The second I laid eyes on that crumbling shed I knew I had to draw it. Located on the property of good friends Jeff and Carol, the tiny building looked like it might collapse if a birdie sat on it. With crazy lines and intersections from every angle, I decided to draw my favorite three.
Art Lessons
Having three separate images in a single composition makes it even more important to do a little pre-planning. I started with a small thumbnail (is there any other size?) drawn unceremoniously on the back of my sketchpad. I was looking for the rhythm of the angles and the best distribution of darks and lights. Once I decided on my design plan it was time to draw!
Working lightly, I let the drawing develop organically, moving from one side of the shed to another until everything fit well on the page. Getting a little tired, I brought out a chair from the house but quickly realized the shed and all it’s wonky angles looked completely different if I sat two feet lower. Damn. No rest for the wicked.
Step 1: draw lightly with pencil, mapping out the design and putting in the big shapes.
Step 2: use ink, keeping it loose and spontaneous
Step 3: shade with a soft pencil
Step 4: further refine with ink, pencil, and a little erasing (only the most egregious parts)
*note to self: don’t kill it with excessive detail or clean up!
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