Creating & Drawing a Still Life

Art Standards Why Create a Still Life?

• 1.1 Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, • In order to obtain full
Creating & Drawing analyze, and write about visual aspects in the environment
and in works of art, including their own.
knowledge of the elements of
art and design, you must put

a Still Life them into practice.

• Creating a still life
• 2.1 Solve a visual arts problem that involves the effective use composition will challenge
Unit topic 2.1 of the elements of art and the principles of design. your; spatial, critical, and
Visual Arts aesthetic thinking.
Grade 9
• 2.4 Review and refine observational drawing skills.
Stevan Moreno

Recall a time that you wanted to draw something

you saw in life, and you just couldn’t get it right.
Starting Your Still Life: Keep it Interesting Composing your Still Life

• Drawing still lifes helps us • Find interesting objects around your home • Once you have gathered your 3-5 objects, you
3-5 for your still life. Note, that in this case must compose them; usually on a flat surface
strengthen our hands and eyes so interesting refers to the size, shape, and with an unoccupied background. You could
texture of your objects. also place sheets on your surface and hang
we may faithfully recreate what them for your background for added intrigue.
we see. • Ask yourself what would make an interesting
composition?
• Also keep in mind balance. Find an array of
• Just how composing a still life objects from simple to complex. Balancing • Consider the size of each object, the
simple and complex objects keeps the complexity of each object, and what objects
helps develop spatial, critical, viewer from becoming overwhelmed and refract more light.
allows places for the eye to rest.
and aesthetic thinking; drawing a • Usually you will want to put larger objects
still life develops your skills in towards the back. The same goes for brighter
• (ex. An egg is a simple object, its smooth more reflective objects depending on their
spatial, critical, and aesthetic and casts nice shadows. A glass is a complex size. Also you may want to arrange smoother
more simple objects next to more textured
problem solving. Allowing you to object as it bends light and warps its and complex objects for visual symmetry.
background.) The more angular, textured,
draw accurately from life. reflective or asymmetric an object the
more complex the object.

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Creating & Drawing a Still Life

Lighting Your Still Life Beginning Your Drawing: Materials Getting Your Paper Ready: Toning Your Paper

• Now that you have established • Now that you have your objects composed and lit, you are ready to • Before any drawing gets started, it is important that you tone your paper.
your compositions, consider begin the drawing process.
• To tone your paper means lightly shading your paper
your lighting. • You will need:
• A drawing board • Toned paper establishes your background and will help in giving your final
• Using a singular light source • A sheet of Bristol board, 14 x 17 or 19 x 24. product depth.
will result in stronger shadows. • Pencils 9H-8B
• Or if you are working in charcoal pencils you will need 4B-6B, and a few sticks of vine
• To tone your paper you will need vine charcoal (even if you are working in
charcoal. graphite)
• Play with your light source • Kneaded eraser
placing it at different angles • Take your sandpaper and file one of your vines over the entirety of your Bristol
• Vinyl eraser board.
over your still life until you • Paper towel or tissue for blending
find shadows you are satisfied • And a scrap sheet of paper to protect your hand and image when drawing • Then with a paper towel in circular motions run the shaving all over your
with. • Fixative Spray or if you are in a bind - Hairspray Bristol.
• Sand Paper
• Your board will be toned in a light gray and ready for drawing.

Beginning Your Drawing: Contour Lines

Check Your Work Next Step Shading
Now You Try
• Before you start drawing remember to protect your hand • Before we move forward, check to see that • Consider the shapes of your objects
and drawing. you have accurately drawn your objects. now that you have your contour lines
• Take a sheet of scrap paper large enough to rest your • Prop up your drawing and take a step back Draw established.
hand on while you draw. This will keep smudges off your from your work. Looking at your drawing
skin and oils from damaging your work. and composition, compare the two, to see • Ask yourself. What kind of shading
that your drawing is accurate. would complement the forms best?
• Now sitting across from your still life composition, with
either your 9H pencil or 4B charcoal pencil, draw a faint • Ask yourself: do any angels or lines need
Step Step
• Look over these styles of shading to
horizontal line across your Bristol board. adjustment, is anything bending where it
back and back and
your right for ideas. Pick one or
• This line will act as your guide. Known as a horizon line,
shouldn’t, is anything too big, is anything combine a few to shade your work.
warped? observe observe
it will be the origin for your objects to rest on.
• Do not be upset if you have to redraw an • Note that you are not limited to just
• Now that you have your guideline set up, With the same object, this will only make you a better these styles of shading, this is only a
pencil start drawing the contour lines of your objects.
artist. guide.
• *Remember contour lines are not outlines. They are lines
that capture the shape of your object and what is seen
• Repeat the process until you drawing Edit • Remember all shadows are gradient
within them. Think of yourselves bending wire, use that
reflects your composition. not just black, they are blended and
wire to make the lines of your object. connected.

