Drawing

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(September 2010)

Male nude by Annibale Carracci,
16th century

Drawing is a visual art that makes use of
any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common
instruments include graphite
pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color
pencils, crayons, charcoals, chalk, pastels, markers, stylus, or various metals like silverpoint. An artist who
practices or works in drawing may be referred to as a draftsman or
draughtsman.

A small amount of material is released onto the two dimensional medium which
leaves a visible mark—the process is similar to that of painting. The most common
support for drawing is paper,
although other materials such as cardboard, plastic, leather, canvas and board, may be used. Temporary
drawings may be made on a blackboard or whiteboard, or indeed almost
anything. The medium has been a popular and fundamental means of public
expression throughout human history. The relative ease of availability of basic
drawing instruments makes drawing more universal than most other media.

Contents

1 Overview

2 History

2.1 Notable
Draftsmen

3 Media

4 Applying media

5 Materials

6 Tone

7 Layout

8 Perspective

9 Artistry

10 Digital
illustration

11 See also

12 References

13 Further reading

14 External links

[edit]
Overview

Madame Palmyre with Her Dog, 1897. Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec.

Drawing is a form of visual expression and is one of the major forms within
the visual arts. There are a number of subcategories of drawing, including cartooning. Certain drawing
methods or approaches, such as "doodling" and other informal
kinds of drawing such as drawing on a foggy mirror caused by the steam from a
shower, or the surrealist method of "entopic
graphomania", in which dots are made at the sites of impurities in a blank
sheet of paper, and lines are then made between the dots, may or may not be
considered as part of "drawing" as a "fine art." Likewise tracing, drawing on a
thin piece of paper, sometimes designed for that purpose (tracing paper), around
the outline of preexisting shapes that show through this paper, is also not
considered fine art, although it may be part of the draughtsman's
preparation.

The word 'drawing' is used as both a verb and a noun:

Drawing (verb) is the act of making marks on a surface so as to create an
image, form or shape.

The produced image is also called a drawing (noun). A quick, unrefined
drawing may be defined as a sketch.

Drawing is generally concerned with the marking of lines and areas of tone
onto paper. Traditional drawings were monochrome, or at least had little
colour,[1]
while modern coloured-pencil drawings may approach or cross a boundary between
drawing and painting. In Western terminology, however, drawing is distinct from
painting despite that similar media
are often employed in both tasks. Dry media, normally associated with drawing,
such as chalk, may be used in pastel paintings. Drawing may be
done with a liquid medium, applied with brushes or pens. Similar supports
likewise can serve both: painting generally involves the application of liquid
paint onto prepared canvas or panels, but sometimes an underdrawing is drawn first
on that same support. Drawing is often exploratory, with considerable emphasis
on observation, problem solving and composition. Drawing is also regularly
employed in preparation for a painting, further obfuscating their
distinction.

[edit]
History

André Masson.
Automatic Drawing. 1924. Ink on paper, 23.5 x 20.6 cm. Museum of Modern
Art, New York.

No one really knows when art
or drawing really began. Humans supposedly made sketches and painting in the
early years. Cave Paintings are a good example. People have made rock and cave drawings since prehistoric times. By the
12th-13th centuries AD, monks were preparing illuminated manuscripts on vellum
or parchment in monasteries throughout Europe were using lead styli to draw
lines for their writings and for the outlines for their illuminations. Soon
artists generally were using silver to make drawings and
underdrawings. Initially they used and re-used wooden tablets with prepared
ground for these drawings. When paper
became generally available from the 14th century onwards, artists' drawings,
both preparatory studies and finished works, became increasingly common.

[edit]
Notable Draftsmen

Since the 14th century, each century has produced artists who have created
great drawings.

Notable draftsmen of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries include Leonardo da Vinci,
Albrecht Dürer,
Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.

Notable draftsmen of the 17th century include Claude, Nicolas Poussin, Rembrandt,
Guercino, and Peter Paul Rubens.

Notable draftsmen of the 18th century include Jean-Honoré
Fragonard, Giovanni
Battista Tiepolo, and Antoine Watteau.

