How does an artist learn how to draw??

                                                                                                                        5th Grade

Being super, super observant is one of the best ways to become awesome at drawing.  Also, if you practice a lot and learn how the Elements of Design are used to create a work of art you will be on your way to becoming an amazing artist.

Contour vs. Gesture

We are going to begin by learning all about "LINE".

LINE is one of the Elements of Design that can be used in many ways to begin a work of art.  

Contour LINE shows the edge of an object, person, place or thing...whatever you are drawing.   Artists take their time drawing in a very controlled way, creating a drawing that shows accurate size, shape, and sometimes texture. 

GESTURE drawings are made using a LINE but when an artist creates gesture drawings they are usually trying to show a general idea of the shape and size of the subject they are drawing.   GESTURE drawings are loose, "scribbly", and aren't concerned with an exact representation of anything, just a general idea of what something looks like.  It's a great way to discover the proportions and a composition.  Take a look at some examples below.