Leonardo DaVinci's Technique

 I’ve always been fascinated by the work of Leonardo da Vinci, particularly the mastery in his portraits. What captivates me the most is the absence of visible brushstrokes on the faces of his subjects—though you can sometimes see them in the hair. How did he achieve such a flawless finish?

Scholars have studied his paintings using X-rays and other techniques and discovered that Leonardo's way of painting involved adding paint and then blending it with fabric, or even with his hands. In fact, upon closer analysis, they’ve found his fingerprints embedded in the layers. Remarkably, his process involved applying up to 30 layers of paint. No wonder the brushstrokes are invisible!

I’d like to share a video that delves into his incredible technique. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Stippling: A Detailed Exploration

 

Stippling is an artistic technique employed to produce shading and texture through the careful placement of tiny dots. This method, while labor-intensive, offers an unparalleled level of detail and precision, making it particularly suitable for depicting intricate subjects such as insects, animals, and delicate textures. The essence of stippling lies in its ability to convey a range of tones and textures without the use of continuous lines or solid fills.

Historical Background and Evolution

The origins of stippling can be traced back to the early days of printmaking. In the 15th and 16th centuries, artists like Albrecht Dürer began to explore this technique as a means of adding depth and nuance to their woodcuts and engravings. The process involved making small impressions on the surface of the wood or metal plate to create varying degrees of darkness and lightness. Over time, stippling became a favored method for achieving intricate details in printmaking, particularly in engravings and etchings.

Technique and Process

The technique of stippling involves using a pen, pencil, or other drawing instruments to apply numerous tiny dots to the paper. Each dot contributes to the overall shading and texture, with the density and placement of the dots determining the darkness or lightness of the area. The more densely packed the dots, the darker the perceived shade; conversely, fewer dots create lighter areas.

To begin a stippling project, an artist typically outlines the subject lightly with a pencil to establish the composition and major features. Following this, the artist starts applying dots with the chosen medium, gradually building up layers to achieve the desired effect. Patience is key, as stippling is a time-consuming process that requires careful attention to detail.

Applications and Benefits

Stippling is particularly effective for subjects that demand high levels of detail and texture. Insects, with their intricate patterns and delicate structures, benefit greatly from this technique. Similarly, animals with complex fur patterns or feather textures can be rendered with a remarkable sense of realism through stippling. The method's ability to create nuanced gradients and subtle transitions in tone makes it ideal for capturing the fine details of these subjects.

Moreover, stippling offers a unique aesthetic quality that can enhance the visual impact of a drawing. The texture created by the dots can give a piece a tactile quality, inviting viewers to appreciate the meticulous effort that went into its creation. This characteristic makes stippling a favored technique among artists who seek to emphasize the craftsmanship and detail of their work.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite its many advantages, stippling presents several challenges. The technique requires significant time and patience, as even a small area of a drawing can take hours to complete. Artists must also be meticulous in their dot placement to ensure consistency and avoid unintended patterns. Additionally, the technique may be less suited for subjects that require smooth gradients or large areas of uniform tone.

In summary, stippling is a remarkable technique that offers unparalleled detail and texture in art. Its roots in historical printmaking and its modern applications underscore its versatility and enduring appeal. While the process is time-consuming and requires precision, the results can be stunningly detailed and visually engaging. For artists who appreciate the intricacies of detailed work and the satisfaction of creating complex textures through a methodical approach, stippling remains a valuable and rewarding technique.

How to construct a Head - The Loomis Method

The techniques in this tutorial are based on Andrew Loomis’ renowned book "Drawing the Head and Hands." Loomis, a masterful illustrator, created a method for constructing the head that is both simple and effective, making it a popular choice for artists of all skill levels. While the method itself is straightforward, mastering the drawing of a head involves understanding many complex factors like perspective, proportions, and the structure and placement of individual features. The tutorial aims to guide you through this process step-by-step, emphasizing that consistent practice and attention to detail are key to making progress.

Loomis Head Construction

The Loomis method begins with drawing a ball, which represents the upper part of the head. This ball is divided into four equal parts by drawing a vertical and a horizontal line through its center, forming a cross. These lines serve as guides for placing facial features: the eyebrows align with the cross, the hairline is halfway to the top of the ball, and the nose’s tip is halfway down. This foundational structure helps in achieving accurate proportions and symmetry.

After establishing the basic structure, you can erase the construction lines, leaving a clean outline of the head. The method's simplicity belies its depth, and achieving proficiency can take months of practice. However, once mastered, it enables artists to draw heads from any angle with confidence.

Steps of the Loomis Method

1) The Ball: Start with a ball or sphere representing the cranium. The method uses this simple shape as the starting point, ensuring consistency in drawing heads regardless of pose or perspective.

2) The Cross: Draw a vertical and horizontal line through the ball’s center, forming a cross that marks the direction and orientation of the face. This step requires some understanding of perspective, but practicing with real objects like a basketball can help develop this skill.

3) Flattening the Ball: Loomis recognized that the head is not a perfect sphere. To better represent its shape, imagine slicing off small sections on each side of the ball, creating a “flattened ball” that better approximates the head’s true form.

