When you discover what went wrong, you can correct the mistake and concentrate on that step
of the systematic approach. A good suggestion is: always carry a small sketch pad with you, and
set a goal of 4, 8, then 12 pages of practice per day. Practice can be any time, any place, and on
any subject.
NOTE: We stress realism and accuracy because of graphic artistic, and printing
applications. Illustrations are used in event documentations, training publications,
manuals, historic art, references, and representative visualizations. Individual styles will
develop over time.
Learning Event 2:
DEFINE FORM
1.
Form is three-dimensional shape. Everything perceived in visual reality has the three
dimensions: height, width, and depth. When preparing to draw, look at the subject and simplify
its forms. Visual accuracy is the representation of three-dimensional objects on a two-
dimensional surface.
You must be able to recognize form easily to draw what you see. Of the three
dimensions, height and width are the simplest to check and adjust in an illustration. Depth,
however, is the most difficult and takes the most practice to master on a two-dimensional
surface. Read about depth more thoroughly in other areas of this course.
2.
You must initially ignore your subjects' details and break them into their basic forms.
The basic forms are the cube, cone, cylinder, and sphere (fig 2-3) and everything in visual reality
can be part of one or more than one of these. Anything in a drawing can be made from any
combination of the basic forms. Modifications and subtleties may be added as your drawing is
ready.
Figure 2-3. Examples of the basic forms
21
Previous Page