Notable draftsmen of the 19th century include Paul Cézanne, Aubrey Beardsley, Jacques Louis
David, Pierre-Paul
Prud'hon, Edgar
Degas, Théodore
Géricault, Francisco
Goya, Jean Ingres, Odilon Redon, Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec, Honoré Daumier,
and Vincent van
Gogh.

Notable draftsmen of the 20th century include Käthe Kollwitz, Max Beckmann, Jean Dubuffet, Egon Schiele, Arshile Gorky, Paul Klee, Oscar Kokoschka, Alphonse Mucha, M. C. Escher, André Masson, Jules Pascin, and Pablo Picasso.

[edit]
Media

The medium is the means by which ink, pigment or color are delivered onto the
drawing surface. Most drawing media are either dry (e.g. graphite, charcoal, pastels, Conté, silverpoint), or water-based
(marker, pen and ink).[2]
Watercolor pencils can be used dry like ordinary pencils, then moistened with a
wet brush to get various painterly effects. Very rarely, artists have drawn with
(usually decoded) invisible
ink.[3]
Metalpoint drawing usually employs either of two metals: silver or lead.[4]
More rarely used are gold, platinum, copper, brass, bronze and tinpoint.
A
special kind of drawing is the so called paintbrush-drawing, drawings
only done with paintbrushes instead of pencil or
pen. This kind of drawing descends in the origin from the Asian culture.

[edit]
Applying media

Almost all draughtsmen use their hands and fingers to apply the media, with
the exception of some handicapped individuals who draw with their mouth or
feet.[citation
needed]

Prior to working on an image, the artist will likely want to gain an
understanding of how the various media will work. The different drawing
implements can be tried on practice sheets in order to determine value and
texture, and how to apply the implement in order to produce various effects.

The stroke of the drawing implement can be used to control the appearance of
the image. Ink drawings typically use hatching, which consists of
groups of parallel lines.[5]
Cross-hatching uses hatching in two or more different directions to create a
darker tone. Broken hatching, or lines with intermittent breaks, is used to form
lighter tones, and by controlling the density of the breaks a graduation of tone
can be achieved. Stippling, uses dots to produce
tone, texture or shade.

Sketch drawings use
similar techniques, although with pencils and drawing sticks continuous
variations in tone can be achieved. For best results the lines in a sketch are
typically drawn to follow the contour curves of the surface, thus producing a
depth effect. When drawing hair, the lines of the sketch follow the direction of
the hair growth.

Typically a drawing will be filled in based on which hand the artist favors.
A right-handed artist will want to draw from left to right in order to avoid
smearing the image. Sometimes the artist will want to leave a section of the
image blank while filling in the remainder of the picture. A frisket can be used
for this purpose. The shape of the area to be preserved is cut out of the frisket, and the resulting shape
is then applied to the drawing surface. This will protect the surface from
receiving any stray marks before it is ready to be filled in.

Another method to preserve a section of the image is to apply a spray-on
fixative to the surface. This will hold loose material more firmly to the
sheet and prevent it from smearing. However the fixative spray typically uses
chemicals that can negatively affect the respiratory system, so it should be
employed in a well-ventilated area such as outdoors.

[edit]
Materials

Paper comes in a variety of different sizes and qualities, ranging from
newspaper grade up to high quality and relatively expensive paper sold as
individual sheets.[6]
Papers can vary in texture, hue, acidity, and strength when wet. Smooth paper is
good for rendering fine detail, but a more "toothy" paper will hold the drawing
material better. Thus a coarser material is useful for producing deeper
contrast.

Newsprint and typing paper may be useful for practice and rough sketches.
Tracing paper is used to experiment over a half-finished drawing, and to
transfer a design from one sheet to another. Cartridge paper is the basic type
of drawing paper sold in pads. Bristol board and even heavier acid-free boards,
frequently with smooth finishes, are used for drawing fine detail and do not
distort when wet media (ink, washes) are applied. Vellum is extremely smooth and
suitable for very fine detail. Coldpressed watercolor paper may be favored for
ink drawing due to its texture.

Acid-free, archival quality paper keeps its color and texture far longer than
wood pulp based paper such as
newsprint, which will turn
yellow and become brittle much sooner.

