Still Life Drawing Exam resourses

Still Life Drawing Exam Resources

The Still Life Drawing Exam is 2hours and 30minutes long. 

Still Life lessons are the best way to discover and practice the basic techniques of drawing and painting. You can take the drawing and painting skills that you learn from this lesson and apply them to any subject in art.

Each of our still life lessons will teach you about:

• The fundamental techniques of drawing and painting.

• The handling of different media. e.g. pencil, chalk pastels and oil pastels.

• A step by step approach to building up a still life drawing.

• A step by step approach to building up tone and color.

• The qualities of a good composition.

The practice of still life develops and strengthens your natural level of drawing ability. It improves your observation and rendering of shape, tone, color, pattern and texture in a range of different media. You also learn a lot about composition - the interaction of positive shapes (the objects)and negative space (the area around the objects). 

Here are some examples of Still Life Drawings using different media

STILL LIFE IN PENCIL

Still Life is the best subject in art for learning and teaching the skills of drawing and painting. It teaches you how to look at objects and see them like an artist - with a perceptive awareness of their outline, shape, proportions, tone, color, texture, form and composition.
Our step by step still life lesson will teach you the drawing techniques used to create the still life above which was done with a 2B pencil on cartridge paper. You can see an animated version of this lesson in our Still Life Pencil Slideshow.

• Steps 1 to 4: These steps demonstrate how to draw the shapes and proportions of the still life objects using line.

• Steps 5 to 8: These steps illustrate how to render the three dimensional form of the still life using tone.

ART MATERIALS FOR OUR STILL LIFE PENCIL DRAWING

For this still life lesson you will need:

• a 2B pencil

• an eraser

• an A3 sheet of stiff cartridge paper, or a paper of similar quality around 180+gms.

STEP 1: STARTING THE STILL LIFE DRAWING

TECHNIQUE: In any still life, you should start to draw the objects as if they are transparent wire frame forms with visible lines of construction. This technique helps you to be fully aware of the shape of each individual form and its position in relation to the other forms. It is important to sketch the objects lightly as this makes it easier to change any mistakes and erase any lines of construction.
NOTE: This see-through drawing technique uses vertical and horizontal lines of construction to help you to draw convincing ellipses and to balance the symmetry of cylindrical forms.

STEP 2: CREATING AN INTERESTING COMPOSITION

TECHNIQUE: When composing a still life, try to introduce the qualities that make an interesting arrangement. You need to be aware of the abstract structure of your arrangement: its rhythms and contrasts of line, shape, tone, color, pattern, texture and form.
NOTE: A transparent wire frame approach to sketching the still life helps you to organize the composition of the group. It makes it easier to see the shape, position and proportions of each object in relation to its neighbours.

STEP 3: ERASING THE LINES OF CONSTRUCTION

TECHNIQUE: Once you are happy with the shape, proportion and composition of the still life, you can erase the lines of transparent construction. This will leave you with an accurate visible outline of each form and the confidence that all the objects are positioned correctly. You are now ready to work on the details of each object.

STEP 4: ADDING THE DETAILS IN LINE

TECHNIQUE: Now lightly sketch in the shapes of any shadows or reflections onto each object.
NOTE: The more care you take over the accuracy of these marks, the easier you will find the next stage of the drawing - the Application of Tone.

STEP 5: SHADING TECHNIQUE - 1

TECHNIQUE: The tone of our still life is built up in four stages outlined in steps 5 - 8. In this step, some basic tones are lightly applied to each object to help build up its three dimensional form.

STEP 6: SHADING TECHNIQUE - 2

TECHNIQUE: The second stage in building up the tone focuses on the spaces between and around the objects.
NOTE: The drawing of the light and shade between the objects must be treated with as much importance as the drawing of the objects themselves. The shadows cast beneath and around the objects add as much to the definition of their shapes as does the shading on their surfaces. Notice how the counter-change of tones between the objects and the spaces takes over from the use of line to define the forms of the still life.

