I like to first determine a new student’s drawing skill level, whether they can break a form down into several shapes.
Determining if a student can draw from still life or need a source picture to work from. Then how they actually draw their lines, with small light sketches or hard continuous lines that may be harder to rub out.
Then I like to know their knowledge on grades of pencils from H to B’s and how to use them. What they may erase out with, Pencil eraser or mouldable eraser (each eraser is great for specific correcting or rubbing back). Their knowledge of paper, 180gsm for drawing up to 300gsm for watercolours.
What previous experience they have had with other mediums, pencils, watercolours, acrylics, pen and ink, pastels etc.
Getting back to their first original pencil drawing, I get each student access to a drawing board, correct paper, masking tape to tape down all edges of their paper. A HB pencil, a pencil eraser, a mouldable eraser, and a ruler.
I then set a new student up with a simple coffee cup or mug on a raised neutral coloured box. I get them to identify their light source. Look at where the lights and darks are. Any high lights. Perspective, angle, and composition on the page. Basically, where they would like to draw their subject on the page, allowing for framing, not too much space up the top or bottom but not necessarily smack bang in the middle.
The rule of thirds helps, and I encourage a first drawer to draw big! None of that small, teeny tiny stuff in the corner of the page. Drawing big helps a beginner to include all the details of different shade areas and to select a couple of small detail features to put more focus on rather than trying to detail the whole drawing.
If a student seems a bit hesitant on where to begin, some warmup drawing exercises are helpful, just drawing continuous circles on some lower grade butchers’ paper is quite freeing.
I find getting a beginner student to do a tonal scale greatly helps in determining how much pressure is required to reach black blacks and to also see the varying tonal shades that can be achieved with just one pencil grade. Some students gravitate towards to the darker b grades, which I try to dissuade more for shadows and finishing touches.
And when the class is finished, get everyone to stand back and have a look at how they’ve gone. It’s even helpful to get some shared constructive criticism from the other class members as others will pick up things that the student may not have noticed could do with correcting.
Happy drawing.
Michelle Miller
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