Contour Line Drawing – ART121
Prompt: Create a still life drawing by focusing on perspective in the picture-plane, while taking into consideration compositional decisions and use of technical ability.
Tools used: 18x24 drawing paper, graphite pencils.
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I first created preliminary sketches by moving around the still life to find what composition would best fit the final piece. Each sketch was around 30 seconds long. I decided on the middle sketch as I wanted to challenge myself by drawing the flowers, but I sat at a slightly different angle to incorporate the abacus and the shoe when doing the final.
Below is the final product. Compositionally, I searched for ways to balance out the positive and negative space. I did this by putting the majority of the detail towards the middle of the piece, but slightly off-centered so the eye moves from the vase down to the flowers. When creating the final, I first started out by lightly sketching and using sight-measuring tools in order to make sure the perspective was accurate. As I worked further, I added darker lines on things such as shadows and places where one could almost imagine slight movement. I really wanted to challenge myself with line weight in this piece, as I think doing so gives contour line drawings a more refined look.