STEP 7: SHADING TECHNIQUE - 3

TECHNIQUE: In the third stage of building up the tone, you focus back on the objects. This time you deepen their tone, increasing the contrast between the areas of dark and light. This will enhance the form of the objects and increase the impact of the image.
NOTE: The biggest problem at this stage is maintaining a balance of tones across the whole still life so that no object appears too dark or too light. You are searching for a unity of tone and form.

STEP 8: SHADING TECHNIQUE - 4

TECHNIQUE: Finally, you focus again on the spaces between the objects, deepening their tones and increasing their contrast.
NOTE: You need to be careful in balancing the tonal values of the objects and the spaces between them to ensure that you create a unified image.
THE FINISHED STILL LIFE: The completed still life should work on two levels: as a realistic representation of the group of objects and as a dynamic composition of visual elements, harmonizing and contrasting the use of line, shape and tone.

STILL LIFE WITH OIL PASTELS

Still Life is the best subject in art for learning and teaching the skills of drawing and painting. It teaches you how to look at objects and see them like an artist - with a conscious awareness of their outline, shape, proportions, tone, color, texture, form and composition.
This step by step still life lesson will demonstrate the techniques used to create the still life above which was done with oil pastels on cartridge paper. You can see an animated version of this lesson in our Oil Pastel Slideshow.
Steps 1 to 6: These steps demonstrate how you should establish the basic shapes, tones and colors of the still life.
Steps 7 to 10: These steps illustrate how to adjust the colors and tones to increase the dramatic impact of the still life.

ART MATERIALS FOR OUR OIL PASTEL STILL LIFE

For this still life lesson you will need:

• a box of oil pastels.

• two A3 sheets of stiff cartridge paper or a paper of similar quality around 180+gms. (one sheet can be used as a palette for testing color mixtures).

• some tissues or kitchen paper for blending colors and tones.

• a palette knife or similar tool (in this case a plastic clay modelling tool) for scraping off excessive layers of oil crayon and for experimenting with different textural effects.

STEP 1: DRAWING THE STILL LIFE

TECHNIQUE: In any still life, you should start drawing the objects as if they are transparent wire frame forms. This approach helps you to be fully aware of the shape of each individual form and its position in relation to the other forms. This see-through drawing technique also uses vertical and horizontal lines of construction to help you to draw convincing ellipses and to balance the symmetry of cylindrical forms.
NOTE: When you are working with oil pastels it is not usually good practice to start your drawing using a black crayon as it will contaminate the purity and freshness of any colors applied over it. In this case the initial sketch was done in violet. After some tests it was found that most of the other colors in the box blended comfortably on top of the violet crayon.

STEP 2: APPLYING TONE AND COLOR

TECHNIQUE: At this stage of the work, the foreground and background were loosely blocked in using a dark and light green respectively. A tissue was then used to soften the texture of the pastels and blend the color more smoothly. Next some blue was lightly applied to create the areas of shade. Finally, the tissue was used again to blend the various colors together and to refine the merging tones of the shadows. You can see this process more clearly in our Still Life Oil Pastel Slideshow.
NOTE: When drawing a still life, you normally start with the nearest object and work towards the background of the group. However, when applying color in paint or pastels you reverse this process, starting with the background and working towards the front. You will find that this method helps to improve the sharpness and accuracy of your work as you are always drawing the edge of an object over its background. This way there are no awkward gaps left between any object and its background.

STEP 3: COLOR THE STILL LIFE FROM BACK TO FRONT

TECHNIQUE: After applying color to the background and foreground you move on to the objects at the rear of the still life group. A basic brown crayon was used to draw in the dark tones of the bottles. The lighter tones and reflections were left as the white of the paper. Again a tissue was used to smooth out the rough texture of the crayon and blend the tones more gradually into one another. You can see this process more clearly in our Oil Pastel Slideshow.
NOTE: Although it is not obvious in our illustration, it is helpful to lightly sketch the shapes of any shadows or reflections onto each object before you start applying the color.

