Lines in nature

Part I

Many people think that learning to draw and paint is difficult, if not impossible it need not be. It would be enjoyable if artists treated the subject as fun and went about it in the right way, it could be possible for nearly everyone, like learning to drive.

At first it may seem hard, but it isn't, if you follow the basic instructions. When tackling any new skill it is common sense to expect and accept that lots of mistakes will be made.

A simple shading scene.

It is part of the learning process. It is not unusual for any art student with no previous experience of draughtsmanship suddenly to discover that they can put down accurately what they see. It requires just three things for this to happen.

1. The ability to look properly
2. Self-confidence and
3. The capacity to remember and carry out basic instructions.

I believe the term 'gifted’ is too lightly used in respect of artists. Only one in every million or so can be truly said to be gifted. The rest of us are craftsmen with different degrees of skill.

If you can write your name then you have enough touch to learn to draw. Most lines in nature are gently curved, wavy, or straight. This is why it is vitally important for us artists to look properly at what we want to record. If your drawing goes wrong it is always because the way we look was at fault.

At first begin with very simple illustration as I have shown in this picture. you begin your adventure in painting by drawing and painting landscapes. Any beginner need to know how to fill a blank sheet of drawing paper. This is done both with the lines of the drawing and with shading.

The latter marks are used to suggest different forms distance and so on. Use the most simple of shading for your first few exercises. Observe the same shown as a simple exercise to study.

Notice how distant patches of forest, hedges and trees are recorded by vertical, even-spaced fine lines; how the field in the foreground is drawn with horizontal shading.

Meadows further away are suggested by broken lines and small dashes. Trees in the foreground are made to look darker by cross-hatching. Diagonal lines are crossed at right-angles by similar diagonal lines drawn on the opposite way. Grass is shown as little lines, dots and dashes.

Once you sit at a table or cum studio wherever you decide to produce a painting a drawing board is useful.

A purpose-made artists’ board is expensive, therefore, you may use strong plywood 50cm by 50cm piece of board or chipboard both for drawing and watercolour painting.

Kent or Whatman paper or watercolour drawing pads could be used for any beginner to start with.

Sable soft hair 2 inch brush No. 1, 2 and 6 and flat brush to do the sky and ground as students it is not necessary to go into expensive quality paints but may use usual paint box with twelve colours.