Issue 3

 

 

 

What Tracing Can Do For YOU

 

Pulling Images - Planning Your Own Composition

Today we will learn to trace and pull images from illustrations and other art images. You will recompose these images into your own chosen format to create a unique composition by placing the images in a different visual context(translation: You will have fun and like your finished drawing!). Just doing this will lead to better drawing in your own freehand drawing -- now or in the future.

Try it -- it is a favorite of my students and their contour drawing advances after having worked this exercise three or four times. My students who work with children in pre-school have used variations of this exercise with ages four and up.

Tracing Paper and Bristol "Board"

You will need a quality tracing paper that is as transparent as they come. You get the tracing paper and the bristol board at an art store.

You will enjoy using a higher quality paper to transfer you images onto for your finished design. Here I am using bristol paper or as it is often called: bristol board. The paper finish on this specific paper is called vellum, the finish of which is slightly textured. In other words it has some tooth. Bristol board also comes with a smooth surface or no tooth that is simply called: smooth. Again, I am using the vellum bristol board paper.

Pulling Images from Children's Books or Other Sources

You will see how to trace, lift and reverse or flip an image that you want to use. You will also learn how to trace it and TRACE IT AGAIN to make it appear FACING the SAME DIRECTION as you originally found it in the book, print or on line. The photo of the butterfly is the image that will not be reversed -- it will face that same way that it is facing in the photo.

The softer drawing pencils are excellent for this purpose. Be sure to use a soft graphite when it will be moved with the pressure from one paper downward to the other. You do need softer graphite for this. You can use a 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B or 6B for this. I'm using a 5B pencil.

Illustration sources: Big Brown Bear Goes to Town - written and illustrated by David McPhail and The Magic Rabbit written and illustrated by Anette Le Blanc Cate. Permission to use as examples for this DrawingFree Ezine requested and pending.

Tracing Once, Sometimes Twice

When preparing a tracing to be used as you originally saw it (not reversed) you must ALSO TRACE AGAIN on the BACK of the tracing paper -- along all of the same lines using the soft graphite pencil.

Tracing gives you a lot of practice using your eyes and hands together, as well as a stronger skill set for drawing from real life. Tracing is GOOD FOR YOU (and FUN)!

Play with Your Images

On a big white paper put your traced images down and move them all around in different positions and configurations. Try many things -- maybe even move some upside down -- try them in overlapped relationships -- or consider repeating some images. At this point you might think of making some of your images bigger or smaller by scanning and changing them or using a copy machine to size them up or down and then retrace them so that you can transfer them to your paper.

Finalize the Positions

Now you will finalize your decisions on the placement of your images. Once you finish this you will be able to choose where you want the format (drawn outer edge of the composition) to be around the edges of your images. The edge of the format should come close enough to your images so that they don't just float in the middle of the space. You can even have some of your images partially going outside of or cut off by the edge of the format. You may determine at this time that you need more images -- possibly background images (often smaller in size and more muted) -- or some other images to complete your composition.

Time to Start Your Composition

You will lightly draw (in pencil) a format -- centered and floating in the middle of the bristol board paper -- the size and h x w measurements are YOUR choice. Move your traced images around in your format and arrange them so that they feel visually powerful and "together" and are balanced and uncomplicated(or in a more complex way if you like!).

Putting Your Images to Paper

A harder pencil (HB, 2H, 3H, etc.) is good for pushing the graphite onto the "good" paper from the tracing paper. Don't push TOO HARD or you might score your "good" paper. A colored pencil works well too. You do have to use SOME pressure but not too much. The newly transferred line (that shows up when transferred to the heavier or "good" paper) will not be very dark and that can be a good thing. Don't go in and darken the lines. You can finish the drawing without relying on heavy outlines and that will be a very good thing and most likely a new practice for you. As you trace you can keep a sharper point or "edge" to your pencil by rolling or rotating it fairly frequently as you draw.

Working within a format will help you to become sensitive to the very important relationship between your inner design (what you paint) and the outer edge of your work (the format). All viewing includes the total design which includes the edge or the "outer limits" of your drawing or painting as well as what is painted on or inside the edges. This is the overall picture!

Time for Colored Pencils!

I'm using Prismacolor colored pencils in a 12 pencil pack. You could use more colors if you want. These pencils are softer than most colored pencils and thus put color out easily.

 

Beginning to Draw with Color

No need to press hard to get your color on the paper. To layer the colors you will want to draw fairly lightly and allow the paper to maintain its surface. Don't try to cover all the little specs of white from the paper that will show through from the deepest parts of the surface texture where your pencil cannot get. If you really press down into the depths of the paper you will make a kind of "slick" surface that won't accept much more color on top of the first slicked down color. Easy does it. You want to apply more layers to get more color and more varied color -- NOT more pressure.

Put your lightest colors down first. You have to think this through a little bit. But this is just your first drawing -- not your last -- you must allow yourself always to be learning. Be easy with yourself and enjoy what you see happening -- no matter what.

Draw your background in early -- it could be the first space that you draw. Remember that to keep the background BACK the color needs to be more muted especially in the top third of your composition. It is easier to put the background in first -- even if you don't know what to do -- at least start now by drawing a smooth layer of one light color.

START NOW! Get your drawing READY for color. My students love doing this process and will not even leave their seats when they are making their compositions and drawing color into their images and backgrounds. PERSONAL BONUS: This process can be SO relaxing.

The NEXT DrawingFree Ezine will show you still shots of this drawing as it goes to the point of completion.

Here is a preview of the completed piece:

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