STEP 4: COLORING THE VASE

TECHNIQUE: The form of the large vase on the left hand side of the still life was built up with broad layers of yellow, red and blue. These colors were subsequently blended together with a white crayon. A tissue was then used to smooth and unify the overall tone to create the mottled effect of this color. You can see the process of this step more clearly in our Oil Pastel Slideshow.
NOTE: When you are building up layers of color on top of one another, do so lightly as an excessive thickness of the oil crayon will start to resist the application of more color. If this happens, use a palette knife to scrape off the excess crayon so that you may then apply fresh color.

STEP 5: ADDING THE REFLECTIONS TO THE SILVER CUP

TECHNIQUE: Next the distorted shapes of the reflections on the silver cup were carefully drawn from close observation, however, they were loosely colored exercising care not to overdo the darker tones. These reflected colors and tones were mixed by various combinations of red, blue and dark green. The lightest tones, which were created without any white crayon, were achieved by allowing the white of the paper to shine through.
NOTE: In an attempt to keep the color as fresh as possible, no black was used in the creation of the darker tones.

STEP 6: COMPLETING THE BASIC COLORS AND TONES

TECHNIQUE: The final step in completing the basic colors and tones of our still life was to shade in the green apple. It was initially colored using a bright yellow which would establish a luminous foundation for the darker layers of green to be applied at a later stage. The areas of darker tone on the apple were suggested by smudging a light green into the yellow.
NOTE: This step completes the application of the basic shapes, tones and colors of the still life. It is only once you cover all the major areas of white that you should to start to adjust and balance the colors and tones of the work to create a unified composition.

STEP 7: ADJUSTING THE COLOR AND TONE FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT

TECHNIQUE: Once the basic colors and tones of a still life are established, they need to be adjusted to balance their harmony and contrast across the composition in order to increase the expressive impact of the image. We start this process by increasing the tonal contrast of the background and foreground. In the background, a dark blue was blended into the green base color to deepen the darkest tones behind and below the objects. A layer of white was also applied to subdue the luminosity of the green. In the foreground the subtle variations of tone and reflected color were suggested with blended layers of white, blue and yellow.
NOTE: The level of contrast that you establish at this stage sets the tonal key for the rest of the still life. All the objects must now be adjusted to that same level of contrast.

STEP 8: BUILDING UP THE FORM OF THE VASE

TECHNIQUE: Next, the form of the vase on the left is built up using a thin layer of white to strengthen its lighter tones and a blended mixture of red, yellow and blue to deepen its darker tones.
NOTE: A small line of reflected light is highlighted down the right hand side of the vase to increase its contrast with the background.

STEP 9: INTENSIFYING THE COLOR AND TONE OF THE BOTTLES

TECHNIQUE: Continuing the process of working from back to front, the colors and tones of the two bottles are now intensified. Blues and reds are blended into the brown of the bottles to deepen the density of their dark tones while a full spectrum of light colors including pinks, yellows, oranges, greens, blues and violets is used for their reflections.
NOTE: Earlier we said that still life 'teaches you how to look at an object and see it like an artist - with a perceptive awareness of its outline, shape, proportions, tone, color, texture and form'. Once you begin to develop this 'perceptive awareness' you can begin to exaggerate some of these visual elements for expressive effect. For example, when our artist first looked at the two bottles he observed some very subtle hints of color reflected on their surface. He then exaggerated these subtle reflections by increasing the intensity of their color in order to enhance the visual impact of the bottles. The different ways that artists edit what they see through this 'perceptive awareness' is what gives their work its individual style.

