I talk so much about these tips on my Facebook business page in the comment section I thought I'd just gather them here in one easy to read post!!!
It's really all about training yourself to develop observational skills!
1) Drawing upside down and sideways. I am always rotating my piece as I am drawing. What this does is stop my brain from recognizing familiar objects and just drawing it the way it is. This helps develop my ability to see only shapes not preconceived images of eyes, noses, etc.
2) Negative space. This is the space around and in between the forms...the space that surrounds an object, which helps define the boundaries of the positive space. My eye is seeing shapes and space so my drawing is accurate.
3) Values. This will create the illusion of a solid, well defined form. See this recent post about why values are sooo important in drawing.
4) Negative drawing. It's not the same as negative space. Negative drawing is a method of drawing around your lines leaving the white of the paper. It's a very controlled totally intentional way of drawing.
5) Keep your pencil point sharp. I know this sounds inane but without a a very sharp point I wouldn't be able to apply such fine details to my drawing. Plus it keeps all my lines very consistent especially for solid backgrounds.
6) Draw everyday. I make drawing a consistent part of every day. Yes it takes discipline and constant and rigorous practice but I also keep getting better at it because I put in the time. Chuck Close once said “Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work.”
7) The mirror trick. Seeing a reverse image of my drawing helps show me any mistakes I've made. I will typically hold up my reference photo next to my drawing and immediately I can detect any value or form issues.
8) Bonus Tip! Don't let your cat lay on your artwork, this may subject your work to paw prints, fur and scratches!!! who am I kidding...go ahead it's too cute to stop!