The basic tools are a drawing board or table, pencil sharpener and eraser, and for ink drawing, blotting paper. Other
tools used are circle compass, ruler, and set square. Fixative is used to prevent
pencil and crayon marks from smudging. Drafting tape is used to
secure paper to drawing surface, and also to mask an area to keep it free of
accidental marks sprayed or spattered materials and washes. An easel or slanted
table is used to keep the drawing surface in a suitable position, which is
generally more horizontal than the position used in painting.

[edit]
Tone

Line drawing in sanguine by Leonardo da
Vinci

Shading is the technique of varying the tonal values on the paper to
represent the shade of the material as well as the placement of the shadows.
Careful attention to reflected light, shadows, and highlights can result in a
very realistic rendition of the image.

Blending uses an implement to soften or spread the original drawing strokes.
Blending is most easily done with a medium that does not immediately fix itself, such
as graphite, chalk, or charcoal, although freshly applied ink can be smudged,
wet or dry, for some effects. For shading and blending, the artist can use a blending
stump, tissue, a kneaded eraser, a
fingertip, or any combination of them. A piece of chamois is useful for
creating smooth textures, and for removing material to lighten the tone.
Continuous tone can be achieved with graphite on a smooth surface without
blending, but the technique is laborious, involving small circular or oval
strokes with a somewhat blunt point.

Shading techniques that also introduce texture to the drawing include hatching and stippling. There are a number
of other methods for producing texture in the picture: in addition to choosing a
suitable paper, the type of drawing material and the drawing technique will
result in different textures. Texture can be made to appear more realistic when
it is drawn next to a contrasting texture; a coarse texture will be more obvious
when placed next to a smoothly blended area. A similar effect can be achieved by
drawing different tones close together; a light edge next to a dark background
will stand out to the eye, and almost appear to float above the surface.

[edit]
Layout

Measuring the dimensions of a subject while blocking in the drawing is an
important step in producing a realistic rendition of the subject. Tools such as
a compass can be used
to measure the angles of different sides. These angles can be reproduced on the
drawing surface and then rechecked to make sure they are accurate. Another form
of measurement is to compare the relative sizes of different parts of the
subject with each other. A finger placed at a point along the drawing implement
can be used to compare that dimension with other parts of the image. A ruler can be used both as a straightedge and a device
to compute proportions.

When attempting to draw a complicated shape such as a human figure, it is
helpful at first to represent the form with a set of primitive shapes. Almost
any form can be represented by some combination of the cube, sphere, cylinder,
and cone. Once these basic shapes have been assembled into a likeness, then the
drawing can be refined into a more accurate and polished form. The lines of the
primitive shapes are removed and replaced by the final likeness. Drawing the
underlying construction is a fundamental skill for representational art and is
taught in many books and schools, as its correct application will resolve most
uncertainties about smaller details and make the final image look
self-consistent.

A more refined art of figure drawing relies
upon the artist possessing a deep understanding of anatomy and the human
proportions. A trained artist is familiar with the skeleton structure, joint
location, muscle placement, tendon movement, and how the different parts work
together during movement. This allows the artist to render more natural poses
that do not appear artificially stiff. The artist is also familiar with how the
proportions vary depending on the age of the subject, particularly when drawing
a portrait.

[edit]
Perspective

Linear
perspective is a method of portraying objects on a flat surface so that the
dimensions shrink with distance. The parallel, straight edges of any object,
whether a building or a table, will follow lines that eventually converge at
infinity. Typically this point of convergence will be along the horizon, as
buildings are built level with the flat surface. When multiple structures are
aligned with each other, such as buildings along a street, the horizontal tops
and bottoms of the structures will all typically converge at a vanishing
point.

Two-point perspective
drawing.

When both the fronts and sides of a building are drawn, then the parallel
lines forming a side converge at a second point along the horizon (which may be
off the drawing paper.) This is a "two-point perspective". Converging the
vertical lines to a point in the sky then produces a "three-point
perspective".

Depth can also be portrayed by several techniques in addition to the
perspective approach above. Objects of similar size should appear ever
smaller the further they are from the viewer. Thus the back wheel of a cart will
appear slightly smaller than the front wheel. Depth can be portrayed through the
use of texture. As the texture of an object gets further away it becomes
more compressed and busy, taking on an entirely different character than if it
was close. Depth can also be portrayed by reducing the amount of contrast of
more distant objects, and also by making the colors more pale. This will
reproduce the effect of atmospheric haze, and cause the eye to focus
primarily on objects drawn in the foreground.