STEP 10: POLISHING UP THE FINAL IMAGE

TECHNIQUE: To complete the still life, the tonal contrasts of colors in the silver cup and the apple are exaggerated by dramatically darkening the reflections and shadows on both objects. Various mixtures of blue, red, dark green and brown were blended to create the darkest areas of tone in these objects, while a little white was applied as highlights and to sharpen contrasting edges.
NB: Finally, and for the first time in this still life, some small amounts of black were used to deepen the very darkest tones. It is always advisable to carefully limit the use of black to the final stages of a work as it easily overpowers the freshness and vitality of other colors. You can see this process more clearly in our Oil Pastel Slideshow.
NOTE: When students first start to practice still life, their most common error is to understate the contrast of tones in a work. This is down to the technique of blending one color into another. They may start with the correct light and dark tones, but once they start blending their colors together, the light tones become darker as they mix with darker colors and the dark tones become lighter as they mix with lighter colors. Consequently the range of tones from the lightest light to the darkest dark is reduced and the impact you get from their tonal contrast is lost. What you need to do to remedy this is to exaggerate the differences between the light and dark tones before you start blending to compensate for the loss of contrast after blending. Remember that in order to achieve a unified image, the level of tonal contrast that you are searching for must be balanced throughout the whole still life with each object adjusted to a similar tonal scale.

STILL LIFE IN CHALK PASTELS

Still Life is the best subject in art for learning and teaching the skills of drawing and painting. It teaches you how to look at objects and see them like an artist - with a conscious awareness of their outline, shape, proportions, tone, color, texture, form and composition.
Our step by step lesson will teach you the drawing techniques used to create the still life above which was done with chalk pastels on brown sugar paper. You can see an animated version of this lesson in our Still Life Pastel Technique Slideshow.
Steps 1 to 4: These steps demonstrate how to establish the lines, shapes and tones of the still life.
Steps 5 to 9: These steps illustrate how to build up the colors of the still life.

ART MATERIALS FOR OUR CHALK PASTEL STILL LIFE

For this still life lesson you will need:

• a box of chalk pastels.

• a set of pastel pencils for finer details.

• a couple of sticks of white blackboard chalk.

• a soft eraser.

• two A3 sheets of sugar paper or a paper of similar quality around 150+gms. (the second sheet can be used as a palette for testing color mixtures).

• a blending stump (tortillon) or alternatively a tissue for blending colors and tones.

• a can of fixative or hair spray (the cheapest of these are the best for this purpose) to protect your image and prevent it from smudging.

STEP 1: A PRELIMINARY LINE DRAWING

TECHNIQUE: Our still life lesson using chalk pastels begins with a line drawing to establish the basic shapes of the group and some of the reflected details on the objects. Fixative was applied at this stage to prevent the drawing from smudging. (To see the stages that lead up to this point in the drawing please view our lesson on Still Life Pencil Technique).
NOTE: When you are working with chalk pastels it is not good practice to start your drawing using a black pastel or charcoal pencil as it will contaminate the purity and freshness of any colors applied over it. In this case the initial sketch was done with a violet pastel pencil. After some tests it was found that most of the other colors in the box blended comfortably on top of this color.

STEP 2: ESTABLISHING THE DARK TONES

TECHNIQUE: The next step in creating our still life in pastels was to focus purely on the dark tones, with a view to rendering the form of the objects, before applying color in the later stages of the work. A violet crayon was used to establish the areas of dark tone which were then smudged and blended using both a tortillon and tissues. A similarly colored pastel pencil was used for the finer details. You can see this process more clearly in our Still Life Pastel Technique Slideshow.
NOTE: Be careful not to overwork the dark tones as it is easier to darken pastels than it is to lighten them. Make sure you leave an adequate amount of unshaded paper to accommodate the lighter tones and colors. If you apply the dark tones too heavily at the start of a work you will have difficulty in keeping the lighter colors bright as the darker tones will persist when you blend them together.

