Architectural and Technical Sketching with Copic

One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday morning is to go out exploring in the neighborhood, to find something interesting to sketch, to challenge my hand and my mind and find the tried and true rules that govern technical drawing! The truth is, whether you notice it or not, your eyes pick up on a number of mechanics that happen naturally with forms in space, shortcuts our eyes make in order to understand the visual information before it is sent to our brains. It’s these mechanics that allow us to understand our environments, and it’s when these mechanics don’t exist that we suffer from symptoms of vertigo and motion-sickness.

Understanding these mechanics and knowing when and how to employ them in our drawings gives them the illusion that they depict real objects occupying real space. Failure to use these mechanics can often result in drawings of objects that seem to be floating in air, or just out-right wacky! If you take a moment to Google “German expressionism” and take a look at what those artists were doing in the 1920s, you can get a feel for how you can manipulate perspective to add drama and anxiety to your artwork simply by tweaking these mechanics.

In the sections that follow, I will briefly touch on some mechanics that are important to keep in mind while sketching anything from a house to a tape dispenser, those mechanics being Verticals and Vanishing Lines. For more information on perspective and conveying forms in space, I recommend Walter Foster’s book, Perspective, and also Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators, by Ernest T. Watson.

Verticals

The first aspect of these mechanics that is important to discuss is understanding verticals. Typically, the walls of all buildings should stand vertical, and by definition, these verticals should always be parallel to one another.

Before I begin a sketch, I look for the verticals as a way of plotting out my drawing. Using these lines, I can establish a standard of measurement for the drawing which I can use for the placement of other elements in the drawing.

If you’ve had a chance to read my Sketching From Life Blog entry from a few months back, I talk about how I begin a sketch by using a very light color, such as an E11, or R02, to rough in the shapes and the placement of the objects in the drawing paying careful attention to how they relate to one another.

For example, near the center of the drawing is a small balcony with a banister that forms a small rectangle with two verticals on either side. Now I can look at this small rectangle and make a mental note of how large it is in relation to the rest of the elements in the drawing. Using this standard of measurement, I can say to myself, “…now the right-most edge of this garage-building on the left is just about one-and-a-half ‘balconyfences’ to the left of that building, etc”. I then draw a short vertical line that once I really begin to add tone later on, will nearly vanish away in contrast (If you look to the right of the telephone pole on the left, you’ll see a faint version of it, which was the original sketch prior to revising it with a darker tone later on).

“Vanishing Lines” or “Parallel Lines”

The next mechanic that is critically important to keep in mind when sketching is understanding how vanishing lines, or what are in reality, parallel lines relate to one another in an image.

In any one object, or in this case, building, there exists any number of lines that if they are parallel in construction, i.e. window panes, rooflines, door hinges, etc. If the sides of two buildings are parallel to one another, these lines will relate to one another in the sense that they will all converge at one point in the distance, the Vanishing Point. If you were to trace the lines in red, they should all converge at one point, the same with the lines in purple, which relate to a different building which in this drawing has its own set of vanishing points and rules that govern it.

When I began this drawing, I took a moment to consider these lines and decide which lines would relate to one another, and I began this drawing by using a very light tone to rough them in before adding darker tones to really ‘cement’ them as part of the drawing!

I encourage you to employ these tactics, or at least keep them in the back of your mind when drawing anything you see- literally everything you see with your eyes obeys these rules! The next time you’re feeling adventurous, grab a couple of markers- you’ll need a very light one, like an E11, BG02, or R02; a middle tone such as E33, BG13 or R20; and a dark tone, E77, BG18 or R29; your favorite sketchbook, a pair of sunglasses and an inquisitive mind, and find these rules, they hardly ever lie! Better yet, get your hands on the Copic Sepia Ink Pro Kit; it has everything you need to make wonderful tonal drawings!

Find Jackson on the web:
Web Site: http://www.jacksonroot.com
Copic Color: http://www.copiccolor.com/Jackson

Share your sketches with us on Facebook and Twitter!

We’re sharing the fun and excitement of the Oregon Asian Celebration with you, wherever you happen to be right now.

So please, enjoy this FREE printable line art from Marianne Walker. We’re happy to say she’s been illustrating each year’s poster with Copics for the past 9 years!

