Observational

Drawing

Criteria

our criteria:• look at it carefully, instead of just assuming that you know

what it looks like; pay attention to the angle you are drawing it at

• dramatic colors make it more vibrant• using your space - trying not to have a blank white

background - finish drawings!• using shading to capture the texture of the objects• neatness and organization, including of your drawing process• good use of details• contrast and shading• using measurements to get the proportions right - “sighting”• realism instead of simplification or stylization - stay away

from outlines or dark lines!• use your materials well! erasing instead of smudging!

(compiled from our in class discussions)

Observational Drawing Criteria• Wide range of values (from very very dark to very very

light...and all those in between!) DON’T SMUDGE - create value with your mark-making. Some materials (such as charcoal) make sense with smudging, but pencil is not one of them. Be proud of your marks! Don’t hide them!

• COMPOSITION!!! (create visual movement and really think about where you are drawing your objects on the page - try to have a balance between positive and negative space!)

• Fully developed foreground AND background (create a sense of space or depth by paying attention to your background, too)

• STAY AWAY FROM outlining! (this makes your drawing look 2D, or flat, instead of realistic. Rely on the values within objects to create edges)

• Be selective in what you choose to draw! (You do not have to draw EVERYTHING in a still life. Instead, choose an area that seems interesting to you, and consists of anywhere between 3 and 6 objects or parts of objects. Remember, everything you choose to draw should be FULLY developed.)

wide range of values....

wide range of values....

foreground AND background...

Composition with Visual Movement...