How to Do Still Life Drawing

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As children, we all drew things and were proud of what we created. As youngsters, we were carefree, took joy in what we did, and we weren't self-critical. It's only as we get older that we begin to become aware of our limitations and the errors we make. Unfortunately, this often leads to people putting down their crayons and paints for good.

More often than not it's the perfectionists that take this action. However, the truth of the matter is that practice makes perfect and if you apply this principle to drawing, you will, if you persevere, improve.

There is little doubt that drawing something can be challenging - even for experienced artists. You have to think about getting the proportions right. It's essential to make sure that certain elements of your drawing don't look out of scale. Making your drawings appear lifelike and not childish is key.

A great place to start is with drawing still life. In theory, it is simply copying an inanimate object. The first thing to do is to decide what that object will be. There are plenty of places from which you can get inspiration. Look for photographs in books, magazines, or on the web. But first, a word of caution.

It's far better to draw things from real life. Get inspiration from books etc. by all means, but don't copy straight from them. Photos are usually two dimensional and therefore flat with little depth in them. Drawing real-life objects will give you so much more detail to work with, including a sense of perception and depth.

Start off by drawing simple things. You can choose things like pots and pans, fruits or vegetables. Just one tip here. Ignore anything that is too complicated or overly ornate. Again, remember the old adage - practice makes perfect. Once you've mastered the simpler items, you can then move onto the ones that present more of a challenge.

Here are some great ideas for what to draw.

Light is important when you draw. It is best to have one specific light source. Try not to use multiple lamps or overhead lights. What you need to try and achieve is a good contract between highlights and shades. Sunlight is excellent, but just bear in mind the changes as the day wears on. If you find you have to use a lamp, check that the light from any windows does not interfere.

If you want to draw multiple objects, it's best to position them so they overlap. Placing objects so that their edges almost touch is not recommended. Drawing items that overlap will generate more interest from the viewer's viewpoint and will also provide depth.

You can mix and match - some items overlapping, some barely touching and some thing or things standing alone. Generally speaking, variety adds interest.

You'll be surprised how an object's perspective can change when viewed from different angles. So obviously, you want to choose the view that shows it off best. Take a few minutes to walk around the subject and see which angle you prefer. You should also consider tweaking the positioning and adding other items in too. Don't start drawing until you're happy you've got it right. Now for the serious part.

Getting the proportions right is paramount if your work is to be truly representative. It is vital to ensure you keep the relationship right between the various heights and widths, and that you match the direction of lines in accordance with those of your subject matter.

This guide will help.

It's also essential to get the angles right. If it helps, you can use a viewfinder or view-catcher to make the angles clearer. These gadgets are relatively inexpensive although you can make your own version if you prefer.

By holding your pencil out in front of your eyes, you can check the angles of the lines and things like the height or width of the different objects compared to each other or their surroundings. Take a look at how the edges and lines intersect.

When you have it right in your mind's eye, lightly sketch it onto the paper. You can then add more shapes to round out the objects but continuing to sketch only lightly.

Once you are satisfied with the basic outlines you've sketched, you can begin to firm up the objects by making the outlines neater and wiping out your lightly sketched guidelines. Next, you can give the curves more definition.

As you carry on refining your work, remain aware of any changes that are taking place as time progresses. Light, shade and contract change with the time of day. If you stay on top of these changes, you can keep your drawing true. Upon finishing certain sections, you can then darken-in the lines.

At the moment, your drawing will be relatively two dimensional. Next, you need to give it some perception of depth. You can add depth with shading and playing with the definition of some of the lines.

Read this for more information on depth.

Shapes change or become more apparent when light strikes an object. The best way to see these is to squeeze your eyes slightly and peer through your eyelashes. Your lashes then act like a filter, and they will enable you to discern the light and dark aspects of these shapes more clearly.

Don't forget about the shadow shape of the model or how any shadow from the model falls onto any other objects around it. These shadow shapes are as vital as the objects themselves. They bring a feeling of reality and atmosphere into the drawing. You can differentiate the key areas of light and shade with toning.

Look for the deepest darks and the lightest lights and fill them in accordingly to build up the standout tonal areas. Keep comparing the darks and lights and refining your toning and shading until you are satisfied.

Here ends our quick lesson on how to draw still life. All that remains is to remind you to spray your still life drawing with a fixative so that it doesn't smudge.