This is the very same dragon featured in this year’s official poster design. Learn all about how she used Copics to create this illustration over on her blog.

If you’re in Eugene this weekend, join us! We’ll at the Fun & Messy tables in the Youth Room, South of the Exhibit Hall at the Lane County Fairgrounds.

Saturday 2/18
11am -12:30 & 2:00 – 4:00pm

Sunday 2/19
11am -12:30 & 2:00 – 4:00pm

We’d love to see your colored line art – share your results with our communities on Facebook and Twitter.

Where do you normally find line art or stamps to color? Let us know in the comments, below. Happy coloring!

Recently, reading a collection of popular Japanese ghost stories called Kwaidan inspired me to create a comic based on the work. Since these stories were collected and translated over a century ago, I wanted to use traditional illustration techniques and media to honor its rich history.

With the help of Copic Multiliners, the lettering, background textures and shading tones have all been hand rendered using pointillism and hatching. By mixing simple techniques and rendering them using multiple pen sizes in the same element, I’ve added greater levels of depth and subtlety to these pages while keeping the style personal and unique.

COPICS Used: Multiliners of the following sizes: 0.05, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0 and Brush-M

To begin my project, I create a storyboard on standard copy paper folded into a half-size booklet (4.25″ x 11″). This allows me to read it like a finished comic. I can see how things flow and make changes before spending too much time working on the details.

From there, I sketch rough pencils on Bristol board at 1.5x the finished printed size. I work them until they’re ready to be inked. For this step, I prefer hot press (sometimes called “plate finish”) Bristol board due to its smooth surface, heavy weight and durability when erasing and inking.

I use non-photo blue guidelines to mark the comic’s live area and trim guides. Turquoise colored Multiliners are perfect for creating guidelines when preparing your own custom boards. These blue lines will disappear when scanned, leaving only the black ink ready to be printed.

 

Figure: For basic line-work, I use the 0.05 Multiliner SP due to its precise nib that gives me really fine detail which stays razor-sharp at the reduced, final comic size. Before adding shading or texture, I complete all of the figures on the page. Once the outlines are finished, I move on to the shading and texturing of the figures.

Background Basics: At this stage, I only add basic texture and shading to the backgrounds. Leaving the backgrounds until after all of the figures have been finished lets you shade and texture them appropriately so they don’t overpower the characters.

Fabric: By combining pointillism and hatching, I create a smooth base shading with only 0.05 on areas like this kimono, followed by pointillism layers using 0.3 and 0.5 to create shadows and folds in the fabric. This is a great low-tech way to do your own shading screens (screen tones) directly on your artwork. By varying your lines and point density, you can simulate different materials, indicate the draping of fabric and create the illusion of volume through light and shadow.

Backgrounds, leaves: Once the figures are shaded, move to the backgrounds. I did the leaves using the Brush-M because its flexible tapered brush nib allows me to create that classic leaf shape with just a gentle press on the board. For each leaf, I held the pen at an angle and dabbed at the paper lightly, compressing the brush tip only hard enough to leave as large a mark as needed. To get a more realistic look to the leaves, I rotated the direction of the pen so the leaves weren’t all pointing in the same direction and varied the brush angle and pressure to vary the size or shape. The shallower the angle, the longer the leaves. I also created perspective by making the leaves smaller on trees that were farther in the background.

Grass: I rendered the grass with three sizes of pens, beginning with 0.05. By pressing the pen to the paper vertically and quickly flicking the pen upwards by rotating my hand backwards, I created random tapered lines. By flicking the pen, it caused the tip of the pen to lift in an arc from the paper, naturally tapering the tip of the line. For a more natural, grass-like look, I added in 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0, especially when creating the shadowy area and repeated the process a few (thousand) times! To get a smooth texture on this stone wall background, I used 0.05 for crosshatching.

Crosshatching: This is one technique that Multiliners excel at because of their consistent line thickness and ink density which is why I recommend them for anyone wanting to achieve this style of shading. By filling an area with an even layer of parallel hatches, the shading looks smooth. To create different shades or a gradient, I hatched in one direction and then again at a ninety degree angle. I repeated this in a third direction, or as many as I needed to achieve the darkness level I was looking for. For the textured surface of earth and rocks at the base of the wall, I used 0.05, 0.3 and 0.8 to create multiple layers of pointillism with a random placement of points. By intentionally building up 0.3 and 0.8 points in certain areas, I was able to simulate peaks and valleys which either caught the moonlight or were in shadow.

