I dont understand something. can you plz help me!!!?

Question

i live in a foreign country where i mostly understand the language. but my art teacher (who doesnt speak english) tries to teach me how to do that thing when you look at a still life (not drawn) and measure it and then draw it on your paper. its that thing that you see in the cartoons when they use there thumb and squint. my teacher says something like the length is the same as the width or something like that. and that i have to measure- i dont get it!!

if it helps: when she tries to explain it to me she usually puts a cloth as a background with a half open pot with fruit next to a little tiny pot with a long handle. i have to do it as a pencil or a charcoal drawing

please explain to me how to do it!!!!
if you need more details, because i dont know what else to write, write it in your answers(along with your answers)

instead of using our thumb, we use a knitting needle.

Answer 1

Ok, say you have a vase on a table that you have to draw. What you do is take your pencil and hold it horizontal in front of you with your arm completly stretched out. Close on eye. Put it the tip of the pencil on the left side of the top of the vase, then with your thumb mark the end of the right side of the top of the vase.

Now keep your thumb where it is on the pencil and move the pencil vertical, keep your arm completly stretched and your one eye closed. Put the tip of the pencil at the top of the vase and see roughly how many of the width of the vase are in the length. So say there is like one and a half width to the length of the vase.

So to start drawing this vase on your paper draw a horizontal straight line on the page about the size you want the vase to be. Then draw one and a half of the line (so say the line you drew first is 6 inches draw another line 9 inches) vertical from the first line. You'll be creating a box. So say your first line was 6 inches and the second 9 so your box that you create for your vase to fit into will be a 6 x 9 inch box. **Draw lightly, you will erase this box once your vase is drawn.

Make since so far? It's kind of hard to explain without showing you. This is your box for you to draw your vase in. Do the same thing with the elipse (the opening of the vase or the oval), and put that box at the top of your orignal box.

Now if the vase has curves, measure the top part again with your pencil, the tip on the left and marking the right side with your thumb and roughly figure out where on the vase it starts to curve. (So say your vase curves half of the length of the top of the vase, it would be 3 inches down from the top of your box) mark this on your box. Do the same thing with any other curves on the vase, though you should probably start out with a simple vase.

Inside the box you made for the elipse mark the middle, so if the box for the elipse is 1 inch by 2 inches draw a line at .5 inches on the 1 inch side (veritcal) and a line at 1 inch (horzontal) on the two inch side.

So now draw an elispe (oval) in the box making sure that the ends of the oval touch the ends of the box on the middle marks you just made and the same for the top and bottom. Get it as smooth as possible.

Now where you marked the curve on the vase in your big box roughly draw those curves the way you see them, if need be keep refering to your original measurement of the top with your pencil and thumb, do the same on the other side. And you have a vase! Erase the boxes you made for your guidelines, once you have gotten the vase the way you want it.

This sort of method is used to create a rough idea of the propotions of the object you are drwaing, so don't get caught up in perfection! Just relax and draw what you see! You'll do fine! This will help you understand proportion when you're drawing larger still lifes and really anything you draw whether from observation or not because he learn from doing and seeing!

Don't get discouraged! It takes time. Good luck! I hope this all made sense!

Answer 2

Rennaissance artists created breakthroughs by learning to recognize proportions and perspective, and develop techinques to put these down on paper and canvass. Prior to that, most flat art work proportioned characters in relation to their importance. The most important figures were larger that the lesser characters, no matter which was in the forground and which were further back.

One technique developed was for the artist to erect a grid, framework between himself and the subject. From his place, behind the canvass, the artist would see each part of the scene or subject as broken down withing each piece of the grid. This helped him "see" that this part was directly above another, and to the upper left of another and so on. It helped him "see" that this tree, in the background appeard much smaller than this vase of flowers, sitting in the forground. It allowed the artist to make images appear more realistic and lifelike, compare to previous works.

The "thumb" or "knitting needle" techniques, (many artists use the brush handles) are much simpler versions of the grid frame. The artist's arm length never changes, so, by extending the piece and squinting around it, the artist can judge proportions, such as "this section of the arm is about half the length of my brush, and THIS part if the body is about 3/4 length of the brush," and so on.

It looks primitive and cliche' but it really works.

Answer 3

I dont't know how good an artists your teacher is, for there are art teachers who only teach because they have a diploma and know nothing about art, and there are are teachers who can not even teach, and then there area are teachers, who are artists, but can't paint or draw. You see, No one can teach you how to draw, you can only have your talent developed, and if you are lucky you can find someone who can guide you. Bad a it sounds, THAT style of drawing is passe, it used to be used back in the 40 and 50, that stuff of measuring, most measuring is done in your mind, by relating shapes, forms, and shadows, lines should go where your feelings take you, go easy, relax, and The only thing that will teach you and make you better as you develope your art is......... Practice, nothing teaches better than trial and error. I teach, and I spend most of my time trying to get read of all the wrong way my students were thought by someone who thinks they know the only way, Ther is no way, we are all different, and learn ot our own pace, and thats what makes the world interesting. There are no formulas in art, We are not 'a camera' we are human beings that put our emotion in paper, canvas, music, film, etc. Be yourself, and create, you don't have to follow no one's rules in art, Art is not Mathematics, Art is beauty. And if we develop our senses enough, we even get to share it with others. an Artist is a fortunate person who can create something where there was nothing before, and That is beautiful.

Answer 4

Maybe he doesn't like it that you're giving him his space and thinks that you don't really care about him. Some guys would take the inch that you're giving them and run a mile but your guy is getting a bit insecure. It sounds like he actually wants you to tell him not to go out or that he's to stop talking about other women liking him. Then if you do he'll go and bleat to his mates about how you're being so possessive and not letting him breathe. Sit him down and ask him if he wants you to be bothered? Does he think you don't care? Maybe you could try asking him to stay in with you instead of going out and see what happens. If he still treats you well and you're happy then let him go on testing you, he'll soon get bored when he realises how cool you're being. Some men just need to be given the reins once in a while to see what it's like to be in charge. When it becomes too much like hard work you'll get them back in a flash. Hope it works out for you :)

Answer 5

What she is referring to is using your thumb as a kind of gauge. You can judge how big things are by holding your thumb up. some things will be twice the size of your thumb or three times as large, or smaller. You can use this "rule of thumb" to get your drawings proportional.

Answer 6

dont understand plz