Ever wondered how artists effortlessly bring life to their drawings? The secret lies in their knack for seeing beyond the details and recognising the building blocks of everything around us: basic shapes.
When I first started drawing I used to focus on the details why too much and by doing that I lost sight of the proportions. By going back to the basics - and by that I mean basic shapes you will instantly improve your drawings!
I actually ran a class in my creative community where we practice drawing anything by just using basic shapes - circles, squares, triangles and lines.
By training your eyes to spot basic shapes, you can take your drawing skills to the next level and unleash your inner artist.
In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of seeing basic shapes in everyday objects and how it can supercharge your drawing practice. So, let's dive in and discover the magic of shapes!
make your drawings instantly better
Embracing Simplicity: Forget complex details! When you're looking at something to draw, break it down into simple shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. These basic forms are the ABCs of drawing. By simplifying things, you'll find it way easier to nail proportions and get the overall structure just right.
Getting the Proportions Right: Shapes help you understand how different parts relate to each other. Let's say you're sketching a face. You can use an oval for the head, rectangles for the eyes, and triangles for the nose and ears. Once you grasp these relationships, you'll create drawings that look more realistic and well-proportioned.
Mastering Spatial Awareness: Drawing in 3D requires a good sense of space. By recognising basic shapes, you can better understand how objects fill up space and interact with one another. This knowledge helps you convey depth, perspective, and volume in your artwork, making it come alive.
Building a Visual Library: Seeing shapes is like stocking up your mental art library. The more you practice, the more references you gather. Over time, this visual library becomes your secret weapon. When faced with new subjects, you'll have a handy resource to draw inspiration from. Cool, right?
Unleashing Your Imagination: Seeing shapes not only helps with drawing what's in front of you, but it also boosts your imagination. As you get better at spotting basic forms, you'll find it easier to simplify complex objects and bring them to life from your mind's eye. Talk about creative freedom!
Speeding Up Your Drawing: When you're short on time or need quick sketches, shape recognition is a lifesaver. By swiftly identifying the underlying forms, you can block in the essential structure of your subject in a jiffy. It's like a shortcut to capturing the essence of a scene without sacrificing quality.
Still Life Setups for Practice: Create your own mini art studio by setting up still life arrangements. Grab objects of different shapes and sizes, and arrange them in interesting compositions. Challenge yourself to sketch them from various angles, focusing on the basic forms. This exercise sharpens your shape-spotting skills and trains your eye to capture the essence of any object.
Hunting for Shapes in the Wild: Train yourself to spot shapes everywhere you go. Whether you're strolling in the park or exploring the city, keep an eye out for basic forms in your surroundings. Notice the circles in tree trunks, rectangles in buildings, or triangles in rooftops. This practice expands your visual awareness and makes shape spotting a second nature.
Seeing basic shapes is like having a superpower in the world of drawing.
By training your eyes to identify these fundamental forms, you unlock a whole new level of artistic understanding and expression. these make your drawings instantly better.So, grab your sketchbook, embrace the simplicity of shapes, and let your imagination run wild. Get ready to shape up your drawing skills and embark on a journey of endless creativity!
Let me know what you think, is this something you have practiced before?
Do you start seeing simple shapes everywhere?
Irene