30 Day Drawing Challenge Day 18- Draw a Cube

30 Day Drawing Challenge Day 18- How to Draw a Cube

We've been having such fun with drawing contours and vignettes, but this drawing challenge would be incomplete without touching on a subject that involves perspective...the dreaded "P" word!  It's something which most non-artists don't understand.  I've also found that many of my adult students of art have skipped right over this subject on their way to painting pretty pictures.  It's possible to paint or draw without knowing perspective, but it's a fundamental of drawing which will undermine your work if you don't understand it.

The best way I know to sum up perspective is with these 3 points:

• Every realistic image you draw or paint has a horizon- and that horizon is always at the viewer's eye level.  Hmmm, let's think about that.  So what I'm saying is that the horizon will always be located at the level of the eye of the viewer. Plain and simple.  Not hard, right?
• Due to the earth curving away from us, parallel straight lines will seem to recede to one point as they move away from us. That point is called the "disappearing point".  That disappearing point is ALWAYS SOMEWHERE ON THE HORIZON LINE.  Ok..that isn't too hard either, right?
• Parallel lines will always recede to the same point.  So this means that any line which is running in the same direction as other lines will recede to the same point. 

3 points, but none of them are too tough, right?  

Ok, then let's draw a box.  It's not easy, but it illustrates this concept.  Don't stress...just follow the steps and use my drawings as reference.  Trust me!  If you've never done this before, it's information worth knowing. 

Step 1:  Draw the closest corner of the box with a vertical line.   This is always how I would recommend beginning to draw a cube. This line representing the closest corner is going to be referred to as Line A.  

Step 1 and 2

Step 2: Draw a horizon line going across the page.  Make a mark somewhere to the left of the paper and another mark toward the right edge of the paper.  These will be your disappearing points.

Step 3

Step 3: As in the drawing above, draw a light line from the top and bottom of the line in Step 1 to each disappearing point.  This will form 2 triangles.  These lines will serve as guidelines for forming your box.  Eventually we will erase portions of them.  

Step 4

Step 4: Using the guidelines, and my drawing above as an example.  Draw two vertical lines- 1 left of Line A and 1 right of Line A.  Keep them within the guidelines.  These lines will form the right edge and back left edge of your box. 

Step 5:  From the bottom of the back left edge line, draw a line  connecting it to the same disappearing point as the bottom of the front of the box.  They both recede to the same disappearing point because they are parallel.  

step 5 and 6

Step 6:  From the Top of the Right edge draw a line to the disappearing point on the left.  It recedes to the same point as those lines from the left side of the box, because why?  Because they are parallel, or running in the same direction.

Step 7: One more line to create, and it's a bit tricky, but just look at the photo if it's confusing.  Connect the bottom of the right side to the left disappearing point.  This is creates your final line of recession and should form an "x" under the "x" above it.  Connect between the two "x's" with a line to form the back right corner of the box.  Here's another photo with arrows pointing to the "x's"...

Step 7 again

Step 8: Draw a line connecting the two "x's".  This will form the back right corner as in the photo below. 

Step 8- A Cube in 2 point perspective

There you go!  You've drawn a cube in 2 point perspective.  This shape forms the basis of most architectural drawing and can be helpful drawing many other forms as well.  

Step 9: To reinforce your understanding of drawing the cube, I would suggest you draw it again.  Refer to my directions ONLY if you forget what to do.  Try to draw the cube until you feel like you own the concept.  
Once finished, take it easy and let the understanding sink in for today.  If you've drawn it 2 or 3 times, then you've done enough. 

Congratulations!  You have learned a VERY important concept about perspective!  You are officially a little bit smarter now.  Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll meet you here tomorrow...

PS- If you haven't sent me any photos of your drawings lately...be sure to send them my way so I can include them in future posts...anonymously of course.  Be sure to tell me what lesson you are illustrating and what tools you used in your sketch.  Can't wait to see what you've done!

I'm already looking ahead to later this week.  I will be breaking out my Tombow marker in burnt sienna color -947 for a sketch or two during the final couple of weeks of this challenge.  If you would like to get one, it's around $5-6. Here is a link:  Tombow 947 Marker- Amazon

Happy Drawing!!

Rebecca Zdybel

Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor

Art Lessons in all media

Myrtle Beach, SC

rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

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Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

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On Location Lesson 2- I'M SO DIZZY- SOLVING PERSPECTIVE PROBLEMS

ON LOCATION LESSON 2: I'M SO DIZZY! 

SOLVING PERSPECTIVE AND OTHER PROBLEMS

Sometimes in city landscapes with narrow streets, you end up shooting the scene and almost feel dizzy looking at the photos.  It's like looking up at a skyscraper from the sidewalk below.  Streets and fences can also move across the frame at crazy angles.  Bottom line: very steep lines of perspective are uncomfortable.  The fence in the image of this barn is a good example.

The angle of perspective is a bit uncomfortable in this photo

Hint:  BACK AWAY FROM THE SUBJECT and ZOOM IN.

When I back away and zoom in on my subject, note how much more comfortable the scene appears.

