10. Line Basics - Line Direction & Modeling

It might surprise you to learn, before a car manufacturer agrees on a new car model, they sculpt it in clay:

While drawing is a 2D art, we can give it a 3D feel by sculpting, or modelling forms with lines that follow the forms - like the cross-contour lines we learned about in Lesson 9. Imagine lots of those together, used as shading, that also emphasize 3D form and volume. 

Concept Sketch, by Luc Desmarchelier

This is a crucial step in perfecting your shading technique. All the great draftsmen do this - and it's hard to see, initially, which lines to use where and in which directions. This is where drawing studies from masters really helps you. I've done it, and I encourage you to do the same. Draw as many studies from these works as you can - don't merely copy the proportions and angles, look at the direction of each and every line, and try to mimic it:

LEVEL 2 ASSIGNMENT - Master Study

Birds by Rich Anderson

THE SETUP: Paper & Pencil, or pen if you like.

LEVEL 3 ASSIGNMENT - Master Study

Illustration by James Montgomery Flagg

THE SETUP: Paper & Pencil, or pen if you like.

These images are harder to copy, but try your best.

by Luke Kopycinski

By Luke Kopycinski

By Leonardo Da Vinci

By Jaime Jones

by Kemp Remillard

Denis Diderot, by Jean Greuze

drawing by Randis Albion