Still Life Drawing

Introduction

In the Junior School CBC (KICD), Grade 9 Creative Arts refines observation and drawing skills. Still life is a drawing of non-moving objects such as fruits, a calabash and a cup. It trains the eye to see shape, proportion and light.

Setting up a still life

1. Choose three to five objects of different sizes and textures.
2. Place them on a plain cloth near a single light source, such as a window.
3. Overlap some objects to create depth.
4. View the group from a comfortable position and sketch.

Composition

• Fill the paper well; do not draw too small.
• Place the main object off-centre.
• Vary heights to guide the viewer's eye.
• Balance the left and right sides.

Steps in drawing

1. Lightly outline the overall group with basic shapes (circles, cylinders).
2. Check proportion by comparing heights and widths.
3. Refine contours.
4. Mark where light falls and where shadows form.
5. Shade from light to dark.
6. Add cast shadows on the surface.

Shading techniques

• Hatching: parallel lines.
• Cross-hatching: crossing lines for darker tone.
• Blending: smoothing with a finger or tissue.
• Stippling: dots.

Worked example

Drawing a mango and a cup: the light comes from the left, so the left sides are the lightest and the right sides the darkest. A cast shadow falls to the right of each object. Mango's round form is shown by gradual shading; the cup's cylindrical form by vertical tone changes.

Colouring

With coloured pencils or paint, mix tints (colour plus white) and shades (colour plus black) for variety.

Try it

• Arrange three kitchen objects and draw them for 30 minutes.
• Practise four shading techniques in a small chart.
• Compare two classmates' drawings and comment on composition.