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Drawing Tips

Instead of shading around highlights, try working from the middle.

1. Fill the entire subject to a mid-value.

2. Darken the shadows.

3. Erase the highlights.

4. Add the more subtle value variations.

Use a value scale to help you see the true values of the subject.

Value scales are especially helpful for interpreting challenging color combinations into gray scale, such as red roses in front of a green background.

You can download a value scale and find out how to use them on my Free Drawing Tools Page.

Drawing is like any skill. You have to practice regularly to be good at it!

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Drawing Tips

Vegetables make great drawing subjects for beginners. Choose light colored veges which have interesting shapes and textures.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Squash
  • Peppers
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Oranges

Do a study of each one, or arrange them into still lifes.

Powdered graphite can be applied with a bush to create delicate tonal washes. It's great for making skin tones and flower petal textures.

You can read more about how to make and use it on my powdered graphite page.

Make it easy to practice drawing. Keep extra pencils and paper near the chair where you watch TV at night and draw during commercials!

Drawing Tool Tip

A plastic toolbox makes a very inexpensive storage box for your drawing tools, and the removable tray is a good place to keep your most used tools.

Look for one with extra hinged storage spaces in the top of the lid for little items.

Portable Drawing Kit

"Messenger" style book bags make great drawing kits. They're just the right size for medium drawing pads and have plenty of compartments for other supplies.

Drawing Tips

Flowers drawn with graphite pencil came make bold artistic statements, but you may need to adjust the contrast to compensate for the lack of color.

When looking for flowers to draw, choose light and medium colored flowers which have interesting shapes and petal patterns.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Roses
  • Day Lilies
  • Dahlias
  • Tulips
  • Daffodils
  • Orchids
  • Hollyhocks
  • Calla lily
  • Hibiscus

You can successfully draw flowers with a heavily textured shading technique if the same texture is used over the entire flower creating a unified appearance.

Don't forget how beautiful simple line drawings can be. Small delicate flowers, like Honeysuckle and Violets, make great line drawing subjects.

Drawing Tool Tip

Spin the tip of your battery powered eraser on an emery board to sharpen it to a fine point.

Use its tip to "draw" delicate details, like animal whiskers and reflections on metal, and to create textures, like distant leaves or weeds.

Art Links

Greg Fetler's Fine Art
Fine Art Prints and Paintings by Acrylic Artist Greg Fetler including the artist's Fine Art Picture Book for Children. The artist has been painting for more than thirty years, and his gallery is now in its twentieth year of operation.

Jeanne Grant
Jeanne Grant blogs about her thoughts, poetry, and drawing.

A Zoo
Drawings and paintings of animals and nature by Lene Daugaard.

A-Zoo (The Blog)
Lene Daugaard blogs about her art.

Toad Hollow Studio
Free and for purchase drawing lessons, gallery, drawing forum, and blog.

Natasha's Art Tour Links Page
List of excellent art sites. All are rated by the author.

www.artbabyart.com
Do you want to know what it is?

Fine Art gallery at Art Exchange
Art exchange an art gallery website, a source for buying paintings, limited edition floral, original fine art print, watercolor giclee print, bronze original sculpture and art poster reproduction.

Classes on Faux Painting & Decorative Painting
The School of Applied Arts is a non-profit school teaching the ancient craft of decorative painting, faux painting, trompe l oeil and plastering. Join our classes to get professional expertise in the art.

Mid-Michigan Art Guild Website
A site created by artists, for artists. You'll find the resources you need here to improve your artistic skills and help you make connections with the visual arts community in the Greater Lansing and Mid-Michigan areas.

Figurative Art by Alex Bazarin
Spiritual, fantastic and surreal paintings.

Niagara Art Collection
Contemporary Art Gallery

Moores Art Gallery
Original and custom color pencil artwork, photography and web design by artist Carol Moore. Specializing in wildlife, canine, equine, floral, landscape, fantasy, and mystical portraits. Also featuring color pencil lessons, color pencil tips and techniques and free resources for artists.

yourartlinks.com
The Art and Artist Directory

The Worldwide Art Gallery
All things art site. Art History, Art Directory, Kids' Art Gallery and education resource, free art quiz (win prizes) plus contemporary international and Australian Art.

