Still life drawing can be really rewarding, but too often we find ourselves struggling with dull arangements that are really difficult to do anything interesting with. Pieces of fruit in a bowl, a bottle of wine - it can easily be the same-old-same old. Here are some tips on putting together a great still life, thinking about lighting and backgrounds as well as componennts. Be sure to check the links for some illustrated still life examples, ideas and projects.
Here's How:
- Choose your location: a good, directional light source is the key to a strong drawing or painting. A lamp or bright window is perfect.
- If room lighting is diffuse, use a board or shadow box to to control the lighting that falls on your subject. You might need to be creative - blankets draped between chairs (on table!), umbrellas, appliance boxes... a little effort can make a big difference to the fall of light, and allows you to draw what you see instead of using guesswork to try and tweak the drawing.