I have a camera which has a 50X zoom capability.  It's nice in instances where I want to shoot from a distance.  The advantage of doing this, when it comes to street scenes, is that it "flattens" the landscape and helps create less steep angles of recession in your perspective lines.  If you paint severe perspective, the image will feel edgy. Changing your perspective to allow a bit of distance, can flatten those angles, and perhaps make the image more comfortable to look at.  Try it and see if this doesn't help your photos!


On the other hand...TRY TO FIND A VIEW WHICH IS  "ANYTHING BUT DULL"

I had a different sort of problem in Benajarafe, Spain.  We had come to the beach to paint boats, and the landscape was incredibly level.  No crazy lines or angles here.  I was probably the only dizzy thing on that beach!  This is what I saw...

"Anything but Dull" is a motto of mine.  So something had to be done! If I sat on the beach, my eye (the horizon line) was even with the sides of the boats, and it didn't make for an interesting image.  I needed a different (elevated) perspective.  I tried pointing my camera differently and framing the shots both in landscape and portrait compositions (as I suggested in Lesson 1 of my Painting on Location Series).  That strategy didn't change the fact that my horizon line was not high enough to see anything but the near edge of the boats.  I looked around for a hill.  I thought perhaps I could telephoto the boats from a higher vantage point...but there were no hills nearby. That's when I spotted the stack of pallets on the beach! Ahhh, do you hear the choir of angels singing?? I did!  I'm not sure why these pallets were stacked up on the beach, but they looked as if they might allow me to get a better perspective on my subject.

Sometimes an Artist's got to do what she's got to do...

Against every common sense instinct, I climbed up onto those pallets and sure enough, I had a much more interesting view of the beach!  My 3-legged stool is not the most secure perch, but  there it was ready for "such a moment as this".  I set up my stool on the stack of pallets, and all of a sudden it looked like a scene with elements I'd like to draw!  Woo hoo!






My great idea was seconded by a fellow artist on the beach.  Wei Lan Lorbor carefully joined me atop the stack of pallets, (thankfully she is petite!) We laughed, but we really didn't think much about it...after all, sometimes an Artist's got to do what she's got to do, right? They seemed like the best seats in the house...so there we sat and enjoyed a gorgeous day on the Costa del Sol of Spain. It doesn't get any better!

Hint: Photograph your subject from wherever you draw it.

When you draw or paint on location: DON'T FORGET TO TAKE A PHOTO FROM WHATEVER VANTAGE POINT YOU SETTLE ON.  THIS WILL RECORD THE SCENE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND ALLOW YOU TO HAVE A GOOD REFERENCE IMAGE IN CASE YOU WANT TO COMPLETE THE PIECE LATER IN THE STUDIO (or in case it rains, or you have a sudden cappucino craving).


I am not a hard-core guerilla painter.  After about an hour in the sunshine on my 3-legged stool, I was no longer comfortable.  My "painting" was just a drawing at that point, but often my body is done before my painting is... even so, I captured an impression of the beach scene and took multiple reference photos in order to paint it later (in the comfort of a studio). Here is my little drawing...

Sketch of Benarafe Beach based on my time on Location that morning

I got off the pallet stack and made my way back to the café, where other (possibly smarter) artists from our group were happily painting in the shade and drinking cappucinos.  I was hot and thirsty and a little stiff.  Though I was happy with my drawing, it was pretty apparent that these smarty-pants in the shade of the café truly had THE best seats in the house.  In fact, they had found inspiration for their paintings in the view of our backsides.  Look what Karen Knutson came up with...isn't it fun?!

"Best Seats in the House"- sketch by Karen Knutson- Tombow markers on paper.  Love it!

I didn't come away with a great painting that day, but I had an experience and a drawing...and a story! Sure it's not always comfortable...and you don't always come away with a masterpiece...but you make a memory.    In some ways painting on location is like camping; not always a simple or comfy, but there's joy to be had in overcoming the obstacles, and some experiences can only be had out in the open and on site. That's what I love about Plein-Air painting...the memories and the experiences.  My drawing and photos from that day allowed me to come up with this little painting once I got home. A happy momento of my visit to Benajarafe on the Costa Del Sol.

Finished painting
All Along the Watchtower- Benjarafe, Spain
Watercolor and Gouache on Paper 11 X 15  $225

The painting above was completed in the studio.  The image is entirely based on elements drawn from the beach.  Their locations and the time of day are "imagineered" by me, but it's still an homage to my time on that beach.  So fun!

If you haven't tried painting like this, I encourage you to give it a go...Take a hat, perhaps a small stool, paper, pen, pencil, eraser, some kleenex, and a camera. Don't worry about doing a finished masterpiece.  My goal is simply to capture elements from the scene which are impressions of my experience there.  Give it a try and report back!

Not sure what to bring?  My complete Supply list for Travel is near the calendar here on the homepage of my website. 

In a few weeks, I will be heading back to Italy with the interesting group I've assembled for my Artfully Tasteful Tour of Tuscany.  We are going to eat, paint, cook, and sip our way around that beautiful region during harvest time...ahhh!  I can only imagine the excellent memories we are about to create!  Interested in going on an international trip of this sort?  Contact me about my next fabulous adventure, and perhaps you can join me...

Let me hear from you! I read every comment and it means a lot to know you are out there reading.


Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

"Like" my facebook page: Rebecca Zdybel- Artist
Join me on Google+ Rebecca Zdybel Google+ Profile