project 4: rhino in pajamas - luís carlos petry · resources: • 2.2.r13 how to outline grids •...

Resources: • 2.2.R13 How to Outline Grids• 2.2.R14 Outlining Subjects Within a Grid• 2.2.R18 Seeing and Comparing Values

Supplies: paper, 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, and 6B pencils; pencil sharpener, sandpaper block, vinyl and kneaded erasers, ruler

This project has four sections:• Set up a Drawing Space and Grid• Sketch Accurate Proportions Inside a Grid• Outline Rhino with Neat Contour Lines• Add Final Details to Rhino and His PJs

ISBN: 978-1-927539-27-9Copyright © 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including

electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.

Project 4: Rhino in Pajamas

Identify the value and thickness of diverse lines as you accurately duplicate the broad range of lineweights required to render a drawing based on a work by Albrecht Dürer

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.2Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 61.3Drawspace Curriculum 2.2.A19 - 12 Pages and 22 Illustrations

As an Aside

In 1515, Albrecht Dürer created a highly detailed pen and ink drawing of an animal he had never even seen. This amazing drawing of an Indian rhinoceros was based on only a rough sketch and a written description. Dürer employed his artistic license to create this believable, but quite unusual looking animal. This drawing was widely accepted in the West as a realistic representation of a rhinoceros right up until the 18th century.

In this project, you render a detailed, in-proportion contour drawing of a stylized version of a drawing of a rhinoceros by Albrecht Dürer. The primary goal is to identify the value and thickness of each line and then choose the appropriate pencils to draw their lineweights accurately.

Before you begin, compare an illustration of the original drawing by Albrecht Dürer (Figure 1) to the subject of this tutorial (Figure 2).

2 Drawspace Curriculum 2.2.A19



Set up a Drawing Space and GridA drawing space helps render accurate proportions to start your project off on the right foot.

1. Turn your drawing paper to a horizontal format and outline an in-proportion drawing space (Figure 3).

An ideal size is 10 by 6.5 in (25.4 cm by 16.51 cm). Your sheet of paper needs to be large enough to leave a border all around the drawing space.

2. Use a ruler to measure and mark the sides of the drawing space to accommodate 60 identical, 1 in (2.54 cm) squares with 10 half squares along the bottom (Figure 3).

You need 10 squares across by 6.5 squares down.

Figure 3

Figure 1

Tip!

When you outline grid squares, remember to press very gently with your pencil to keep your lines light. By applying very little pressure to your pencil, you can create very faint lines. Before you begin drawing, lighten your grid lines with a kneaded eraser until you can barely see them.

Figure 2



3Drawspace Curriculum 2.2.A19

3. Use a ruler to lightly outline grid squares inside the drawing space (Figure 4).

4. Add numbers along the top and bottom and letters down each side so each square can be easily identifi ed by a number/letter code.

Figure 4

Figure 5

Tip!

Remember to visually measure distances (plot and dot) along the sides of each grid square. If you draw some lines in the wrong grid squares, simply erase that section, redraw the grid lines, and keep on going!

Sketch Accurate Proportions Inside a GridIllustrations guide you through the process of creating your in-proportion sketch.

Figure 5 shows how very faint the lines are in the actual hardcopy sketch.

5. Take your time and sketch only Rhino’s major contours inside each grid square in turn (Figure 6).

Figure 6 has been darkened in Photoshop so you can clearly see the lines.

Use feathered or continuous lines and a 2H pencil.

Figure 6




Remember to keep your pencil marks light, so mistakes can be easily erased.

Outline Rhino with Neat Contour LinesIn this section, you use freshly sharpened pencils and continuous curved lines to add more visual information to your drawing of Rhino.

6. Add additional details to your sketch with a 2H or HB pencil.

The curved lines in Figures 7 and 8 are not simply traced on top of the sketch lines; they are modifi ed to be more accurate.

7. Take a few minutes to review your drawing one square at a time, and adjust lines as necessary.

To fi x lines that are inaccurate, simply erase and re-draw.

