Sketching a Still Life

As I was looking through my old sketches, I realized that almost every sketch was a still life, meaning that the sketch was of an inanimate object. There was a small section in Sketching by Alwyn Crawshaw that addressed this type of sketch, so I decided to follow along.

Crawshaw states, "...a still life is an ideal subject for practicing quick sketching techniques" (32)
The section shows many of Crawshaw's examples, and he suggests to copy those examples first, then choose some objects around the house (32).

So, I began to sketch the examples shown in the book. Alwyn Crawshaw reminds us that, "...you can use an eraser for erasing, but keep in your main 'construction' lines, because they give the object stability and life" (32). I chose three of my favorite examples to sketch.

Note: Used a cylinder as the basic structure for sketching the mug.

Tip: To show form and prevent lifelessness in your sketch, add shading (32). Try to imagine where the light source would be, and shade in where you think there would be natural shadows.

Note: "A good thing about drawing a rubber glove is that, even if the drawing is not absolutely accurate, it will still look like a rubber glove" (32).



Finally, it was time to sketch on my own, without copying Crawshaw's example sketches. I really enjoyed sketching the example mug, so I chose to sketch a cup in my house. This cup sketch still needs some more shading, in my opinion. I'll continue to work on it!



Sketching a still life turned out to be a lot of fun. I agree with Crawshaw, who writes, "You can easily find enough to sketch in your own home, and if you set up a still-life subject, you will be in complete control of the subject, the lighting, and your own comfort" (31). I liked how I had a lot of control over my sketch because my subject wasn't moving (unlike sketching live animals).

The tips I found in this small section really helped so that I could sketch simply but realistically. My sketches have become less focused on the details, but more focused on the important elements of the subject, such as form and dimension.

What types of still life do you enjoy sketching? Are there certain objects that are more difficult for you to sketch?

Citation:

Crawshaw, Alwyn. Sketching. New York: Collins, 2008. Print.