When was the last time you drew something? Not just a doodle along the margin of your notebook during a work meeting but an actual drawing of something? The power of creativity isn’t to be underestimated but too many times we’re held back by our own insecurities. Common remarks when I talk about drawing are: “I can’t draw! I’m hopeless!” But everyone can draw and their drawing can improve greatly with just some simple guidance.
And so it’s been with my drawing classes in the Hague, Netherlands. We’ve been working on a couple of projects so that my students can get more confident in developing their own style and colour palette. We’ve recently been working on two separate bi-weekly projects that have had fantastic results.
Unleashing creativity in art classes
I wanted my budding artists to get used to experimenting and really understand the power of complementary colours. Our first project was based around drawing flowers with a blueish grey pencil. The reason for choosing this particular shade is because it goes well with most other colours. And it has a unifying power in the drawing that is very pleasing to the eye.
I got the students to really look at the colours and find nuances of other hues within the flowers. Then I asked them to exaggerate those other colours in their drawings. And to also focus on shadows and shading by using the cross-hatch method.
The second project had a focus on complementary colours. I got my students to draw fruit or vegetables and asked them to select a complementary colour for the shadows. So if they drew a green apple, the shadow would be in red, for example. This was quite challenging as the picture could quite easily take on a childish, rainbow quality that the student hadn’t anticipated. And so I made sure that the shading was done as a cross-hatch to give a more sophisticated polish to the drawings.
Creativity is breaking out of established patterns to look at things in a different way.
Edward de Bono
These two concepts are so important for adding depth and tonal values to sketches. It’s so tempting to use the same colour for shadows and shades, pressing harder where the shadow falls — but it really doesn’t transmit enough depth to the drawing. By shading with cross-hatching, coupled with the use of complementary colours, the artwork develops more character and personality.
As the students progressed and became more confident in their creativity, I suggested they try and find a colour palette of their own. I encouraged them to experiment by perhaps just using one colour for the shadows or using a mixture. It’s only by experimenting and not being afraid of failure that we really grow as artists.
Free trial class
If you, too, are interesting in participating in my classes, then why not come for a free trial session? I’m opening up my course to new students on the first Tuesday of every month — so come along to learn new techniques and unleash your inner artist.