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Creating & Drawing a Still Life

Things to Remember When Shading Things to Remember When Shading Adjusting Shading
(Graphite) (Charcoal) Now You Try
• Recall that in the previous slide it • When shading with charcoal, start by • Now that you have begun shading your work ask
yourself. What if I were to see my work in a
was mentioned that shading is a establishing your light shadows with gallery? Look at
your vine charcoal, then working 4B- your
gradient. 6B. • Would the shading make it pop off the page, or work
would it be too dark and/or flat?
• Starting with your HB pencil, • You will find that charcoal blends • Stepping away from your work, close one eye and
establish light shades and work more smoothly than graphite look at your composition then back at your work
creating more dynamic shadows. looking for flat spots.
your way up with your pencils to • With your kneaded eraser you can pull up excess Re-shade
Erases
excess
9B for darker shadows. • With that in mind, it is very easy for graphite or charcoal, lightening your work. shading
an image to become over shaded and • Or with your vinyl eraser you can carve out large
• Work from light to dark! for shadows to become over blended sections of shadow to reemphasize your shading.
turning an image flat.
• At transitions from light to dark • Note that cutting out shading sections with a
shading, remember to blend to • Shade conservatively at first with vinyl eraser will be harder with charcoal, as it is
has a stronger adherence to paper. Redefine
charcoal, save any heavy darks for shapes
create a gradient effect. the very end, and blend carefully.

Highlighting Cleaning Protecting

• With established shadows and mid tones creating

the bulk of your drawing's definition, highlights • With your drawing now completed you need to clean all the excess • With a clean and finished drawing it is important to protect your
will give your shadows added depth.
• Look at your composition and see where the light
graphite or charcoal off your drawing to avoid smudging. work so that it can last you a life time
reflects the most. We are looking bring out the
whitest whites. • Before touching your drawing place it on a table so that you may • Take your can of fixative or hairspray hold it 8 inches to a foot
• With your kneaded eraser molded into a point,
erase where you want to establish your
wash any graphite or charcoal off your finger tips. away from your drawing, and lightly spray your drawing evenly.
highlights.(see highlights in blue circle on the
right) • With clean hands pick up your drawing still fastened to your • Fixative or hairspray bonds your medium to your paper and allows
• There may also be spots that are not highlights,
but still create breaks in the shadows (like the
drawing board and hold the board up right an inch off the floor. for easier handling.
section on the right circled in yellow.).
• To create dimension, dab your kneaded eraser on • Tap your drawing board letting the side hit the floor. This will • It is important that you keep this to at most two coats, the more
spots where you want to create some relief,
picking up a little bit of graphite or charcoal at a shake loose any excess graphite or charcoal without smudging your coats, the more likely your paper is to warp and ruin your
time. drawing. Do this 2-3 times. drawing.

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Creating & Drawing a Still Life

Storing and displaying Now You Try

• Your work in now finished and ready to show. • Now that you have just learned how to create your
own still life, try the following:
• To display your work you have two options: • Create another still life with the opposite medium from
• You may pin it up, but this will leave holes in your the one you first used and this time use colored Bristol
paper. board.
• Or, I recommend framing it. • Keep in mind when using colored Bristol board, stick to
mid tones which will work better for your drawings (ex.
• Note, framing does not have to be expensive, poster shops burgundy, brown, gray.)
do framing for as little as seven dollars and makes your • Lastly, teach a peer or sibling how to create their own still
work look more professional. life.

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