Maharashtra SSC Drawing and Painting Divyang cheat sheet

Still-life measurement uses the pencil-at-arm's-length method: hold the pencil at full arm extension so the apparent size stays constant while comparing heights, widths and diagonals.

Proportion check rule: compare every object's height against its own width first, then against the tallest object in the group; relate all measurements to one unit of measure.

Eye level (horizon line) equals the viewer's eye height; objects below eye level show their top surfaces, objects above show their undersides, and objects at eye level show neither.

A cylinder's elliptical top appears flatter (narrower ellipse) as it approaches eye level and rounder as it moves away above or below eye level.

Overlapping shapes are the strongest depth cue in still life; place the nearest object so it overlaps at least one other to establish foreground.

Cast shadow direction is opposite the light source; its length increases as the light source lowers, and its edge is sharpest nearest the object.

Negative space check: the shapes of background between objects must be drawn as deliberately as the objects, because errors in negative space reveal proportion mistakes.

Grouping rule for composition: avoid equal spacing and equal size; use odd-numbered groupings and vary heights so no two objects share the same top or bottom line.

Aerial (atmospheric) perspective rule: distant objects lose contrast and saturation, shift toward the sky's hue, and show softer edges than foreground objects.

Linear perspective: all receding parallel lines converge at a single vanishing point on the horizon when the picture plane is parallel to the object's front face.

Trees are drawn as trunk plus branching structure; branch thickness decreases at each division, and foliage masses are blocked as grouped shapes rather than individual leaves.

Cloud and sky rendering: keep the lightest area near the light source, and use graded washes so the sky darkens gradually away from the horizon light.

Water reflections: the reflection is vertically inverted, shortened by the viewing angle, and lower in contrast than the object reflected.

Foreground, middle ground and background must differ in value; the darkest darks and sharpest edges belong to the foreground.

Sky occupies roughly two-thirds of the picture area in a standard landscape composition, with the horizon placed off-centre rather than at mid-height.

Sunlight direction fixes all shadow directions in a landscape; a single consistent light source must be chosen before rendering any cast shadow.

Memory drawing requires observation first, then recall: record the subject's key shapes, proportions and action, and reconstruct the scene without the model present.

Rule of thirds: divide the picture into a 3x3 grid and place the centre of interest near an intersection rather than at the exact centre.

Composition types: pyramidal (stable, triangular grouping), diagonal (dynamic movement), horizontal (calm), vertical (dignity), and radial (focus on a centre).

Avoid tangents: two edges that touch or nearly touch create an unresolved, distracting point; overlap or separate them clearly.

Figure-group composition needs a focal figure; supporting figures should differ in pose, scale or value so the eye has one entry point.

Memory drawing of action uses the line of action first, then the body masses, and only then clothing and detail.

Balance rule: a large light mass can be balanced by a small dark mass placed farther from the centre of the picture.

Keep the main subject clear of the picture edges; leave breathing space in front of a moving figure and less behind it.

Adult figure proportion: total height equals about 7.5 head units; the body's midpoint (pubic bone) falls at roughly half the total height.

Shoulder width is about 2 head-widths; the elbow sits at the waist level (about 3 head units down), and the wrist at the crotch level.

The hand is approximately the length of the face from chin to hairline; the foot is roughly one head unit long.

Line of action runs from the pit of the neck through the spine to the weight-bearing foot; it determines the pose's gesture before any contour is drawn.

Contrapposto: when weight rests on one leg, the hip on that side rises and the shoulder on the same side drops, producing opposing tilts.

The arm's length when extended reaches about mid-thigh; the fingertips reach mid-thigh when standing, and the elbow bends to bring the hand to the shoulder.

Head construction: the eyes sit at the vertical midpoint of the head, the nose base at about two-thirds down, and the ear spans brow line to nose base.

Foreshortening: a limb pointing toward the viewer is drawn shorter and its cross-sections become more circular; overlapping forms indicate which part is nearer.

Primary pigments for painting: red, yellow and blue; mixing two primaries gives a secondary (orange, green, violet), and a primary plus adjacent secondary gives a tertiary.

Complementary pairs (red-green, blue-orange, yellow-violet) placed side by side increase each other's intensity; mixed together they neutralize toward grey or brown.

Value is lightness or darkness independent of hue; a colour's value changes how it reads in a composition more than its hue does.

Warm colours (red, orange, yellow) appear to advance; cool colours (blue, green, violet) appear to recede, which is used to create depth.

Tint = colour plus white; shade = colour plus black; tone = colour plus grey or its complement.

Simultaneous contrast: a colour appears lighter against a dark ground and darker against a light ground; judge a mixed colour against the final surrounding colour.

Local colour is the object's own hue under neutral light; the light side shifts toward the light source's hue, and shadows shift toward the complement.

Colour scheme types: monochromatic (one hue plus tints and shades), analogous (neighbours on the wheel), complementary, split-complementary and triadic.

A motif is the single repeated unit of a pattern; repetition, alternation, radiation, and gradation are the standard pattern-building methods.

Border patterns repeat a motif along one axis; an all-over (diaper) pattern repeats on two axes; a motif must be simple enough to tile without gaps.

Balance in design is either symmetrical (mirror or radial) or asymmetrical (balanced by visual weight, not by matching shapes).

Rhythm in design is created by repeated elements with a regular interval; a change in interval or size creates emphasis.

A poster's hierarchy: one dominant image or headline, then supporting text, then fine detail; text must remain legible at a distance.

Logo design principles: simplicity, scalability (readable small and large), memorability, and suitability in one colour as well as full colour.

Lettering rule: keep a consistent stroke weight and consistent spacing between letters (optical, not mechanical, spacing).

Applied art covers functional objects (textiles, ceramics, packaging); design must respect the object's form, material and production process.

Graphite grades: H pencils are hard and light (9H hardest), B pencils are soft and dark (9B softest), and HB sits in the middle.

Charcoal gives dense darks and smudges easily; fixative is needed to prevent rubbing, and kneaded eraser lifts highlights.

Watercolour is transparent: light comes from the paper, so work from light to dark and reserve white paper for highlights instead of adding white paint.

Wet-on-wet watercolour produces soft blended edges; wet-on-dry produces sharp edges; dry-brush produces broken texture.

Oil paint dries slowly and allows blending; the fat-over-lean rule requires each later layer to contain more oil than the one below to prevent cracking.

Acrylic dries fast and can be thinned with water; once dry it is not re-soluble, so brushes must be cleaned before paint sets.

Pastels are dry pigment sticks; fixative darkens them slightly, and layering light over dark gives softer results than dark over light.

Poster colour is opaque and water-based; it is applied flat for design work, and lighter areas are painted over darker ones after drying.