Drawing Botanicals, Class 1 :: Drawing

Drawing Botanicals at Montalvo Art Center

Class:1 Planning and Designing Thursday, 3/13/08 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Class-1: Planning and Designing

1) Introduction to schedule of topics and materials. Hand out materials. 2) Topic presentations and exercises: a) Planning b) Guidelines. c) Drawing Plants: Leaves, Stems, Roots, Flowers, Fruit d) Perspective: Point of view, overlap, line break, foreshortening, diminishing perspective, parallax and atmospheric perspective. e) Composition: Shape, Focal Point, Thirds, Threes, Grounds, Value, Eye flow.

Planning • Study the Plant specimen for the best perspective

• Choose a format based on your subject • Sketch and fit your design

Framework and guidelines • Frame your subject: Lightly draw a box into which your subject will fit.

• Frame components and use guidelines:

Lightly draw geometric shapes that would place and fit the largest component shapes of your subject.

• Compose the shapes of spaces and of your larger elements. Adjust and erase freely.

• Frame the shapes of smaller components.

Frame and Format Horizontal format of about 1:1.5

Drawing exercise: Frame this specimen.

Notice the space between flower and leaves

Composite frames and guidelines

Perspective • Point of View • Overlap • Diminishing perspective • Foreshortening

Point of View

Find the most recognizable angle of view

“Flowers & Botanicals” by Diane Cardaci

Perspective and thickness of lines

“Scientific Illustration”, by Phyllis Wood

LinePerspective: plus grey value Line Break shading

Composition • • •

Spaced shapes V.S. Grouped shapes

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Focal paths: The eye follows contrasting edges or lines as well as similar objects of diminishing size.

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Good spacing: Negative space between elements create good or bad shapes and edges.

Focal points: Elements of highest contrast. Diminishing objects and converging lines create focal paths.

Eye Flow is the key to understanding design

Japanese ikebana arrangement: Design formulae

Botanical designs have rules for scientific study

A more complicated micro habitat still shows details

Beauty in simplicity

Perspective

Leaf twists and curls: Midrib is key

Drawing branches: Overlap and foreshortening

Vanishing Point: The horizon is key.

Drawing the parts of the plant Stems, Roots, Buds, Leaves, Flowers, Fruit

Stems Nodes, scars

Buds

Leaves

The edge of a leaf

Use the midrib as a guideline

Leaf form

Leaf Venation

Flowers Regular and Irregular

Flower Geometry

Radial Symmetry

Bi-symmetry

A dense, flat cluster of florets, as in plants of the composite family, e.g.: Sunflower, Aster or Daisy.

Fruit Drupe, aggregate fruit, seed pod, naked seed

Roots Tangle management

Reference • •

Live plant specimens are best

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In-focus macro photographs from several angles are necessary for accurate illustrations.

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Books, or Google images is helpful for identification.

Herbarium collections are useful but it takes a professional to flesh out a dried, pressed plant.

Don’t just copy photographs by others. Alter the image to avoid copyright infringement.

Composition

Start with Thumbnail sketches • • • • • •

Small thumbnail compositional sketches A variety of designs based on any one idea. Change the perspective Change the placement of elements. Change the values. Change the format.

Components of Composition •

Editing for comprehension, and eye flow.

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Focal point and focal paths.

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Balance: Eye flow and stagnation.

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Placement of line, shapes and values: Rule of thirds, edges as lines.

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Perspective: Point of view, horizon and diminishing elements.

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Value Key: Mood.

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Light and shadow: Time of day.

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Pattern: Repetition of dark shapes.

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Action: Dramatic behavior and dynamic diagonals.

Step by step composition • • • •

Choose a perspective - for dramatic impact.

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Separate areas of value for readability and pattern.

Choose shapes and patterns of value. Draw thumbnail designs of different formats. Enhance perspective depth using values and by editing elements.

Isolate and contrast the subject to create a focal point.

Monotonous shapes and spaces V.S. Varied shapes and spaces

Balance of elements and spacing Balance, Imbalance, static balance dynamic balance.

Triangle theory

• Odd numbers of elements are more pleasing and dynamic than even numbers.

• Variety in size of similar elements is more pleasing.

• Triangular spacing creates pleasing shapes.

3 of a kind: small, medium, large.

Rule of Thirds •

Dividing your page into thirds. Rule of thumb for placing your focal point, or subject.

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A focal point near an edge tends to draw attention away from the design.

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A focal points in the center tends cause attention to stagnate in the center.

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A focal point placed one third of the way into the image draws attention, creates balance and creates space for secondary elements.

Rule of thirds: small, bright primary element

Primary element in the center: Static design

Direction of elements and marks Eye flow follows the direction of marks and shading as well as elements.

Eye flow: Rapid or delayed

Focal paths

• The viewers eye moves from areas and elements of highest contrast to areas and elements of lowest contrast.

• These attractive elements are called focal points.

• The viewer’s eye follows predictable

paths. The artist controls and creates these paths of interest and eye flow.

Converging lines

Lines that converge create a focal point.

Value: Time and Mood •

Key: High key is bright, Middle is balanced and Low key is dark.

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The key and length of shadows tells you the time of day.

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Back lighting and long shadows create dramatic patterns.

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Analogous values create restful mood. Complementary, or contrasting values create drama.