Art Industri
The world of art at your fingertips, including artist portfolios, ecards, resources, kids stuff, reference guides, free email, magazine and web design.

sGALLERY - photorealistic oil paintings & Art links
Over 350 exclusive paintings in photorealistic, realistic and impressionistic styles. ART catalogue, purchase & sale of paintings, painting lessons. Located in Moldova.

Isabel GalleryAbout Fine Art Oil Painting Reproduction, Oil Portrait Painting & Pet Portrait
Isabel Art Gallery offers prestigious fine art oil painting reproductions of Masterpieces, oil portrait paintings, pet portraits & wedding portraits, entirely hand painted by professional artists, graduated from Art Schools.

Art Quotes
Art directory for artists and art lovers.

Artgraphica
Presents the Art Tutorial Guides, a website created to promote, teach and discuss the direct process of producing art in all its forms and mediums.

LizaPhoenix.com

Art.net
Join fellow artists in sharing works together on the Internet.

ArtNetwork
Advocates for artists, we want you to succeed with a career as a fine artist. We're here to help you do just that!

ArtPromote.com
This is a wonderful site for artists. It has tools and advice for getting your art up on the web and lots of places that will list your site.

Art Kids Rule
Here is an interesting place. It has art tutorials and other art links. Very easy to navigate too.

The Drawing Board for Illustrators
Agents Book Talk, FrequentlyAskedQuestions, Interviews, Legal Rights, Links, A Look to the Past Markets and Genres Marketing and Portfolio, MessageBoard, Miscellaneous, PricingGuidelines, Quotations for Illustrators, Resources, Technique and Style Tips and Tricks, Upcoming Events ...

Art Business
Consulting, Appraisals, and Marketing for Artists, Dealers and Collectors

World Wide Arts Resources
The Definitive Arts and Culture Information Gateway. World Wide Arts Resources offers the definitive, interactive gateway to all exemplars of qualitative arts information and culture on the Internet. Artists, museums, galleries, art history, arts education, antiques, performing arts ranging from dance to opera, classified ads, resume postings and more.

The World Artist Directory
The World Artist Directory is the internet's source for locating accomplished artists worldwide. Since acceptance is based solely on quality of technique and expression, only 25% of artists that apply qualify for inclusion. As a result, you can be assured that you will be listed among some of the world's finest artists.

Art Search - Directory - www.artsearch.us
Search for your favorite art, rate listed websites, submit your site, show your artwork!

NeT-ArT
Virtual Space for Arts and Communication

Zeroland
the arts on the web

Search , for Arts and Creative Industries resources


Creativity Links

Creativity Portal
is an imagination-inducing sanctuary for artists, writers, crafters, and creativity enthusiasts. It's been featured in Writer's Digest, Imagine magazine, and gazillions of places Web-wide. It contains expert articles, innovative projects, fun tools, and free learning resources for every stage of the creative life.

Moondance Ezine~Celebrating Creative Women

Interesting Places to Visit

sitesforteachers.com

eduScapes
A site for life-long learners of all ages

Mirage Bookmarks
Bookmarks! Very Pretty

Bookstores

HamiltonBook.com ! The Lowest Prices Anywhere.

Link to this Site

I'm migrating the links on this page to my new Drawing Directory. If you'd like to link to this site, please do it from there.

Craft Sites

Craft Listing
Your guide to arts and crafts on the Internet.

Pet A Rock - by Patty Donathan
Your pet painted in 3-D on a rock from pictures of your pet, or learn to paint your own rocks. Lots of free "how - to" paint rocks information

Wood Carving
How to Turn a Hobby into a Profitable Hobby. You Don't Need to be an Artist to Engrave like a Pro!

Decorative Art Studio
Decorative painting and wall murals on buildings.

Crafters Community
An online community of crafters. Projects, tutorials, kids crafts, resources and more. Learn, share ideas, and meet other crafters.

Craft Site Directory
Your guide to arts and crafts on the internet.

Pine Hollow Crafts
Furry Bunnies, Fabric Bears, Muslin Dolls, & Wooden Creations await. No matter what you choose to do while at "The Hollow", be sure to enjoy yourself.

The Craft Emporium
Art & Craft From True Artisans & Craftspeople From All Over The World

Art Resources Directory
The free directory of art resources, materials and supplies for artists, galleries and art collectors.

Art Directories and Resources


© Carol Rosinski 2008
The writing and images on this page are the copyrighted work of Carol Rosinski and cannot be used without her permission.

Purdy the Toad I've been growing Toad Hollow Studio since 1998.