4) Dividing the Face: The vertical line down the center of the face is divided into equal sections to mark key facial features: the hairline, brow line, nose tip, and chin. These distances are uniform, making it easier to place features accurately.

5) Placing the Ear: With the facial features in place, the ear can be positioned at the back corner of the flattened ball, completing the basic structure of the head.

Key Takeaways

Understanding perspective is crucial to mastering head construction. The cross divides the ball into equal parts, and the spacing between the brow, nose, chin, and hairline is consistent, making the Loomis method both systematic and adaptable.

Loomis emphasized that drawing the head is inherently challenging and requires extensive practice. Artists are encouraged to draw heads repeatedly from reference, correcting and refining their technique over time. By following these steps and maintaining a disciplined practice routine, artists can gradually build their skills and confidence in drawing the human head from any angle.

How to Draw Still Life

 

This step-by-step lesson will teach you the drawing techniques used to create a still life.

Step 1 - Draw Transparent Wire Frames

Begin by drawing the objects as transparent wire frames, with visible lines of construction. This technique helps you fully understand the shape of each form and its position relative to others.

Sketch lightly, as this makes it easier to correct mistakes and erase construction lines. Using vertical and horizontal lines of construction will help you draw convincing ellipses and maintain the symmetry of cylindrical forms.

Once you're satisfied with the shape, proportion, and composition of the still life, you can erase the construction lines, leaving you with accurate outlines and confidence in the placement of each object.

You’re now ready to focus on the details.

Step 2 - Add Details with Line

Next, lightly sketch the shapes of any shadows or reflections on each object. The more accurate you are with these marks, the easier the shading process will be.

Step 3 - Shading: Stage 1

Start shading by lightly applying basic tones to each object, which will help build its three-dimensional form. Pay attention to the spaces between and around the objects, treating the drawing of light and shadow with as much importance as the objects themselves. The shadows cast around and beneath the objects contribute significantly to defining their shapes, just as the shading on their surfaces does.

Notice how the interplay of light and dark between the objects and their surroundings gradually takes over from the initial line work in defining their forms.

Step 4 - Shading: Stage 2

Return your focus to the objects themselves, deepening the tones and increasing the contrast between areas of light and dark. This step enhances the form of the objects and heightens their impact.

At this stage, maintaining a balance of tones across the entire still life is crucial. Strive for unity in tone and form so that no object appears too dark or too light.

Step 5 - Shading: Stage 3

Finally, revisit the spaces between the objects, deepening their tones and enhancing the contrast. Carefully balance the tonal values of the objects and the spaces around them to ensure a cohesive and unified image.

The Finished Still Life

The completed still life should succeed on two levels: as a realistic representation of the group of objects and as a dynamic composition of visual elements, harmonizing and contrasting line, shape, and tone.

Drawing Freehand Ellipses and Circles

 Drawing ovals and circles freehand is a fundamental skill for artists. While circles may seem easier to perfect with practice, drawing an accurate ellipse, or oval freehand, can be more challenging due to the subtleties in their shape and perspective. Understanding the geometry and behavior of ellipses in three-dimensional space can greatly improve your ability to draw them accurately.

An ellipse is essentially a flattened circle, with two axes or diameters: a long diameter and a short diameter, which intersect at the center and form right angles. The ellipse often appears when we observe a circle from an angle, such as when looking down on the opening of a pitcher. In this case, the circular opening appears compressed, transforming into an ellipse.

The Behavior of Ellipses in Perspective

When viewing a circle from an angle, the shape compresses due to perspective, with the back half appearing more compressed than the front half. This phenomenon, known as foreshortening, occurs because the plane of the object is tilted away from the viewer. As a result, the ellipse’s farthest points, which are on the left and right, do not align with the vertical center of the shape. Instead, they sit slightly above the vertical center.

This effect is akin to the way objects closer to the viewer appear larger than those farther away. As the viewer steps back from the object, the ellipse’s form becomes more pronounced, and its appearance changes based on the angle from which it is observed.

Practicing Freehand Ellipses

To improve your ability to draw ellipses freehand, a useful exercise is to start by drawing axes. While you may want to avoid using tools, sketching freehand axes can help you understand how ellipses work, particularly in perspective. Once you are comfortable with this technique, you can gradually remove the axes from your drawing process.

When drawing, remember that the space within the ellipse does not compress equally; the back half is more compressed than the front half. By keeping this in mind, you can better capture the ellipse’s form and its relationship to the object it represents.

Using a Box to Define the Ellipse

Another technique to help visualize and draw an ellipse is to use a box around it. This box represents the surface plane of the ellipse in perspective. For example, if you start with a square box around a circle, and then tilt the box to represent a different viewpoint, the circle will compress into an ellipse. The box's front edge will appear longer, while the trailing edge will appear shorter due to perspective.

Adding orthogonal lines, such as those found in one-point perspective, can further aid in understanding how the ellipse and its bounding box interact within a three-dimensional space.

Mastering the freehand drawing of ellipses takes practice and an understanding of how these shapes behave in perspective. By studying their geometry, practicing with axes and bounding boxes, and observing the way ellipses change with viewpoint, you can improve your ability to draw them accurately and confidently. Over time, these exercises will help you develop a more intuitive sense of how to represent ellipses in your art, enhancing your overall skill as a draftsman.