ABC of Art Skills Jenny Gibson. Copyright Jenny Gibson Page

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2 The ABC of Art Skills For budding young artists, teachers and adults who d love to be artists but think they can t do it. Complete with photocopy-able worksheets, black line masters and assessment guidelines. A - ART SKILLS The power of the line Fun ways to get a grip Wrist and arm control exercises with pen in hand It s good to learn early that the eraser might be your enemy Observation exercises Putting it all together Discovering and expressing your creative self Dedication: This e-book is dedicated to Trev, for believing in me, and to my gorgeous children, for being the reason I ve stayed on track. Copyright Page

3 Contents Introduction 4 Confidence The Power of the Line Patience Crosshatching, a Cast of Thousands Focus Declutter focus, squint and observe Observation and Detail Observation exercises Assembly Putting it all together Release the Artist Within Sleep on it Assessment Notes for Teachers 38 Appendix 39 Copyright Page

4 Introduction: I ve always wanted to move away from the commonly held concept that putting your ideas down visually on paper is some kind of unachievable mystery. In the course of my workshops, I ve been fortunate to see the light dawn on peoples faces when they realize they are able to draw something. Consequently, there was usually an extra teacher or two sitting in on classes with the intention of learning these techniques for themselves. And so, I ve created this series using the concept that, just as we learn our ABC skills, we can learn art skills; when we take a measured approach that starts right from the beginning. Copyright Page

5 Required tools: PAPER Photocopy paper or a simple unruled notepad is enough to practice these beginning exercises. A decent quality sketch pad or sheets of non-bleeding paper (i.e. black ink makes a clean line without bleeding) are good for your final projects. Remember to choose paper that will suit your final materials. If you plan to colour your work with inks or watercolours a good paper to go for is Academia. It isn t too expensive, but does the job quite well. A good art supply shop should carry all that you require and the assistant will be able to advise on paper choice. Colour pencils can be used to great effect, after inking, if your project is on a sketch pad. Test the paper for ink friendliness. Draw a few lines and circles to make sure there is no bleeding around the edges. PRACTICE PENS Your choice, any or all of the following: Biro or fountain pen. A fine felt nib pen. Best to begin with. A mapping pen. Ideal for the next stage of development. A pen holder and nibs. Allows for a great deal of experimentation. A felt tipped calligraphy pen. Great for thick and thin line variation. A couple of fine paintbrushes size 000 to 2. Once your skills are developed a little. An ideal way to work is to experiment with different pens as you work through each exercise. Also try a stick of charcoal to see how it feels in your hand. Fine pastels add yet another dimension, especially on coloured paper. INK Any ink is fine to practice with but if your final piece is to be done in ink, think about whether or not you plan to colour it. If it is to be coloured, will you use water based paint? Very few waterproof inks are waterproof. A good one that I use is FW. Many other inks are labeled waterproof but they are not. Be advised to test them first. Copyright Page

6 RULER A simple plastic ruler with a beveled edge to prevent ink overflow is the best choice. I usually keep a set square on hand as well but it is not vital for these projects. Whatever your level of talent, time spent mastering useful drawing skills will improve your results dramatically. Artwork is often revered as though it has emanated from a magical, ethereal place and at times, the work of a truly gifted artist, say, Michelangelo Buonarroti*, is of this calibre; but all of us can learn certain skills that will imbue us with the confidence to tackle a project with knowledge that has been learned and can be applied. After half a lifetime of illustrating, designing, painting, drawing, writing and teaching, I m going to share with you some secret recipes for success, so that you can cook up a masterpiece or two of your own. This workbook is the first in a series that will shine a light on the ephemeral treasure chest of skills that allow for results that many would-be artists are too afraid to attempt. Whether you desire to work in oils, inks, watercolours or sketch pencils, confident drawing skills will dramatically improve the end result. These exercises improve hand, arm and wrist control. They are also the building blocks of the artwork you ll create in the final project, so take your time and enjoy the process. If you have ever said, I wish I could draw. Your time to achieve this goal begins now * see Appendix for inspiration Copyright Page

7 Secret 1. CONFIDENCE The Power of The Line It s good to learn early that the eraser might be your enemy. I learned to draw, as a child, by putting PEN to paper for hours on end, day after day, year after year. Take ALL your erasers and put them in a paper bag at the back of your cupboard and DON T let them see the light of day until you can confidently draw a satisfactory piece of artwork with a pen. How is your focus now? When you know that every line and dot you put on your paper is there for keeps, your focus will skyrocket. Imagine you have drawn all the basic lines of your project and have carefully cross-hatched all the shadows and spent an hour or two working on the current piece. You are about to begin the next element of this drawing. The knowledge that one wrong line can ruin the whole piece will ensure that you take a truly focused observation of this new element and put the next line PRECISELY where your recreated scene wants it to go. Multiply this experience by every pen stroke and your drawing skills will grow exponentially. Let s begin. Copyright Page

8 There are two of some worksheets. Use the 2 nd page to experiment with different pens. Also, photocopy some for extra practice. Feel free to photocopy more worksheets so you can practice every day. You will only get better and better. To complete the exercises, carefully finish each pattern. Keep the lines at the same angle. Be aware of the spaces so you can keep them uniform. First of all draw over the lines that are already there to give your hand the blueprint in advance. When you ve finished the row of circles at the end of the first exercise, try some smiley faces. It helps to make you understand the power of a line. This is all hand work, not computer generated lines. There is beauty in the imperfection of hand drawn shapes. Copyright Page

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10 There are two of these pages to make sure this starter exercise is done twice! Copyright Page

11 There are two of these pages to make sure this starter exercise is done twice! Copyright Page

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13 Now, in the same way, complete the right side of this stylized drawing of a young man s face. Copyright Page

14 I hope you ve enjoyed this sample from the drawing workshop. The full drawing workshops are available at Copyright Page