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Grids pads and life

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Ant Holder

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How do you do yours? Do you use a grid reference? Sketch from life, trace or use technology which getting the image on canvas?

Adele Elgood

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I've used everything but the grid reference AG. I use photos and I have drawn freehand but that takes me a long long time. I've used a projector but didn't get on with that so well. I like using a lightbox the best and then I blow the image up on my photocopier and piece it back together.

Anth Knight

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Posted
I used to use a grid, now trace with carbon paper or use a projector. I'll get me coat...

Lucy Gilmore

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Posted
I tend to use the grid method. But I am sure picking up some tips i'd never thought of!
michael

Michael Edwards

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Just two methods: I usually draw it freehand and but sometimes to speed up the process take a photocopy of the image, scribble with 6B graphite stick all over the ack, place the photocopy on the watercolour paper, tack it down with a bit of tape at each corner and then draw round the image. Voila, a traced outline on the watercolour paper. Simples!

Adele Elgood

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By using the lightbox I can sometimes lose confidence in my drawing ability, which is not great at the best of times. I am doing another fibre art painting and I had drawn round all my shapes, including trees in the background. However I was trying to "paint" my sky around these shapes and it wasn't working so I decided to put the sky in first and then paint the trees freehand over it. My gosh I have had a mini breakdown just thinking about it because I am not used to doing it this way. Can much go wrong - we shall see.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Always sketch from life - you'll go wrong with doing that, but I'd rather go wrong than labour over fine details, trace, project, grid - I haven't the patience for the grid method, and if something's a bit out of place, I really have never cared: I can see the value of drawing out a grid in portrait work, but I still wouldn't do it.

Peter Davison

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Sometimes use the grid method if I have a photograph as reference but usually work from pencil or oil sketches and in those cases draw freehand, with usually a few corrections, but working in oil allows that.

Michael Robinson

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I have used a grid on occasions but prefer to draw free hand. Sometimes working the grid out takes time so I'd rather get on with it. I haven't tried any portrait work yet but I think I would use a grid for that.

Kay Devlin

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I usually draw freehand, I enjoy the process a lot more even though it can sometimes take a lot longer. It also means that my pictures won't be exactly like the reference I'm using. If I have too much trouble getting something to look right I'll use one of the other methods. I always use a grid for portraits as it's the only way to stop people looking like aliens, although I am trying to get out of the habit. If I just can't get something right on my paper but I've drawn it fine elsewhere, I'll trace, using either a lightbox or greaseproof paper from the kitchen drawer. Kay M
DSCF4152

Anonymous User

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I either measure if doing a specific botanical study, fiddly, but nice result. But prefer to draw freehand, the more you do it this way the better you become and your confidence will soar as you become more adept with your drawing tools.
Moi 17

Linda Wilson

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I agree with Carol. Freehand is best and the more practice you have, the better it gets. I have been known to use a bit of cardboard with a rectangular hole in it to see what would and should not be in the composition, but not often.
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