Learning To Draw In Various Art Mediums
A Graphic Essay
Panel 1. In an art studio, there is a tilted desk, with various art utensils. These range from Charcoal, Graphite, Pencils, Dip Pin, Line Art Pens, and water color paint. Also included is sharpeners, and staples for producing a “name”, or Japanese style draft graphic novel.
Caption: In order to get the most out of the drawing experience, you need various utensils.
Caption: You need charcoal to produce adequate shadows. Graphite pencils are good for producing midtones.
Caption: Pencils can be used for doing light sketches, such as when doing line art.
Caption: And ink can be used for making those lines more crisp.
Panel 2. A box of mechanical pencils is sitting in one of the slots. An opened notebook filled with blue color pencil sketches are seen resting on the architext table, with a lamp providing light.
Caption: Originally I had mostly focused on using mechanical pencils.
Caption: Eventually I had moved onto using blue colored mechanical pencils, for which the original reason for those had been that blue line art would not show up in a copy machine.
Caption: I also liked to use it as an error correction tool.
Panel 3. The panel is split into sub panels, highlighting the different levels of shading involved based on the variety of different traditional media one uses to sketch.
Caption: It is not always necessary to use every levels of tone available, although I personally prefer at least three levels.
Caption: Generally this would be the basic pencil sketches, then shading with charcoal.
Caption: Then final inking with a dip pen to flesh out its appearance.
Panel 4. Another picture of the character is seen with all the levels of shade available to that artist. Charcoal, Graphite, Pencil, Dip Ink, Blue Mechanical for roughs. And some liner pen for the panel.
Caption: It should also be noted that sometimes using to many tones can often be to much detail depending on the panel that you are wanting to sketch. Just go with the levels of shade that is appropriate for the kind of panel that you are wanting to convey.
Panel 5. A caricature of the desk is seen with less variations in shading, suggesting that less traditional art media has been used to create the image for the reader.
Caption: In some cases, having panels that only have two levels of shading is appropriate for the context, such as in caricatures.
Caption: However in a realistic sketch, generally the levels of shade you need is based on the direction of the light source, with different areas having more color variation than others.
Caption: Generally the closer to a light source, the less shade variation.
Panel 6. The panel is split into four sub panels, with the artist trying out each seperate art medium that is available to them.
Caption: In conclusion, this is why I personally prefer knowledge in as many art mediums as possible, so I can fully explore their strengths and weaknesses.
Caption: I want to have experience in both traditional art media and digital media, so that I can improvise when the need arises.
Splash Panel. The graphic essay closes with an artistic rendering of the bedroom, with various art mediums used to produce it. On the bottom left corner, the artist thanks the reader for reading.