This one was challenging for me so I am going to try it again when I have more time. Thank you, Stephen.

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

Yes, it is challenging. I can see a few proportions in mine I’m not 100% happy with. All the best with the second time round. 😀

As you point out while you are drawing, it's the shape between the shapes that is equally or more important to get right.

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

Doubles our opportunity for accuracy 😀

Helpful to watch you “think.” Thanks.

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

My pleasure Delphine

There's a long comment thread here about starting with a single part or doing a larger outline around everything (traditional envelope). I've noticed that a lot of artists teach this stuff and start by showing pen or pencil work as you did. What is lost is how an artist begins to draw ANYTHING by ANY method. Every artist I've met looks at the subject, decides (in their mind) where the borders of what they want to draw lie, look at their paper and visualize how it will fit. This is particularly important if the subject has multiple objects (building with trees, cars and people). It's tough (impossible?) to teach "First, I think about it and figure out what I"m gong to do" and so the lesson begins with linework (grin). Great vlog, Steven.

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

Thanks Larry, but I’m not sure if there’s a suggestion for a video here for me or a concession that it’s not really possible? But it’s good to be thinking. 😀

@larrymarshall9454

11 ай бұрын

No video request, Stephen. But I remember my early steps as a sketcher where I'd jump in, drawing the object of interest and then find out that my scene wouldn't fit on the paper. Over time I learned to actually envision the drawing on the blank page, generally "seeing" the sizes of the various objects. Nothing to teach but something to do (grin)

Another fantastic video Stephen, you truly explain things so perfectly 😊

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

Thank you kindly!😀

Thanks again for another straight to the point video, Mr. Travers! It' a very common mistake not to look at the gaps as things to draw.

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

Absolutely. Glad it was useful

That was fascinating! Oh the art and science of being able to draw a STRAIGHT line!

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

I have some videos on drawing straight lines if you’re interested 😀

Tak for lærerige videoer. Harfulgt dig den sidste uge, hver morgen. Kan udrive lidt om penne du bruger. Tak

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

I use Copic Multiliners for the line work, and Copic Sketchmarkers for the tone, using the brush end, not the chisel end. I use Neutral Grey colour for the tone, usually 4-6 tones each drawing. The markers are refillable and the pens can have their ink cartridges and nibs replaced. I mostly desaturate the colour when I post to make the tone look more even.😀

Good video, why are you having a piece of green tape on your pencil ?

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

Thanks. It marks the pen I want to use. I have a lot scattered around all the time. 😀

Another very useful vid Stephen. I do find it interesting that you start your drawings by first drawing a single, prominent feature (in this case, a column) rather than starting with an outline of the entire area to be drawn, and then filling in the details. To draw an analogy, it’s like you’e drawing a portrait of a person by starting with the nose, and then expanding outwards to the rest of the face and head, rather than first drawing the outline of the head. I’m certainly not saying that your method is wrong. You have demonstrated time and time again that it can be used to create very detailed drawings. I’m just wondering why you do it this way. What are the advantages ?

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

If I were drawing with pencil, I might easily black in larger shapes, as I can adjust and refine them. But drawing directly in pen doesn’t let me do that and if the proportions aren’t accurate then the architectural detailing won’t fit in and keep it’s right proportions: windows will be too short or narrow, etc.

@gnarthdarkanen7464

11 ай бұрын

I'm not Stephen, and can't say specifically for him... BUT I do regularly at least experiment with drawing faces beginning with the nose. There's a bit of a trade-off, but if you can get truly consistent with your drawings of noses, you can find the freedom of "adjustment" to outweigh the detriment of a lack of plan or outlined shape. The shape will get established, and LOTS of people can draw a fine oval for a head, and still build a credible face within that oval, but struggle with even the effect of details when it comes to a specific head... say Jason Statham's or Morgan Freeman's... such that you end up with more "stylized" faces instead of a believable and identifiable face specifically... The exact proportions of the nose length and shape to the spread of the eyebrows seems to be the primary details by which we (humans) even recognize someone. At least, that's what a lot of experts seem to think... From my "Artist's Guide to Human Anatomy", the nose is about 1.5 eye-lengths long, and the eyes are set approximately 1 eye-length apart... There are some variations, but they're relatively small, compared to the variation of what exactly constitutes an eye-length from one human to the next, and the precise proportions of an eye-length to an eye-width. I find there to be a bit of advantage in working on a "buyable portrait" by establishing the nose first, and deriving the eye-length to eye-width proportions from that, before working my way outward to build the face and add in the details of scars, blemishes, wrinkles and laugh-lines, freckles and so forth. For me, getting the proportions and details of the face right and proper from the nose outward sets it all up so that with the tiniest of "fudging" the outline and hair shapes and "bigger picture" pretty much take care of themselves... Of course, I'm also self-taught, and operate more by personal experiment and "f*** around and FIND OUT" principles than much of the formal teaching (what little there was) that I have gotten... SO I have nothing particularly against starting from the outline and working in... Alphonso Dunn (channel on YT) has some instructional videos about art, self-teaching, and building yourself up instead of plateauing or crashing, and a LOT of the variety of techniques available for drawing, and art... almost no matter what you pursue or how you wish to pursue it... He's got two books out, so some of his videos seem a little "sales-pitchy", but there IS still real useful information in them. ;o)

@GrahamW722

11 ай бұрын

@@stephentraversartI see your point Stephen. I must admit that I first do a very basic sketch with a pencil and then add details with ink. This works for me but I do sometimes experience the issues you mention. Sometimes I run out of space and end up trying to squish a feature into too small a space. I’m still fairly new to this, so now is probably the time to ditch my reliance on pencil and commit to ink only for this type of drawing.

@GrahamW722

11 ай бұрын

@@gnarthdarkanen7464Thanks for your comprehensive reply. I agree with everything you say. After I posted my original question to Stephen, I spent some time on KZread looking for artists who specialise in ink portraits. Those that I found, invariably start with a single feature such as an eye and work outwards. I can now see why it needs to be done that way when using ink whether it’s a portrait or a building. Alphonso Dunn’s site is a great resource. I haven’t bought his book. Maybe I should.

@gnarthdarkanen7464

11 ай бұрын

@@GrahamW722 Thanks... I'm glad I could help out or contribute... I'm hopeful you give "direct to ink" or similarly permanent artwork a shot... I also carve leather, and avoid "traditional" like a plague (haha)... I don't know how to advise on Dunn's book. I'm self taught, and I've got a stack of books... They quickly became occasional resources for when I get stuck and don't want or have connection to the web... AND sometimes inspiration "in a lull"... as it were... I'm glad you find his channel and site useful... Enjoy and maybe sleep on it... He does have good points about reinforcing the basics as a foundation. Those of us who are self taught (or primarily self taught) usually struggle in some parts of that, where formal training does reinforce a foundation of basics by rote... BUT that's part of the trade off, too. We (self taught) get the freedom to continue to have FUN at art, but we NEED the personal discipline to pursue the skills and techniques actively, even when they're difficult and we kinda suck at it... A good sense of humor helps. ;o)

What are you using for drawing?

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

COPIC Multiliner 0.3 mm pen. 😀

How do you draw straight lines?

@stephentraversart

11 ай бұрын

I have some videos on that with all my techniques explained. 😀