Lettering: Even though this page has no standard lettering on it, I wanted to show an example of lettering using Multiliners from a different page. Drawn at 1.5 times the finished comic size, I laid down parallel nonphoto blue lines 3mm apart for the lettering and 2mm apart for the leading (the vertical space between each line of lettering). Since I was going for a clean, mono-weight lettering style, I simply drew out the letters using a 0.3 for standard text and a 0.5 for bold. In this case, the Multiliners beat a traditional nibstyle pen and ink’s varied lines.

As you can see below in the finished page, basic illustration techniques can be taken to the next level simply by using a variety of Copic Multiliners. By switching between pens, you can add as much depth as you need to set the mood for your piece.

What Multiliner techniques do you use? Let us know in the comments, below.

For more from Alex, visit him online. Enjoyed this post? Feel free to let him know.

Website: http://AlexHeizer.com/
CopicColor: Alex Heizer
Twitter: @AlexHeizer
Facebook: Alex Heizer
Google+: Alex Heizer

Largely self-taught illustrator Drew Blom talked with us about having work curated into the Art for Hope exhibit, his art making experience, and using SketchBook Pro Copic Edition.

Congratulations! How did it feel to be approached by Autodesk for this art show?

I was contacted by Chris Cheung at Autodesk to see if I was interested in contributing a piece for their Art For Hope benefit book in partnership with Viz Media. It was right around the time the Copic Edition of SketchBook Pro (SBP) was released. I planned everything digitally, printed out and did a traditional graphite rendering, scanned back in and used the new Copic settings to create the colors for my piece.

I was pretty humbled to asked to be part of the Art For Hope book. It’s a great cause, I was excited to work on the piece  – and excited to hear it was selected. It was quite an honor.

Unless you’re a big name who’s having their work reviewed all the time it is easy to work in a vacuum. I’m not a big name so it’s kind of fun to see that the piece is making an impression on others.

Anything you’d like viewers to keep in mind while viewing your piece?

The piece was created as a cover for my story Calvin Hedge and the Iron Golem. It’s a story about hope, so it was a natural fit for the anthology. The story is intended to be the first of a trilogy of YA fantasy novels. I am writing and illustrating a children’s book as a precursor to the world and characters early next year. The characters in the image were not just put in to fill the composition. They all have a part in the story. Knowing who the characters are really helps me as I work on the actual piece.

Calvin Hedge and the Iron Golem, Graphite, Strathmore 500, Digital, 11″ x 17″

How do you normally go about art making?

I use digital drawing tools like SketchBook Pro for planning because it’s easiest to change, but for the actual work (rendering and line art) I prefer traditional media.

Every artist has a preference for tools and it usually winds up being the ones they have the most control over. Graphite and colored pencil are my go-to most of the time. Markers and pen-and-ink techniques are also a part of my process. I like the digital tools available because of the speed and ease of making changes. But I am still a sucker for the texture and depth of traditional media. The computer does “perfect” really well. But the hand of the artist is more readily visible with traditional media.

I did a talk recently explaining the process a little bit here. My part starts about 20 minutes in:

I use traditional Copic markers as well and am planning on using them as a monochromatic underpainting layer for a children’s book I’m writing and illustrating. After that I go in with digital color, similar to the SketchBook piece. I just need to start building up my grayscale collection of Copics.

Underpainting is a technique that has been around for a long time. In traditional oils it is used to define value and texture before a full-color realization is done over the top.

Calvin Hedge and the Iron Golem, underpainting

With the piece above, I used graphite pencils for the values, lighting and materials. It’s my version of underpainting and brings in the texture of the traditional media I’m working with.

With my upcoming children’s book I’m exploring a new process where the initial planning of the composition is done with SBP. The piece is then printed off and traditional Copics are used to lay in value, lighting and texture to the scene. Once the values are defined and the edges are contained with colored pencil the piece is scanned back in and a full color treatment is done digitally. This allows the texture of the paper and the markers to build up as they naturally would in a 100% traditional piece but also allows for the speed of doing final colors digitally.

