To start to caricature you're going to need a few
materials. The nice thing about drawing is that it's a
pretty inexpensive hobby. Drawing is simple enough that
you could use any writing implement and any drawing
surface, but if you're going to take the time to learn,
you might as well get some decent tools.
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Lap desk. |
 Since this site is on the Internet, you'll probably be
sitting in front of your computer as you draw, so you're
going to have to be comfortable there. If you're at a
large desk where you can just clear a spot next to your
keyboard, that would be fine. If you're at a smaller
desk, or just don't have room to draw on your computer
desk, might I suggest a "lap desk". At many art supply
stores, and even at some Wal-Marts, you can buy what
looks like a large clip board. It's just a large piece
of wood with clips bolted on so you can clip your paper
to the board. Of course you could just get your own
board and tape your paper to it as well. What you will
do is set the board in your lap as you sit at your
computer desk and lean the top of the board on your desk
so you have an angled surface to work on. You may want
to angle your body so you can get to your computer's
mouse.
For paper you can just use typing paper of at least
8.5x11 inches or just grab a stack of printer paper.
Get one of those pink school erasers. Hopefully you'll
never use it. Also get a few of those cone shaped
erasers that go on the end of a pencil.
You can use regular number 2 pencils, but I think the
lead is too hard. A hard lead will give you a real thin,
gray line, a softer lead gives you fatter, blacker
lines. If you're at the art store looking for lap desks,
grab a bunch of 5B or 4B pencils. To see a comparison
between a No. 2 lead and other pencil leads check out
the next page.
You may want to get a blending tool to help create
shadows quickly. It's just tightly rolled up paper. The
one you buy will look much whiter than this one, this
one is years old. But you don't want the thing to be
white when you use it. To effectively blend with it you
have to prepare it. Take a blank sheet of paper and rub
your 5B pencil lead all over it. Now roll the tip of the
blender all over this graphite on the paper. Load the
blender with as much graphite as possible. Then when
it's "loaded", write with the tip of the blender on a
clean sheet of paper and see what kind of line you get.
The blender will "blend" lines, hence the name.
That's it! Now let's continue with the learning! |
