SPEED DRAWING

ARTISTS TOOLS OF THE TRADE

The skills of artists intrigue us, we watch in amazement as they masterfully create works of art. It seems a pencil is all that is needed for the skilled sketcher to bring to life a masterpiece.

But we are being deceived ... artists have many tools in their toolboxes. To start, artists are creative and they have a keen sense of detail. As we gaze in awe at magnificent drawings we are memorized. But if we question what it is that impresses us most we will most likely say it is the detail of the work that stands out.

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It’s easy to believe that artists are simply born with the ability to draw, and some are. But even the most talented artists learn to perfect their art over time. They memorize details of small things that most of us ignore or don’t pay any attention to.

True artists study the human anatomy. They recognize that people come in different sizes and shapes. Bone structures, as well as the way muscles flex and move are all taken into account. Artists understand that skin is taut over flexed muscles and can be relaxed, loose or even saggy at other times.

This knowledge is a basic tool of the trade.

A clear understanding of the principles of facial expressions is a necessary and essential means of bring characters to life. Facial features naturally change according to emotions and the artists will capture just the right look in the character’s face to express that emotion.

Consider only the eyes ... compare and contrast the variations in eyes on the brink of tears to sparkling eyes on a smiling face. Imagine the expected emotions of people at a funeral. Now compare that with emotions you would expect at a birthday party. With simple pencil lines artists are able to make us understand how their characters are feeling.

The same is true when an artist is capturing a vision of an animal or a landscape or for that matter, anything at all. Careful study resulting in a real understanding of the details of subject matter is definitely a basic tool in an artist’s toolbox.

After acquiring a sound knowledge related to forms the artist adds the tools used in understanding lighting and shadows. It is through lights and shadows that art becomes three-dimensional and life-like.

Anyone can buy and use a pencil, that is the basic tool we see the artist using so it is easy to believe pencils are their only tools. But in reality it’s the tools we can’t see that are required to create a true work of art.

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