30 Minute Sketching - Styles/Techniques

30 Minute Art - Sketching
By Alwyn Crawshaw

Next I would like to talk about the different positions/styles that are available to sketch, and how to use them effectively. In order to use your pencil most effectively you're going to need to learn at least the three basic positions (Crawshaw 16). Crawshaw goes on to short detail of the three positions Short hold, Long hold, and Flat. In addition an eraser can help in the drawing process of sketching, as when shading an eraser can help lighten areas when needed (Crawshaw 16).

Testing out the techniques I started with a long hold using a 3B pencil to set out a base structure, base of the tree and the branches

After using a short hold I put a more definitive structure to the sketch, and making the twigs of the tree done with a 2B pencil.

To finish the drawing using a 6B flat hold pencil I added some shading.

I remember the times I used to sketch before this since then I would use a mechanical pencil and really only use a close short hold even for the shading. But in the last week I can say my skills in drawing have very much improved. Ending another I'd like to ask how much you've improved in skills and what has changed since then?

Techniques Every Knitter Should Know

By: Ha Tien Nguyen

Book: Knitting for Dummies by Pam Allen, Shannon Okey, and Tracy Barr 

Often times, you may encounter knitting projects that requires more than the basic continuous purl and knit stitches. For more complicated projects, you may need to manipulate stitches by making increases and decreases.

Slipping Stitches

 If your directions tell you to slip a stitch (abbreviated sl st), they mean for you to move a stitch from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle without knitting or purling it and without changing its orientation. Slipped stitches are used in a number of ways. This technique is used as a method to decrease the number of stitches on your needle. They also form the basis of a family of stitch patterns like the garter stitch (Allen, Okey, Barr 88). 

Steps of slipping stitches:

1. "Insert the right needle, as if you were going to purl, into the first stitch on the left needle.

2. Slip the stitch off the left needle onto the right needle" (Allen, Okey, Barr 88).

Yarn Overs

A yarn over (abbreviated yo) is a way of making an extra stitch on your needle and creating a deliberate little hole in your fabric. This technique are used for lace knitting, decorative increases, buttonholes, and novelty stitch patterns(Allen, Okey, Barr 88).

Between 2 knit stitches:
To make a yarn over between 2 knit stitches, follow these steps...
1. "Knit the first stitch
2. Bring the yarn forward between the needles into purl position.
3. Knit the next stitch on the needle" (Allen, Okey, Barr 89).

Between 2 purl stitches:
To make a yarn over between 2 purl stitches, do the following...
1. "Purl the first stitch
2. Wrap the yarn around the right needle front to back to front so that it ends up in purl position again.
3. Purl the next stitch" (Allen, Okey, Barr 90).

Although my project did not require me to use these skills, it was fun expanding my knowledge of knitting. I hope to place this knowledge into use with a future project. As I'm learning more about knitting and knitting techniques, I've realized that knitting is actually very flexible. There are multiple ways you can accomplish a look and missing a step or making a mistake wasn't that grave. I recommend experimenting and exploring after you've felt comfortable with the basics. I myself am beginning to experiment with different knitting techniques and methods. What would you like to explore in your real life?

Works Cited

Allen, Pam. Knitting for Dummies. John Wiley, 2014.

Drawing - Scale/ Proportion

          After looking through what techniques were left in my book Design Basics by David A. Lauer, I decided to try drawing something with different scales/proportions for my next piece. These two words are very similar, as they both relate to size, however are slightly different “Scale essentially is another word for size; ‘large scale’ is a way of saying big, and ‘small scale’ means small… Proportion refers to relative size, size measured against other elements or against some mental norm or standard” (Lauer 80). I attempted this technique by drawing a simple flower with a lady bug sitting on one of its petals. The flower is considered large scale because it takes up most of the space on the paper, and takes up most of our visual attention. The lady bug is the small scale, since in comparison with the flower, it is much tinier, and can be looked over at first glance.

          First, I started by sketching the flower. This seems very simple, but I had to draw it twice because I was unhappy with the way the petals looked the first time; some petals were too long, or too wide. Once I was happy with the way the petals looked, I drew the little lady bug. Next, I outlined the pencil lines in black, and colored everything in. This is the first drawing I used color in and I’m really happy with how it turned out.  I feel it made the piece stand out much more.