STEP 3: INTENSIFYING THE DARK TONES

TECHNIQUE: A burnt umber (very dark brown) pastel crayon and pencil were used to intensify the darkest sections of tone. Adding this deeper level of tone will enhance the form of the objects and increase the impact of the still life.
NOTE: Once you establish the general areas of dark tone, it is necessary to look more closely at the objects to find the darkest sections that lie within their areas of shading.

STEP 4: ESTABLISHING THE LIGHT TONES

TECHNIQUE: Next you establish the lightest areas of tone to heighten the three dimensional qualities of the still life. The aim here is to create a balance between the light, dark and medium tones: the light tones rendered by the white chalk, the dark tones created by a blend of violet and burnt umber and the medium tones established by the neutral color of the paper. It is very important that you do not overwork the light and dark tones and leave enough of the paper exposed to accept the layers of colors that are yet to be applied. You can see this process more clearly in our Still Life Pastel Technique Slideshow.
NOTE: A stick of white blackboard chalk was used to render the light tones. Blackboard chalk is harder than pastels and can be sharpened to a fine point to highlight the crisp edges and fine details of the objects.

STEP 5: INTRODUCING COLOR

TECHNIQUE: You now begin to introduce color to the still life in a series of layers, applying the brightest layer first, the next brightest second, and so on towards the darkest. At this stage a layer of yellow was applied to the exposed areas of paper on those objects whose colors ranged between yellow and green.
NOTE: Once you apply an area of color, gently soften its edges to subtly blend it into the light and dark tones.

STEP 6: BUILDING UP THE COLOR STAGE 1

TECHNIQUE: A layer of green was carefully blended into those objects which had a greenish hue. Applying the green on top of the yellow gives the color a luminosity and complexity that you do not get from using a single color. You can see this process more clearly in our Still Life Pastel Technique Slideshow.
NOTE: As you blend the various layers of colors into the light and dark tones of the objects, you will notice that those tones begin to take on the correct light and dark tones for that color. The success of this technique largely depends on those colors that you choose for the dark tones at the start of the still life. Always test your colors before you start the still life to see what range of tones they can produce.

STEP 7: BUILDING UP THE COLOR STAGE 2

TECHNIQUE: Next, a layer of light and mid blue were softly blended into the background and foreground respectively.
NOTE: When the mid blue is blended over the underlying dark tones of the foreground, it does not achieve the same depth of tone as the dark green shadows did on the apples. This is because the blue is more opaque than the green. Such variations have to be adjusted and balanced out once all the colors have been applied.

STEP 8: BUILDING UP THE COLOR STAGE 3

TECHNIQUE: Finally, the bright reflected colors on the silver cup and the neutral grey of the large vase on the right were carefully blended to complete the basic colors of the still life.
NOTE: As the color of the still life has been built up one object at a time you often get an inconsistency in the overall unity of the work. This is generally seen in variations of tonal contrast across the work, usually due to the opacity of different colors or lapses in your concentration and technique. Either way, this problem has to be addressed in the final stage of the work.

STEP 9: BALANCING THE TONES AND COLORS

TECHNIQUE: To complete the still life we adjusted and balanced the tones and colors throughout the work to achieve an overall unity in the composition. This was done by adding subtle changes to the color of certain objects and cautiously using black to balance the contrast of tones across the work.
NOTE: The color black is used for the first time in this still life. The dangers of overusing black cannot be emphasized strongly enough. It must be used discreetly and with great care as it all too easily overpowers the other colors.

Example Still Life Drawing

 

 

 

 

 

Still life painting

 

Still life the basics - pencil tutorial videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK_XRBYNwUY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxypSbD9kiE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaKQA9-mx9I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKKff0TXJR0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD2v0Dwg2og

Still life using oil and chalk pastels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldSTmqHNV5s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBOuHpzec3Q

Still life using paint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_5Z-eH6OKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQ1S1YwkI0&list=PLCEED3AC1FE9BA6FB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXmUuFftiOI