Catalonia PAU Artistic Drawing II common mistakes
Catalonia PAU Artistic Drawing II · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
When drawing a still life or figure from observation, the candidate outlines objects with a uniform hard contour and does not vary line weight or use lost-and-found edges, so forms look flat and cut out.
The candidate treats drawing as outlining shapes rather than describing volume through changes in edge quality; they rely on a single pen or pencil pressure and do not observe how light wraps around forms.
What to do instead
Before the exam, practise contour drawings where you deliberately vary pressure and break the line where light hits. In the exam, spend the first minutes identifying which edges are sharp (cast shadows, overlapping forms) and which are soft (turning edges), and use a harder, thinner line for the former and a lighter, broken line for the latter. Carry a range of pencils (e.g., 2H to 6B) and use them for different edge qualities.
The candidate places the main subject dead centre in every composition and uses a horizon line that divides the format exactly in half, ignoring the rule of thirds or dynamic asymmetry.
Centring feels safe and avoids the risk of an unbalanced composition; the candidate has not internalised compositional frameworks and defaults to symmetry under time pressure.
What to do instead
In sketchbook practice, make ten quick thumbnail compositions of the same subject using different placements: rule-of-thirds intersections, strong diagonal, L-shaped mass, etc. In the exam, lightly draw the thirds grid on the paper before committing, and choose an off-centre placement that creates tension. Also decide the horizon line's position deliberately-either high or low-to give the sky or ground dominance.
When asked to analyse a prescribed work (e.g., a drawing by Seurat, Cézanne, or Picasso), the candidate gives a generic description of the subject matter and lists biographical facts about the artist instead of analysing formal elements such as line, tone, composition, and media handling.
The candidate has memorised artist names and dates but has not practised looking analytically at reproductions; they confuse art history recall with visual analysis, which is what the exam rewards.
What to do instead
Build a one-page analysis template for each prescribed work: identify the medium and support, describe the quality of line (e.g., contoured, hatched, erased), the tonal structure (high contrast, mid-tones, chiaroscuro), the composition (focal point, directional lines, balance), and the expressive effect. Practise writing 150-word analyses from memory using this template, and always link formal choices to meaning.
The candidate uses colour symbolically or decoratively (e.g., 'red for passion') without relating hues to observed light, local colour, or a coherent chromatic scheme, and fails to mix neutrals or adjust values.
Colour theory is often studied as isolated associations rather than as a system for organising a drawing; the candidate may not have practised mixing complementary colours to create neutrals or using a limited palette.
What to do instead
Before the exam, make colour studies from observation using a limited palette (e.g., yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine, white) and mix neutrals by combining complements. In the exam, establish a colour key (warm/cool, high/low saturation) and stick to it; check values by squinting or using a red filter. When asked to discuss colour, refer to specific terms: hue, value, chroma, simultaneous contrast, and colour temperature.
The candidate's sketchbook pages are filled with finished, polished drawings but contain no evidence of process: no thumbnails, no notes, no experiments with media, no corrections or annotations.
The candidate treats the sketchbook as a portfolio of final outcomes rather than a working document; they may be afraid that messy pages will be penalised, or they have not been taught how to document process.
What to do instead
Dedicate at least half of each sketchbook page to process: quick 2-minute thumbnails, tonal studies, colour tests, written reflections on what worked and what didn't, and annotated sketches from exhibitions. Date every page. In the exam, if a project or sketchbook is assessed, include evidence of iteration-show a failed attempt and explain how you changed approach.
When drawing a figure or object in perspective, the candidate draws what they know rather than what they see: eyes are placed too high on the head, a tabletop is drawn as a rectangle regardless of viewpoint, and receding lines do not converge.
The brain substitutes a symbolic schema for the observed form; the candidate has not practised sighting techniques (measuring proportions with a pencil, checking angles against vertical/horizontal) and lacks confidence in perspective construction.
What to do instead
Practise sighting: hold a pencil at arm's length to compare widths and heights, and check every angle against the vertical and horizontal edges of your paper. For perspective, lightly draw the eye level and vanishing points before starting, and use a ruler for construction lines in the early stages. Do ten quick studies of a simple box from different viewpoints to internalise convergence.
The candidate uses tone as local colour filling-shading each object uniformly from dark to light-without establishing a consistent light source, cast shadows, or reflected light, so the drawing lacks volume and atmosphere.
The candidate confuses tonal value with 'colouring in' and has not analysed how light reveals form; they may also be reluctant to use the full tonal range (from black to white) because they fear making the drawing too dark.
What to do instead
Before the exam, make a value scale from 1 to 9 and use it to check your drawing. In the exam, decide the light direction first and mark the core shadow, cast shadow, and highlight on each form. Use a 6B pencil for the darkest accents and keep the white of the paper for highlights; avoid smudging. Squint at the subject to see major tonal masses, and block those in before detail.
The candidate spends most of the exam time on one area (e.g., the face) and leaves the rest of the drawing unfinished or hastily indicated, resulting in an unbalanced composition and incomplete submission.
The candidate lacks time-management strategies and gets absorbed in detail; they may believe that a highly finished focal point will compensate for unfinished areas, but the exam assesses the whole drawing.
What to do instead
In the exam, allocate time explicitly: e.g., 10 minutes for thumbnails and composition, 20 minutes for blocking in major shapes and values, 40 minutes for developing the whole drawing, and the final 20 minutes for refinement and checking. Set a timer or ask for time warnings. Work all over the drawing simultaneously-never finish one part before the rest is established.
When asked to develop a project or respond to a theme, the candidate produces a single literal illustration with no exploration of alternatives, no reference to artists, and no reflection on their own process.
The candidate treats the exam as a test of technical skill only and does not understand that the creative process (research, experimentation, evaluation) is assessed; they may also lack experience in generating multiple ideas quickly.
What to do instead
Practise the three-stage project method: (1) mind-map and collect visual references (including at least two prescribed artists), (2) produce at least three divergent thumbnail compositions, (3) select and refine one, annotating why. In the exam, show your working: include a small sketch page with alternatives and a short note on your decisions. Even if not explicitly requested, a brief written rationale can demonstrate process.
The candidate's drawing media handling is poor: graphite is smudged and shiny from overworking, ink lines bleed because the paper is unsuitable, or mixed media (e.g., charcoal and pastel) are combined without fixing, causing muddy colours and loss of contrast.
The candidate has not tested media combinations or paper types before the exam; they may also apply too much pressure or use an eraser aggressively, damaging the paper surface.
What to do instead
In sketchbook practice, test each medium on the actual exam paper (or similar) to learn its behaviour: how it layers, whether it smudges, how it erases. Keep your hand off the paper with a spare sheet, use a fixative between layers if allowed, and build tone gradually with light pressure. For ink, use a smooth paper and allow lines to dry before erasing pencil guides. Know the limitations: charcoal and pastel can be combined if charcoal is fixed first.