Hand Rendering Tutorial

Many approaches exist for rendering (drawing) an image by hand. Some popular ones include sketching impressions of an object or image in front of you or tracing directly over an image onto translucent paper. Whichever approach you choose, expect your "inner critic" to reflexively judge your first sketches by how well they resemble the subject you intended them to represent. Among a starting artist's first task is satisfying or silencing this critic. Rendering images by hand provides a kind of satisfaction that no other activity can provide.

• 1

  Obtain in digital image form (JPEG, BMP, PNG), a photo of a subject you like. You'll render this image on a new sheet of paper.

• 2

  Print the image then use a ruler to draw a grid of squares onto it as follows: Draw a square that encompasses the full subject. Divide (by drawing) the square into like-sized quarters then eighths then smaller. Stop drawing squares when the side of each measures one inch or less. These squares will help you estimate the location of the image's edges.

• 3

  Draw, on a new sheet of paper, a copy of the grid you drew in the previous step. You'll transfer the original image onto this new sheet.

• 4

  Draw an edge, curve or shape from any of the squares in the printed image, onto the corresponding square of your drawing page. Estimate the shape's location, size and orientation by observing closely its relationship to each of the sides of its surrounding square--especially the sides closest to the shape.

• 5

  Draw the remaining shapes from the selected square onto your drawing page, as you did the first shape. Then draw the contents of the remaining squares in the original printout. Completing this step produces a realistic line rendering of the original image. You'll now clean up the image and add values (shading) to it.

• 6

  Erase, with a kneaded or other slim-edged eraser, the grid lines you drew in step 3. This will leave narrow gaps in the drawn image, so draw lines that reconnect the shapes and fill the gaps. Refer to the original printout to do this.

• 7

  Print a black and white copy of the original image. You'll duplicate this copy's values (white to black) onto the drawing page.

• 8

  Search the black and white printout for the largest, darkest shape. Rub your pencil uniformly within the outlines of the corresponding shape on your drawing page until the shape's value (i.e. shading) matches the printout's value.

• 9

  Repeat the previous step for the remaining shapes in the black and white printout. Draw from the largest and darkest shapes to the smallest and lightest ones. The result will be a realistic rendering of the black and white image.