What makes Copic your marker of choice for that?

The Copics blend very well, and with a set of grays you can lay in value incrementally. I like to feel in control as I’m creating the piece and the Copics are very natural and easy to reign in.

Have you been using SketchBook Pro (SBP) very long?

In one way or another, I’ve been using SketchBook Pro since version 1.1. I started out using it for storyboards but now use it for a lot of other things like planning out my compositions and coloring my final pieces.

How about SketchBook Copic Edition?

I picked it up the day it was released. I did a pretty quick update when the announcement was posted.  I already was using the markers so it was a natural transition.

It’s is a very natural sketching tool. Because I work on a tablet computer, I appreciate the gesture-based navigation. For coloring it is a bit different than I’m used to for my comic work, which is based on laying down flat color for selection and then building up volume. Its closer to traditional media which makes it very easy to get started with. You can tell the software was developed from an artist’s perspective.

The Copic presets are helpful as well. The palettes make sense and are great for narrowing in on a limited palette. The brush presets make the transition from traditional to digital media pretty smooth.

Any advice to people wanting to give SBP Copic Edition a try?

If you’re used to traditional Copics you’ll be familiar with the color palette. And the actual use of the digital preset brushes is pretty close too. Just like with traditional markers you can’t lay in light color over darks. It was a bit odd at first because I was used to standard digital tools, but over time it became an advantage because it kept me in the same mindset from traditional to digital.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.

___________________________
Connect with Drew online: http://about.me/drewblom

Visual Journaling

The importance of keeping a sketchbook can never be emphasized enough. If you can get in the habit of sketching every day, you will undoubtedly see great improvement in your drawing. According to Walt Stanchfield, who practically wrote the book on Disney-style animation, “Quick sketching is the shortest route to training yourself for capturing those spontaneous gestures and poses that are so essential to good drawing”. It is important to keep in mind that visual journaling is the capturing of events in your sketchbook as you perceive them, in your own experiences. Draw your breakfast, draw your lunch. Draw your clothes wrinkled on the floor as you threw them just as you got home, and record your thoughts about the event.

Last year, I traveled to Hong Kong and Indonesia where I experienced many things that I had never before known. Everything interesting that I heard, saw and read I recorded in my sketchbook as I explored these new places, and today I have a collection of images that tell a story far better than any photograph because every line that I drew came from my own personal translation of the event.

I call this process ‘visual journaling’ because it is the combination of expressive sketching and in many ways you assume the role of reporter, sometimes I like to imagine that something I am currently sketching is something I have never before seen, like a visitor on a distant planet or far-away land.

Try and make a sport out of sketching, call it a mental exercise. You can use these sketches as reference for later finished pieces or allow them to be their own works to serve as reminders or a chronicling of the past. Feel free to write all over the page, try to use text as a graphic element; after all, letters are graphic symbols that we have trained our brains to ‘read’.

Resist the tendency to worry what others will think of your drawings or writings, these can be completely private, this is your own personal diary as an artist!

You don’t have to visit some far-away land to make interesting drawings in your sketchbook. Simply take a walk and find a street you’ve never gone down before, explore your neighborhood, have fun, and keep it loose!

Copic products used in these images: Sepia Tone Kit, warm gray Sketch markers, Multiliner SPs

Find Jackson on the web:
Web Site: http://www.jacksonroot.com
Copic Color: http://www.copiccolor.com/Jackson

Share your illustrations with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tell us about when you started drawing, and how you became interested in Manga style art?

My mom tells me that I was drawing ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon! In grade 7 my friends and I started drawing cats. But then I was worried that I would become “the crazy cat lady” so I started to sketch people. In grade 9, someone told me I looked like an anime character named Misa, so I started looking at some of the manga and watching animeonline. I fell in love with it instantly and started collecting manga. Later, I decided I wanted to create my own characters.

That seems like a pretty natural progression. How and when did you come up with the idea for PaigeeDraw?

When I decided I wanted to learn to draw Manga, I was frustrated with the tools and books available. I felt that the books I found showed the finished product but didn’t explain the process of how to get there in enough detail. So I started collecting manga comics and taught myself. Later, my friends kept asking me to teach them, so I approached my dad to help me find a way to make it easy for anyone to learn how to draw.

So what makes PaigeeDraw different from other teaching tools on the market?

In PaigeeDraw, I break every character down into as many as 29 steps, and provide instructions and tips each step of the way. I also provide detailed tutorials on how to draw hands, eyes and faces. Also, PaigeeDraw teaches users how to hand draw, not rely on digital drawing tools or expensive software like Photoshop.

Do people need special supplies to get started, or can they use what they have at home?

All you need is a pencil and a piece of paper to get started. But manga looks best using special markers and marker pads, which are all available on PaigeeDraw.com When I was learning, my mom had to drive me all over town looking for art supplies, so we sell starter kits that make it easy for people to get started.

The kits you sell to go with the application come with Copic markers. How did you first come upon Copics, and why do you continue to use and recommend them?

I first came upon Copic Markers from DeviantArt. Many artists that I love are on DeviantArt, and most of them prefer to use Copic markers when they use markers. I have tried a number of other markers, and Copic are my favourite! They are very reliable and do not streak as much as other brands.

Which part of drawing a character gives you the most trouble and how do you overcome  that challenge?

Hands and feet still give me the most trouble. Like most artists though, I love drawing hands. I look at images from artists I look up to. I always reference them for difficult poses, and for practice.

Do you draw your characters based off of real life experiences and people, or are they random ideas from your imagination?

Imagination! Many of my characters are based off of my dreams. Reading manga comics and watching Japanese Anime inspires me. The characters from the application are based on individual poses or hair styles I like. Sometimes, they are based on fashions that I have seen.

I’ve heard that you have a name for your character in mind, before you draw him or her. At what point do you know what colors you want to use for a character?

I usually just play with the colors while creating the characters. When I created the PaigeeDraw application, I tried to use only a few colors, so that people could draw the character without having a huge Copic set.

We know you’re great at creating mango character, and are considering Fashion Design school in the future. Do you have any other interests or talents that we may not know as much about?

One of the other things I like to do is bake. I have a lot and am getting quite good at it. I’ve made Melon pan, cream puffs, cookies and cakes. I plan to tackle macaroons and chocolate mousse in the future!

My passion is still art. I have recently been practicing with my airbrush! I have not included backgrounds in my application yet, hopefully we will get there in the future.

TEWSR1 displayed work in the gallery and did live graffiti work at the event. In addition to those at the recent Black Book event, TEWSR1 has worked with notable artists and comanies such as Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Steve-O from Jack-Ass, Audio Hustlerz Records, One World, FIND Art Magazine and 5 Star Clothing.

You can go here to find out more about the Black Book event and to read attendee comments and feedback. Or view more of TEWSR1′s work at waistedtalent.com. We’ve pictured work done by TEWSR1 with Copic Markers in this interview, but his website will give you a glimpse at work he does in other mediums. 

You can also see his work this summer at the L.A. Art Machine International Urban Art Festivalfrom July 14-17th.

Tell us about your background and how art played a role in your life growing up.

I grew up in Orange County, California in a city without much of a strong graffiti element or influential art movement to speak of at the time. I began copying and drawing from comic books and old cartoons when i was younger. I eventually developed a cache of techniques and elements that gave me a good basis to start creating my own ideas incorporating my style characteristics. In grade school I created a small revenue selling sketches of Mega-Man and Tiny Toons characters, and it was then I realized there was a chance to make a living in art if I could learn how to do it well enough. I’ve been actively trying to acquire a better grasp ever since.

How has your work changed over time?

I think my work has become more refined and technically complex compared to my earlier work. I create with the intention to provoke thought. My art used to have a more cartoonish look and lately I have been using my knowledge of realism to twist my creations into a more tangible entity. It also adds to my style of graffiti work since the realism aspect in that genre is only applied by few.

What makes you want to draw?

My drive stems from my desire to learn and to constantly acquire new techniques to apply to my art, to achieve the caliber of work I’ve been seeking ever since I began this worm-hole journey through the world of art. I feel that if I never reach that point, then I will still be consistently learning new things in hopes of arriving there. That is what ultimately drives me.

