Hot Tips from a Studio Rat #2: Work from General to Specific
A common mistake is to move too quickly to the rendering stage. Even the most beautifully finished drawing will look wrong if the framework is off. *AND* An accurate foundation will always look good. Take your time with this step- it’s worth it.
Curved lines are hard to measure visually and they will give you inaccurate angles. Start with straight lines. For this stage, use light lines. You’re not making any commitments at this point- you’ve got to get a solid foundation before using heavy lines. Get a loose outline, then separate the light from the dark. Make shapes, then refine them as you “carve” your structure. It will look smooth eventually. Work from general forms to specific details.
My professor used this narrative: when following directions, you cannot choose to skip every other turn and hope to get anywhere. Have faith in the process. It will take you where you want to go.
Everything is relative to something else. And your eyes will tell you what you need to know. When visually “measuring” the size of the shape, how does it compare to the size of this other shape nearby? No yardsticks- trust your eyes! Is one side of the shape more steeply angled than the other? Is this line longer than this other one? Again, take your time and check your measurements. You are training your eyes to see these things and it will take time to acquire this skill. Practice!