Here is the first video in the series based on the Psalm 97-99 drawing in my Crossway ESV Journaling Bible. I will be posting additional videos on bow to draw stylized leaves, bumblebees, etc., in days to come.
(To see all video tutorials in one place, select "Video Tutorials" from the menu above)
Often beginners feel they need the exact supplies and mediums that the artist is using. I am not a
stickler for pushing specific brands for several reasons:
1) Art supplies are expensive. Not everyone can or should buy beyond what they need. Often there are less expensive alternatives that are within a person's budget and I just can't recommend a person buy a bunch of supplies they have never used because they may use them once and then find they never use them again.
2) I strongly believe in respecting
individual's personal preferences. I have tried several brands and I
use what works best for me but it may not work best for you. Use what
you have or what your favorite supplies are. It is true that
higher quality supplies can often be easier to use, but you do not have
to have the specific pen I use to draw a beautiful flower. You can use a
pencil, you can try Sharpies or a generic ball point pen.
Now on to the art of making art!
The first most important thing to making beautiful art is practice, practice, practice.
Keep your beginner work. It's so fun to look back and see how much you have improved. Get a sketchbook or a notebook and use it just for practice. Draw what you like. Draw big, draw little. Just draw. Drawing is the foundation.
The second most important thing is to learn how to see lights and darks.
Shading
(which represents darks and shadows) and lights are what magically turns a flat, boring image into something dynamic which is full
of depth, dimension and movement. As mentioned in the tutirial videos, pick some
select spots in your flower for your darkest darks. A common mistake
is not making those spots as dark as they should be. These darkest
areas need to be darker than everywhere else. This provides depth.
Without these darkest darks, the image may look flat or washed out.
Don't be afraid to try it, just don't go overboard.
The third most important thing is learning how to use your supplies.
Grab your pencil or pen and start making marks. Soft marks, darker
marks, tilt the pen/pencil to the side and see if the ink skips and/or
gives a light/finer mark. Make flicking strokes. Hold your pen
straight up and down for a bolder line (this is how these pens are
designed to be used). Try different papers to see how the ink or
graphite reacts. Find out if your ink is waterproof (won't move with
water) or water activated (bleeds or smears with water, can be used
almost like paint) by going over it with a wet paintbrush. Note how
your paper reacts to water. Some totally hate water of any amount.
Some papers are OK and others, such as watercolor paper, is made to
handle large amounts of water. Also be aware that some waterproof pens
are not waterproof on certain papers. This is an issue with the paper,
not the pen. Always do a test paper before starting a project.
Final thoughts:
We
all have an inner critic and it is sometimes very harsh when it comes
to our artwork. Just know that this critic is a liar. For some reason,
we are very vulnerable when it comes to making art and the urge to
compare is very strong. Do not listen to that critic and do not
compare. If you are feeling like your drawing isn't going the way you
want, walk away from it for a bit. When you come back to it...and DO
COME BACK, don't abandon it...you will be able to see it with fresh eyes
and you may be much happier with it than you were before. I think we
get so focused on the details that it is hard to see the whole picture.
That is way we need to step back sometimes.
Now go make some art!!