Copic is sponsoring a Black Book event you’ll be showing work at. For those of us who aren’t graffiti artists, what is a Black Book, and why does a graff artist have one?

A black book is a way to develop one’s style and way of working out the look before actually bringing it out into the open public for all to see and ultimately judge.

Some use their black books to complete and fully render pieces of art and fill them to the margin with everything they’ve learned of hope to learn. I use mine mostly for brainstorming and concepts. Although I have been known to rock a mean full-page or two-pager, nowadays it seems more archival and useful for me to spend the time completing the works on canvas or illustration board. I will never lose the desire to throw something  in a black book thought. It will continue to be a staple in the arsenal of the seasoned graffiti artist and all other alike.

Who would enjoy a Black Book event like the one you participated in on May 21st?

I think this [kind of] event is for anyone with an open mind and desire to see some truly amazing work by some of the most prolific and talented artist’s around. It’s a great chance for anyone that has never had the opportunity to see first hand how graffiti mural is done from start to finish. And a great way to see how the difference in sketchbook techniques used by many artists with the same goal; to achieve a great looking piece of art! People can enjoy all this with the ambient sounds of some of the “freshest” D.Js out.

What’s the farthest you have traveled to be in a black book event?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been much farther than within California since the good black book events are few and far between. However, I am willing to travel far and wide to spread my art, wherever it’s needed, and not needed for that matter.

Have you seen the new 4pc Multiliner Pen sets yet? Now available in assortments of Sepia, Gray, Fine Black, and Broad Black, these sets just arrived and are already flying off the shelves.

The Copic Multiliner Pens are seriously the best inking tools you’ll ever pick up. The pigment-based ink flows smoothly, for a clean and precise application.  The ink is also archival, acid free, and even waterproof (test this — I didn’t believe it until I tried and failed to smear the ink with water).

To see examples of what artists are doing with these pens, check out the 2011 Copic Catalog, where we featured a number of artists’ work. Check out our Multiliner page for more information on other available colors and nib sizes.

Tip: if you’re thinking long term, check out the refillable Multiliner SP. The SP contains the same superior quality ink, but in an aluminum body style with refillable ink cartridges and replaceable nibs.

“What a great giveaway! I would love to see what’s inside this book.”
We had over 233 comments. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Book Giveaway

The Shadows & Shading book is now available at many of your favorite retailers, but we also wanted to offer you a chance to WIN a copy. Thursday the Copic Certification Instructors in the US and Australia are doing a Blog Hop!!!

Marianne Walker’s new book, Shadows & Shading is great for beginners, papercrafters or fine artists – this is the reference book you have been looking for to help you add shadows to give your projects more dimension. The book does not teach you to draw, but rather helps you know where and how to add shadow and shading. This is a wire-bound book that comes with 4 clear printed guides to help you add shadows properly on your own work. So far, people who have read it, love it! There is a lot to digest, so take it slow and read it often to let the concepts sink in.

Now, a Blog Hop wouldn’t be as much fun without FREE GIFT! Today or Tomorrow each of the blogs listed below will be posting an opportunity to win. You have lots of chances to win. Simply leave a comment and your name will be included in the drawing for a chance to win this fabulous book. You have until Sunday to leave a comment on any of the following blogs, including this one. One comment per blog please.

Please note, this contest is only open to North American Residents on the North American blogs, or Australian Residents on the Australian blogs.

North American Residents only:

Copicmarker Blog

Marianne Walker

Lori Craig

Sharon Harnist

Jenn Balcer

Jennie Black

Colleen Schaan

Bianca Mandity

Debbie Olson

Sherrie Siemens
If you live in the land down under, you can win by posting on the following Australian Blogs:

CopicOz (Australia)

Kathy Jones (Australia)

Mandi-Lee Klinger (Australia)

Follow the links below to see his Free Art Lessons, produced by Burning Oak studios for Jerry’s Artarama.  Each video is about 10 minutes long.
.

Adam Hughes How to Draw Eyes | Free Art Lessons.
Adam Hughes How to Draw Fabric and Clothing | Free Art Lessons.
Adam Hughes How to Draw Flesh Tones | Free Art Lessons.