Mark Kistler Read online
Y
Learn to draw in 30 days with public television’s favorite drawing teacher.
ou Can Dra
Drawing is an acquired skill, not a talent— anyone can learn to draw! All you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and the willingness to tap into your You Can
hidden artistic abilities. You Can Draw in 30 Days will teach you the rest. With Emmy award–winning, longtime public television host Mark Kistler as your guide, you’ll learn the secrets of sophisticated three-dimensional renderings, and have fun along the way. Inside you’ll fi nd: w in
Draw in
• Quick and easy step-by-step instructions for drawing
30
everything from simple spheres to apples, trees,
buildings, and the human hand and face
• More than 500 line drawings, illustrating each step Da
• Time-tested tips, techniques, and tutorials for drawing in 3-D
ys
• The 9 Fundamental Laws of Drawing to create the illusion of depth in any drawing
• 75 student examples to help gauge your own progress The Fun,
MD DALIM #1119468 11/15/10
Easy Way
30 The Fun, Easy Way
to Learn to Draw
in One Month or Less
In just 20 minutes a day for a month, you can learn to draw anything, whether to Learn
from the world around you or from your own imagination. It’s time to embark on your creative journey. Pick up your pencil and begin today!
in One
Month
or Less
Days Over 500,000 copies of
Mark Kistler’s books sold!
Mark Kistler is one of the most popular and most recognized drawing teachers in the world.
The longtime public television host of Mark Kistler
Kistler’s Imagination Station, he is the author of nine books, including the bestselling children’s CYAN
drawing book, Drawing in 3-D with Mark Kistler.
He lives near Houston, Texas.
MAG
YELO
www.draw3d.com
BLK
$19.00 US / £11.99 / $24.00 CAN
ART
DA CAPO PRESS
Lifelong Books
A Lifelong Original
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
Cover design by Georgia A. Feldman
www.dacapopress.com
Cover illustrations © Mark Kistler; Author photograph by Allison Hamacher Mark Kistler Author of Drawing in 3-D
with Mark Kistler
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:56 AM Page i YOU CAN
DRAW
IN 30 DAYS
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:56 AM Page ii
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:56 AM Page iii Mark Kistlers’
√
in
Draw
You Can
¬
±30
Days
The Fun, Easy Way
to Learn to Draw
in One Month or Less
A Member of
the Perseus Books Group
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/25/10 11:27 AM Page iv Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Da Capo Press was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial capital letters.
Copyright © 2011 by Mark Kistler
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy-ing, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address Da Capo Press, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142.
Set in 11 point Relay Light by the Perseus Books Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kistler, Mark.
You can draw in 30 days : the fun, easy way to learn to draw in one month or less /
Mark Kistler.—1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7382-1241-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Drawing—Technique. I. Title. II. Title: You can draw in thirty days.
NC730.K57 2011
741.2—dc22
2010036712
Published by Da Capo Press
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
www.dacapopress.com
Da Capo Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the U.S.
by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail [email protected].
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:56 AM Page v This book is dedicated to my dear sister Mari (http://mari-kistler.memory-of.com/About.aspx)
Mari, LOOK! You’re in my book just like I promised you!
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:56 AM Page vi Contents
Introduction
1
Lesson 1
The Sphere
11
Lesson 2
Overlapping Spheres
17
Lesson 3
Advanced-Level Spheres
23
Lesson 4
The Cube
41
Lesson 5
Hollow Cubes
53
Lesson 6
Stacking Tables
63
Lesson 7
Advanced-Level Cubes
73
Lesson 8
Cool Koalas
83
Lesson 9
The Rose
89
vi
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:56 AM Page vii Lesson 10
The Cylinder
99
Lesson 11
Advanced-Level Cylinders
105
Lesson 12
Constructing with Cubes
111
Lesson 13
Advanced-Level Houses
117
Lesson 14
The Lily
123
Lesson 15
Contour Tubes
129
Lesson 16
The Wave
137
Lesson 17
Rippling Flags
143
Lesson 18
The Scroll
149
Lesson 19
Pyramids
153
Lesson 20
Volcanoes, Craters, and a Cup of Coffee 157
CONTENTS
vii
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 4:26 PM Page viii Lesson 21
Trees
163
Lesson 22
A Room in One-Point Perspective
171
Lesson 23
A City in One-Point Perspective
179
Lesson 24
A Tower in Two-Point Perspective
185
Lesson 25
A Castle in Two-Point Perspective
193
Lesson 26
A City in Two-Point Perspective
203
Lesson 27
Lettering in Two-Point Perspective
211
Lesson 28
The Hu
man Face
217
Lesson 29
The Human Eye of Inspiration
227
Lesson 30
Your Hand of Creativity!
