I have read the lesson 1 and I still don't fully understand on how to do that.
If possible, can someone please explain step-by-step on how to properly draw from the shoulder.
Thanks, that was just the video I needed!
I Tought that I knew how to draw with the shoulder, but this video teached me a lot. Thanks.
...whoa whoa. You don't have to move SOLELY from the shoulder?! You're allowed to move the elbow too?!
Hello Thomas,
as you have written you have read lesson 1, I want to double check if you have you watched this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAtmiQgW6As (Drawabox Lesson 1, Part 1B: Using Your Arm).
Is this the step-by-step guide you need or have you already seen this and need more details?
Best,
Neuromancer
I did watched the video, but was a bit hard to understand at the time.
Someone here already answered my question, but thanks for trying to help!
Thanks for clarification! I watched out the for you recommended link too. Was also interesting for me.
For me it means drawing with my arm free. Specifically, I check that I am not resting any part of my arm or hand on the drawing surface, and that my elbow is not "tucked" into the side of my body but is relaxed and slightly separated from my body. Beyond that I do not try to "force" my upper arm to move more or less, I just focus on moving the pen where I want it to go, letting the joints move naturally. If I am drawing a straight line, I might allow the side of my hand to gently slide across the paper, but usually the pen is the only thing that contacts the surface.
It's easier if you have an angled drawing desk or easel.
To get an idea of how it feels, hold your arm out in front of you as though you were holding a pen and getting ready to draw on a piece of paper.
Look at your arm, and you'll see the angle between your forearm and upper arm is formed by your elbow.
Try moving your arm in a variety of directions without the angle between your forearm and upper arm changing.
If you look at your upper arm/shoulder while doing this, you'll notice that the angle between your upper arm and body is changing. This is moving your arm with your shoulder.
Your elbow will move, particularly when you try to move your arm in specific directions (e.g., forward or backwards along the imaginary line extending from the front and back of your forearm), and this is unavoidable. The intention is to try to focus on moving your arm from your shoulder, since ultimately those muscles are stronger and have higher endurance than other arm muscles. It requires a lot of practice to get them to move precisely, but it will make drawing less tiring in the long run, and allow you to draw much larger straight lines.
This recommendation is really just for those of you who've reached lesson 6 and onwards.
I haven't found the actual brand you buy to matter much, so you may want to shop around. This one is a "master" template, which will give you a broad range of ellipse degrees and sizes (this one ranges between 0.25 inches and 1.5 inches), and is a good place to start. You may end up finding that this range limits the kinds of ellipses you draw, forcing you to work within those bounds, but it may still be worth it as full sets of ellipse guides can run you quite a bit more, simply due to the sizes and degrees that need to be covered.
No matter which brand of ellipse guide you decide to pick up, make sure they have little markings for the minor axes.
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