Exercise: Perspective, tips & tricks (Patreon)

Hello everyone! 🎨 This week, we’re diving into drawing from a reference picture, with a focus on perspective and composition. 🤗 Exercise

Hello everyone! 🎨

This week, we’re diving into drawing from a reference picture, with a focus on perspective and composition. 🤗

Exercise 1: Choosing Your Reference

Start by selecting one of this week's house reference images I added. Choose the one you like the most. It doesn't have to be the nicest one or the one with the most details. To practice, It's better to start with a reference that is easy and without many details. Notice how the different elements of the house, like the roof, windows, and doors, create a sense of depth.

For example I chose the following reference:

Tip: When selecting a reference, pay attention to the angles of the building and how the lines of the roof, walls, and windows stand in comparison to the ground. These natural lines will guide you in capturing the perspective.

Exercise 2: Breaking down the image

Before you start drawing, take a few minutes to study your reference picture.

Identify the main shapes: Break down the house into simple geometric shapes like rectangles, triangles, and circles. This helps in understanding the structure of the building without getting overwhelmed by details.

Notice the angles: Observe the angles where the roof meets the walls and where the house meets the ground. You can use your pencil, as you can see down below: Hold it up against your reference image to match these angles, then replicate them on your paper. And remember, it's really important to look at which lines have the same angle. Otherwise, the perspective will immediately be off.

Check Proportions: Pay attention to the proportions of the house. There are some things you can look at. Like how tall it is compared to its width. Or how big are the windows compared to the doors? You can lightly sketch these elements on your paper. Also try to notice where the bottom of the window starts in comparison with the roof, etc. You can never look enough!

Exercise 3: Drawing the surrounding details

Now that you have a basic outline of the house, you can draw the surrounding details. It's important to draw these surroundings from the right perspective towards the house.

Balance the elements: Look at the surrounding details in your reference: like trees, fences, or other houses in the background. Sketch them to balance your composition and create a sense of depth.

Exercise 4: Bringing Your Drawing to Life

Add Details: Start adding details like the texture of the roof, the frames of the windows, and the patterns in the brickwork or siding. Use the lines you’ve already drawn as a guide.

Capture Light and Shadow: Observe where the light is coming from in your reference image. Add shadows and highlights to give your drawing even more depth

Final Tips:

Trust your intuition: Use your intuition to capture the perspective. If something feels off, adjust it until it looks right.

Enjoy the process: Drawing from a reference is a great way to practice and improve. Have fun with it and don’t stress about perfection.

Sharing Your Work

I’m excited to see how you bring your house to life! If you want to, you can share your drawings in our group chat: Creative Practice chat 🤗

I hope you liked this exercise! Please let me know in the comments what kind of exercises you would like to see in the upcoming weeks. What do you want to learn?

Happy drawing!

Celyn 🌸