Drawing and Sketching Techniques
Drawing and Sketching Techniques tests observation-based drawing: proportion, perspective, light and shade, still life, simple figures and outdoor sketching. Answers should show method, not just terminology.
Core method
Begin with gesture lines to capture the whole, then construction lines for angles and axes. Compare proportions by sighting along a pencil held at arm's length. In one-point perspective, horizontals stay horizontal, verticals stay vertical and receding lines meet at one vanishing point on the horizon. Two-point perspective uses two vanishing points. Build tone in layers: light hatching, cross-hatching, stippling or blending, keeping the lightest area as the paper.
Worked example
A cup and saucer under a lamp at upper left. Reasoning: draw the rim as an ellipse, not a circle, because the cup is seen from slightly above; the ellipse's minor axis points to the viewer; the handle joins at the widest point; the cast shadow falls to the lower right, opposite the light; a reflected light appears inside the shadow edge; the saucer ellipse shares the same axis. Check the ellipse by drawing a centre line through both rim and saucer.
Traps
Drawing a symbol of a cup instead of the observed shape; outlining without volume; making all ellipses too round; letting perspective lines diverge; over-darkening so paper highlights are lost; erasing constantly instead of correcting lightly. Keep the drawing light until proportions are confirmed.