Drawing a Coffee Mug

If you look at the objects around you, you will notice that each object consists of different shapes. Your phone, for example, consists of a rectangular shape, a circle shaped lens, and different shaped buttons. In Mark Kistler's book You Can Draw in 30 Days, Kitstler uses the example of a coffee mug. Kistler shows how to use circles and lines to draw the coffee mug. 

To start, Kistler says to draw a circle in the shape of a cylinder (129). 

I then drew the base and sides of the mug. Kistler reccomends to "slightly taper the sides of the coffee mug inward. This will add a nice touch of character to your mug" (Kistler 129).

Next, I drew a partial circle on the inside, to show that inside the mug.  

I then drew the handle to the mug. I chose to draw it so that it was southeast of the cup. You can choose where you want the handle. 

To add my own touch, as Kistler suggests in this chapter, I added a plate under the mug. Lastly, to show dimension, I shaded shadows the cup and plate would make. 

From Kistler's book, I learned that every object consists of different shapes. I also learned that when I draw, I should add my own touch to my drawings to make it uniquely mine, from now on. Mark Kistler suggests to his readers that when drawing, the artist should first identify which shapes make up the object they are drawing. Do you think this is a good technique?

Kistler, Mark. You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo, 2011. Print.