8. Use your kneaded eraser to erase the grid lines and the outline of the drawing space (Figure 8).

Figure 7




9. Redraw the sections of lines that were inadvertently erased.

10. Lighten your sketch one last time with your kneaded eraser until the sketch lines are barely visible.

Figure 8




Figure 9 Figure 10

Add Final Details to Rhino and His PJsIn this section, you use your sketch lines as guides to complete your drawing by working from the tip of his horn to the tip of his tail. In some sections, you simply draw over existing lines. However, the best part of this project is adding lots of new and wonderful lines with a full range of values and grades of pencils.

The process of using fi ve grades of pencils to render lines of different weights is demonstrated in the drawing of Rhino’s head (Figures 9 to 13). From there, you are on your own to draw the rest of Rhino!

If you look closely at the illustrations in this section you can see the faint lines of an underdrawing.

You have two options for completing your drawing: use a 2H pencil to very lightly sketch the locations of these details before you add fi nal outlines, or jump right in and draw the various types of fi nal outlines!

11. Add the heaviest lines and sections of lines with a 6B pencil (Figure 9).

Try to keep the edges of the lines neat by going over them with a freshly sharpened pencil before you continue on to the next step.

12. Use a 4B grade of pencil to add the heavy lines featured in Figure 10.

13. Use a 2B grade of pencil to add the medium-weight lines shown in Figure 11.

Figure 12




Figure 11

Tip!

Constantly sharpen the points of your pencils with a sandpaper block and occasionally sharpen the pencils themselves with a sharpener.

Tip!

To protect your drawing from smudging, place a piece of clean paper under your hand as you draw. Each time you work on a new section, remember to move your paper so it’s always under your hand.

14. Use an HB grade of pencil to add the lighter, thinner lines you see in Figure 12.




Figure 14

Figure 13

15. Use a 2H grade of pencil to add the lightest lines (Figures 13).

Rhino’s head is now fi nished!

Tip!

To create an even greater range of lineweights than the base value of each grade, simply vary the pressure you apply to your pencils.

16. Use the process of working from heavy lineweights to light lineweights to complete the rest of Rhino’s body, pajamas, tail, and the cast shadow below him.

Refer to Figures 14 to 21.

As you work, constantly refer back to previous illustrations and ahead to new illustrations to make sure you don’t miss anything.




Figure 15

Figure 16

As an Aside

Albrecht Dürer and his brother, Hans Dürer were both famous artists. Their father (also named Albrecht) and mother (Barbara) had a total of eighteen children!




As an Aside

Albrecht Dürer was infatuated with the rhinoceros that he drew. He referred to his drawing to make a wonderful woodcut, which he used to make prints to sell at markets. Additional prints based on Dürer’s woodcut underwent numerous artistic derivatives for several centuries after his death in 1528.

As an Aside

In 1515, Manuel I, King of Portugal, sent a live rhinoceros (on which Dürer’s drawing was based) to Pope Leo X as a gift. Unfortunately, the rhinoceros never arrived at its destination; it drowned in a shipwreck off the coast of Italy in early 1516.

Figure 17

Figure 18




As an Aside

In 1956, Salvador Dali created a three-ton, bronze cast sculpture of a rhinoceros based on Dürer’s drawing. Dali stayed true to Dürer’s representation of a rhinoceros, but couldn’t resist adding two humongous sea urchins as a satirical reference to the actual animal’s demise in a watery grave. Today this sculpture, titled Rhinoceros Dressed In Lace (Rinoceronte vestido con puntillas) resides in Puerto Banús in Marbella, Spain.

Figure 19

Figure 20




17. Check over your drawing one last time and fi x anything with which you’re not happy.

Refer to Figure 22 and the many close-up views throughout this project. If you want, you can use a kneaded eraser molded to a wedge to erase any smudges or unwanted sketch lines.

Give yourself a huge hug—you have fi nished a huge project of a huge animal!

Figure 21

Figure 22

project 4: rhino in pajamas - luís carlos petry · resources: • 2.2.r13 how to outline grids •...

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