[edit]
Artistry

Chiaroscuro study drawing by William-Adolphe
Bouguereau

The composition of
the image is an important element in producing an interesting work of artistic merit. The
artist plans the placement of elements in the art in order to communicate ideas
and feelings with the viewer. The composition can determine the focus of the
art, and result in a harmonious whole that is aesthetically appealing and
stimulating.

The illumination of the
subject is also a key element in creating an artistic piece, and the interplay
of light
and shadow is a valuable method in the artist's toolbox. The placement of the light
sources can make a considerable difference in the type of message that is
being presented. Multiple light sources can wash out any wrinkles in a person's
face, for instance, and give a more youthful appearance. In contrast, a single
light source, such as harsh daylight, can serve to highlight any texture or
interesting features.

When drawing an object or figure, the skilled artist pays attention to both
the area within the silhouette and what lies outside. The exterior is termed the
negative space, and
can be as important in the representation as the figure. Objects placed in the
background of the figure should appear properly placed wherever they can be
viewed.

A study is a draft drawing
that is made in preparation for a planned final image. Studies can be used to
determine the appearances of specific parts of the completed image, or for
experimenting with the best approach for accomplishing the end goal. However a
well-crafted study can be a piece of art in its own right, and many hours of
careful work can go into completing a study.

[edit]
Digital illustration

Picture produced by Drawing Machine 2, an image
generated from a mathematical model

Main articles: digital
illustration and digital
art

Computer art is the
use of digital tools to
produce images under the direct manipulation of the artist, usually through a
pointing device such as a tablet or a mouse. It is
distinguished from computer-generated
art, which is produced by a computer using mathematical models created by
the artist.

Computer art is also distinct from digital manipulation of
photographs, in that it is an original construction "from scratch".
Photographic elements may be incorporated into such works, but they are not the
primary basis or source for them.

[edit]
See also

Main article: Outline of
drawing and drawings

Architectural
drawing

Color theory

Composition

Diagram

Digital
illustration

Engineering
drawing

Figure drawing

GPS drawing

Illustration

Multi-Sketch

Pen

Sketch
(drawing)

Technical
drawing

Traditional
animation

[edit]
References

^ See grisaille and chiaroscuro

^ Mayer, Ralph. The Artist's Handbook of Materials and
Techniques. Viking. ISBN 0-670-83701-6.

^ Artists have
also drawn with a wide variety of other more or less bizarre materials,
including blood and wart remover (Daniel C. Boyer's wart remover drawing
Mr. Freeze's Crusade, His Hat Collection, and the Oval Communion).

^ Cennino
Cennini, The Craftsman's Handbook (Il Libra dell'Arte), trans. David V.
Thompson, Jr. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1933

^ This use of
hatching is to be distinguished from the use of a hatching system in
heraldry to indicate tincture (i.e.
what "color", in layman's language, the arms are) in a monochromatic context.)

^ Mayer, Ralph. The Artist's Handbook of Materials and
Techniques. Viking. ISBN 0-670-83701-6.

[edit]
Further reading

Betty Edwards, The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; 3Rev Ed edition, 2001, ISBN
978-0007116454

Brommer, Gerald F. Exploring Drawing. Worcester, Massachusetts:
Davis Publications. 1988.

Bodley Gallery, New York, N.Y., Modern master drawings, 1971, OCLC
37498294.

Frank Lohan, Pen & Ink Techniques, Contemporary Books, 1978, ISBN
0-8092-7438-8.

J. D. Hillberry, Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil, North Light
Books, 1999, ISBN
0-89134-868-9.

Spears, Heather. The Creative Eye. London: Arcturus. 2007. ISBN
978-0-572-03315-6.

World Book, Inc. The World Book Encyclopedia Volume 5, 1988, ISBN
0-7166-0089-7.

Drawing/Thinking: Confronting an Electronic Age, edited by Marc
Treib, 2008, ISBN, 0-415-77560-4.

[edit]
External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Drawing

Look up drawing
in Wiktionary, the
free dictionary.

Wikiversity has learning materials about Drawing

Timeline of Drawing Development in Children

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arts

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art · Decorative
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Categories: Drawing

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