Subjects for Drawing Practice

Subjects for Simple Drawings – Draw the front of the house in which you live. If it is a simply constructed building this will not he difficult. If it is somewhat ornate in its facade, draw only a part of the detail, such as the front door or a window or two. Draw any of the outbuildings, such as the barn, the shed, or a chicken coop, or garage.

As mere suggestions from memory subjects, the following are offered. Many others will suggest themselves to the teacher according to the surroundings:

SUBJECTS

Draw
– The house you live in.
– The mailbox.
– The front door.
– The shed.
– The dog house.
– The wheel of the wheel-barrow.
– A wheel-barrow.
– The handle of the shovel.
– The shovel.
– Any toy.
– Draw a horse.
– Draw the wheels and the steering wheel of a car.
– The car itself.
– Draw any piece of furniture.
– A broom.
– A serving spoon.
– Anything else used in the kitchen.
– Any simple garden tool.
– Any carpenter’s tool, such as a saw, hammer, screwdriver, level etc. Draw any tool used by a plumber, electrician, musician or skilled worker.
– Draw any article of clothing: A hat, slipper, boot, or shoe. (Coats and dresses may be found rather difficult at first and may be omitted from the earliest exercises.)
– Draw a barrel, a pail, a dipper or cup.
– Show with a few lines what a lamp or a candlestick looks like.
– The pupil should not be discouraged if he fails to draw more than a few of these subjects. If he can do a few fairly well, he is making a very good beginning.

Correct Outlines

The student should become as perfect as possible in his ability to depict things by means of outlines. The outline is important always. Even in a drawing composed entirely of tints and shadows the areas of light and shadow, have their definite outline and they must be accurately placed. The limit of one’s ability to draw correctly an outline is the limit of one’s ability to reproduce, with any art utensil, be it brush or pencil, the boundaries of given objects. To do the latter well is a great part of aJl that can be learned from instruction in art. Unless one can represent form by means of outline one will not be able to do so by means of light and shade effects alone.

Tagged as: outlines, subjects