233
viii
CONTENTS
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:56 AM Page 1
Introduction
C ongratulations! If you’ve picked up
this book, you are exploring the possi-
bility that perhaps, just maybe, you
really could learn to draw.
Guess what? You’re right! Even if you
have little or no previous drawing experience,
and even if you don’t believe you have natural
talent, if you can find a few pencils and
twenty minutes a day for thirty days, you can
learn to draw amazing pictures. Yes, you have
found the right teacher. And yes, you have
found the right book.
Welcome to my world of creative possibil-
ities. You will learn to create realistic renderings of everything from photos to landscapes from the world you see around you and to draw three-dimensional pictures entirely from your imagination. I know this is a big claim filled with enormous promise. I’m aware that you may be skeptical and wondering how I can make such a statement. The simplest way for me to qualify my teaching confidence is to share with you my past student success stories.
Drawing as a Learned Skill
During the last thirty years, I’ve taught millions of people how to draw during my extensive travels
around the country and through my television shows, websites, and videos. Many children have grown up watching my drawing lessons on public television and have gone on to pursue careers in illustration, animation, fashion design, 1
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 4:26 PM Page 2
design engineering, and architecture. I have alumni students who have helped design the International Space Station, NASA’s Space Shuttle, and Mars Exploration Rovers and others who have worked on
animation megafilm projects such as Shrek, Madagascar, Flushed Away, The Incredibles, Happy Feet, and A Bug’s Life.
But here’s a secret—learning is learning
and drawing is drawing, no matter how old
you are. My techniques work for adults just
as well as they work for kids—I know this,
because I’ve taught thousands of adults as
well. In this book, I will introduce sophisticated concepts and complex drawing theories in a simple, By Kimberly McMichael
easy-to-follow way, but because I’m a kid at heart, I will not cut back on any of the fun that I believe drawing must be.
I am a cartoon illustrator by trade, but these lessons will give you the basic skill set that will enable you to draw three-dimensionally in any style (realistic drawings, photograph studies, portraits) or medium (oil paints, watercolors, pastels).
I will teach you how to draw using the same step-by-step, follow-along method that has proven successful for all my students. I will focus almost exclusively on what I call the “Nine Fundamental Laws of Drawing,” beginning with basic shapes, shading, and positioning, all the way through more advanced perspective, copying from photos, and drawing from life. These basic concepts, discovered and refined during the Italian Renaissance, have enabled artists to create three-dimensional renderings for more than five hundred years. I will teach you these basics, one key term at a time, one step at a time, one line at a time. I believe that anyone can learn how to draw; it is a learnable skill like reading or writing.
The Nine Fundamental Laws of Drawing create the illusion of depth. They are as follows:
1.
Foreshortening: Distort an object to create the illusion that one part of it is closer to your eye.
2. Placement: Place an object lower on the surface of a picture to make it appear closer to your eye.
3. Size: Draw an object larger to make it appear closer to your eye.
4. Overlapping: Draw an object in front of another object to create the visual illusion that it is closer to your eye.
5. Shading: Draw darkness on an object opposite the positioned light source to create the illusion of depth.
2
YOU CAN DRAW IN 30 DAYS
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 11:57 AM Page 3
6. Shadow: Draw darkness on the ground next to the object, opposite the positioned light source, to create the illusion of depth.
7.
Contour lines: Draw curving lines wrapping around the shape of a round object to give it volume and depth.
8. Horizon line: Draw a horizontal reference line to create the illusion that objects in the picture are varying distances from your eye.
9. Density: Create the illusion of distance by drawing objects lighter and with less detail.
It is impossible to draw a three-dimensional image without applying one or more of these fundamental laws. These nine tools are foundational elements, never changing, always applicable, and totally transferable.
In addition to the Nine Fundamental Laws of Drawing, there are three principles to keep in mind: attitude, bonus details, and constant practice. I like to call them the
“ABCs of Successful Drawing.”
