. To create harder, sharper outlines and for straight lines (see Fig. 26b) we can roll a sausage shape then squash it flat (see Fig. 27 letter C) and stand it up on its edge while we swipe it across our page. Page 23 of 26

24 Optional Extra Exercise: Prepare and use a battery operated eraser (note: this is a non-essential item on your list of art supplies so you don t need do this exercise if you do not have a battery operated eraser) In this exercise you can use a battery operated eraser prepared with a sharp tip (see Fig. 24 Letter E) to remove the graphite and reveal the white of the paper to draw images and shapes (see Fig. 28b.) These wonderful little devices can be either battery or electric operated. I love the battery-operated Derwent because its light-weight and has no cord that could potentially get in the way of my work. I have used my Derwent battery powered eraser for years with no problems at all. Fig. 28a. Putty eraser Fig. 28b. Mounting Poster Putty Step One: Prepare your battery operated eraser 1. When you first use your battery operated eraser you will need a packet of eraser pieces to fit into the end of it and replace that piece of eraser as it wears down (see Fig. 29 letter C and D.) To insert the tiny eraser into place you will first of all have to remove the small metal end piece which holds the eraser in place at the tip of the battery operated eraser (see Fig. 29 letter B.) Fig. 29. Elecrtric eraser with tip removed and eraser refill ready to be loaded Page 24 of 26

25 Fig. 30a. Tip of the battery eraser with eraser Fig. 30b. Eraser and holder in position 2. This is the part of the eraser that we place the small eraser refill into (see Fig. 30a.) 3. Once the small piece of eraser is inserted into the metal holder we can then put that back into the tip of the battery eraser. 4. With the eraser in place, now we can prepare it for use. I drag the tip of the battery eraser across a piece of smooth sandpaper to clean it and to prepare it into a tip (see Fig. 31.) Make sure that you hold it on about a degree angle off the surface of the sandpaper to create that cone-like tip. 5. Then its ready for use and you can create all kinds of drawings with the wonderful battery operated eraser. You can just dot the page for tiny white highlight, or create long flowing curves, lines etc. Fig. 31. Create a pointed tip In summary, I hope that this part of your course notes demonstrates the fact that erasers are far more than just useful for removing mistakes. They are incredible really and should be seen as important to our art materials kit as the graphite pencils. Page 25 of 26

26 Assignment To Complete This Week: 1. Exercise One: One single page with sections of the six pencil strokes. Only create your strokes onto one single sheet after practicing each stroke many times. This is to be small samples of your best work which you can keep and refer to often, as a reminder of which stroke is. Please note; If you are studying in the Instructor-assisted course, do not submit multiple pages/files with these strokes on them. 2. Exercise Two and Three: Your Hard plastic eraser samples and your putty eraser samples. If you have purchased a battery operated eraser and poster putty feel free to submit those samples too. Final words You will only achieve these pencil and eraser strokes by experimentation and many hours of practice. Be patient and don t expect your strokes to be immediately perfect yet. You are not expected to put in many hours of practice at this early stage in your course, you can slowly do that over the entire year. Great pencil control requires concentration and coordination which comes naturally the more you draw. You can gradually develop these pencil skills over time, so long as you know what you are aiming for. Some of the great masters of art became extraordinarily disciplined in this part of their craft. The markings shown here in your notes are an indication of what you should be working towards and provide a foundation for you to launch from. A valuable aspect of your art training experience is to become inspired - to get that excited feeling that has you wanting to do art more and more often. Sometimes we go through a down-time as we first accept art into our lives and we have to keep going through that time. If you do make it through, you will be totally committed and really learn to draw once and for all. You might decide that you want to become the best artist that you can possibly become, or you might be happy to draw just for your own fulfillment and relaxation as well as for the love of art. Those feelings can come from the pleasure of looking with deep admiration and respect at the works of the great masters of art. Inspiration is what keeps us trying and doing our best. I strongly suggest you take some time to research on the web some of the drawings of the great masters mentioned earlier on in this week s notes. Have fabulous week and remember to just show up at the table, the rest will take care of itself! The joy is in the journey, not only the destination. Page 26 of 26