          Tying this piece pack to my first piece, scale and proportion often go with emphasis and focal point. Large scale is a visual emphasis, and the eye naturally is drawn to the largest figure in a piece, creating a focal point. (Lauer 80). This just shows how everything is connected. Most pieces have multiple art elements or techniques used. Trying out so many new techniques has helped me increase my knowledge and skills on drawing.

Have you ever drawn something using scale and proportion?

What’s your favorite drawing technique?

Lauer, David A. Design Basics. third ed., Thomson Learning, 1990.

Patterning

Guide to Coloring ~ Patterning

A great thing for beginners to make their drawings more intricate and advanced is simply by adding unique and even basic designs to your drawing. This task can seem daunting but in fact it is really quite simple. Patterning involves the use of different shapes and lines to add some nice details to areas of coloring design, all patterns no matter how complicated are made up of basic lines, dots and shapes (Couch 52). If you can draw a square, circle and curvy/wavy lines, you can pattern! Basically whatever shape you can think of can be turned into a pattern.

A pattern in the most basic form would just be a shape or design repeated over and over. It is how you put the pieces together and all the different variations you incorporate that allow unique simple patterns to become diverse advanced ones, all by using simple shapes and ideas. Some examples of basic patterns are...

Mandala templates are very good when working with patterning. "Mandalas in particular are great for patterning because you can repeat patterns in symmetrical areas easily and create a very cohesive, polished final piece without a ton of planning" (Couch 57).  Basically Mandalas are simple drawings like a bird or plant that have already started out with simple basic outlines of the thing being drawn but with plenty of blank space and this is where you would draw all your patterns to make the basic picture much more intricate. I had many examples of Mandala templates in my book, but of course you can always search some up and copy and sketch those down. For example here is mine...

As you can see the picture on the left, I started off with a flower and worked my way outwards by just adding more flower layers. This is the main base aka the Mandala template because it has so much blank spots left for me to add in more design and patterns.

On the picture on the right is where I added some basic curves, lines dots and some squiggles. As you can see the basic flower has become much more detailed and makes the drawing seem much more advanced.

Here is the final result. I am very satisfied with the outcome! I always lacked patience but patterning did not really take up as much time as I thought it would and the best part is that it is quite simple and anyone can do it! As always you can add color to bring the piece to life, but I wanted to focus more on the patterning part for today.

Have you ever tried any forms of patterning? Do you think basic patterns give a piece more attention or does it make it more sloppy? 

Couch, Peg. New Guide to Coloring for Crafts, Adult Coloring Books, and Other Coloristas!: Tips, Tricks, and      Techniques for All Skill Levels! Fox Chapel Pub Co Inc, 2016.

Blending

Guide to Coloring ~ Blending 

By getting further into my New Guide to Coloring book I have learned of another simple technique to make drawings a bit more creative and fancy looking. It is a simple technique called blending. Blending refers to two different things that have a lot of overlap: mixing colors together to create a new color and also seamlessly shifting from one color to another to create a gradient effect (Couch 68). Blending is an essential for more advanced coloring and creates more beautiful, smooth rainbows in your designs. 

Mixing colors is pretty straightforward you just mix two or more colors together to create a new colors. So I will explain more on the transitions and gradients and overall blending finishes. "To use blending to create gradients and transitions...begin working with a light and dark tool of the same color family...the light color will be your base color "(Couch 70). Blending works best with two similar colors from the same color group because then it really gives the effect of two colors colliding and mixing together. Colored pencils are best to use when starting out this technique, the colors have have chosen are a light and dark green. I will be trying something fairly simple by blending a leaf.

Base Step: First you start by coloring your 

drawing (start simple like my leaf) with 

your light color over the entire area you 

want to blend. 

Next Step: Once your satisfied with the base layer use your dark shade to color lightly from the middle of your base color toward one edge of the shape. As you move further away from the area of the base shade apply more pressure to your pencil.

Last Step: Once you have added your darker color go
back with your light base color and color over the entire
area you've previously colored with the darker shade.
Redo process if needed ti create a nice and even coat of your color,
blending from light to dark. 

Here is the final result, as you can see
the leaf is darker at the bottom and
slowly starts to lighten up causing the
gradient and transitioning effect. 

Do you think its simpler to just mix two colors or blend the colors with the transition method? 

Do you have any favorite techniques you use in your coloring's/drawings? 

Couch, Peg. New Guide to Coloring for Crafts, Adult Coloring Books, and Other Coloristas!: Tips, Tricks, and      Techniques for All Skill Levels! Fox Chapel Pub Co Inc, 2016.