1.
Attitude: Nourishing your “I can do this” positive attitude is a crucial part of learning any new skill.
2. Bonus details: Add your own unique ideas and observations to your drawing to make it truly your own expression.
3. Constant practice: Repeated daily application of any new learned skill is absolutely necessary for successful mastery of the skill.
Without exercising these three principles, you will not be able to grow as an artist.
Each one is essential to your creative development.
In this book, we’ll also focus on how the Nine Laws are applied to the four basic
“molecules,” or building blocks, of three-dimensional drawing: the sphere, the cube, the cylinder, and the cone.
INTRODUCTION
3
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/25/10 10:36 AM Page 4
You Can Learn to Draw
With each lesson, I will be introducing new information, terms, and techniques, but I also will be repeating definitions and applications you’ve previously learned. In fact, I’ll be repeating myself so often that you will undoubtedly start to think, “This guy sure repeats himself a lot!” But I have found that repetition, review, and practice produce success—and they also keep you from having to jump out of your lesson to hunt for the original explanation.
The biggest criticism I have received in thirty years of teaching is, “You are teaching students to copy exactly what you are drawing! Where’s the originality?
Where’s the creativity in that?” I’ve heard this comment countless times and always from a critic who has never drawn a lesson from my books, classes, website, or public television series. My response to this is always the same: “Have you ever tried to draw a lesson with me?” “No.” “Here, sit down with this pencil and this ‘rose’ lesson, right here at this table, for twenty minutes. In twenty minutes, after you complete this lesson, I’ll answer that question for you.”
Most critics walk away, but a few adventurous souls actually do sit down and draw this “rose” lesson. For these idea explorers, the possibility lightbulb could almost be seen shining over their heads as they leaned over the table, drawing the rose.
The point I’m trying to make here is that to learn how to draw, a person first has to draw. A student has to be inspired to actually pick up a pencil and make lines on a blank sheet of paper. Many people I meet are truly terrified of this idea. That blank sheet of paper is an unsolvable problem that only talented artists can master, they think. But the truth is that learning how to draw with the Nine Fundamental Laws of Drawing will give By Steven Pitsch, Jr.
you a solid
foundation of confidence, which will enable you to enjoy drawing as a personal form of creative expression.
We all, every single one of us, loved to draw when we were toddlers. We drew on everything! We drew on paper, on tables, on windows, in pudding, in peanut butter . . . everything. All of us were born with this amazing gift of confidence and creativity. Every picture that we drew was a masterpiece in our minds. The castle with the flying dragon was a perfect illustration of medieval action. Our parents strengthened this confidence with encouraging comments like, “So, little Marky, tell me about this wonderful drawing!” Somewhere along the way, sometime between the third and sixth grade, a few people began to say to us, “That doesn’t look like a castle with a dragon flying over it! It looks like a pile of poop (or some other unflat-4
YOU CAN DRAW IN 30 DAYS
Kistler 00 FM_Kistler You Can Draw 10/25/10 10:36 AM Page 5
tering comment).” Slowly over time, enough negative comments eroded our amazing artistic confidence to the point that we began to believe that we just didn’t have the “talent” to draw or paint or create. We moved on to other interests, believing for decades that we couldn’t draw.
So here we are together now with this book. I will prove that you can learn how to draw by:
1.
Inspiring you to pick up a pencil again.
2. Sharing with you immediate success in drawing simple three-dimensional objects that actually look like the three-dimensional objects that you set out to draw.
3. Rekindling that amazing artistic self-confidence that has been dormant in you for decades by slowly, incrementally, introducing you to easily digestible bits of the “science”
behind drawing as you experience one wonderful successful lesson after another.
Now, back to the critic’s question, “Where is the creativity in copying exactly what I draw?” I sometimes answer, “Did you copy and trace letters of the alphabet in first grade?”
Of course, we all did. That is how we learned how to confidently write our letters. We then learned how to write words and put them together to make sentences: “See Mark run!” Then we put the sentences together to make paragraphs, and finally we put the paragraphs together to create stories. It’s simply the logical progression of learning a communication skill. I take this same progression in teaching the visual communication skill of drawing. You never hear anyone say that they can’t write a letter, a recipe, or a “Meet me at Starbucks” note because they just do not have the “talent” to write. This would be silly.