Hi, Folks!
Today, setting up your studio space!
This should be obvious, right? Sit at the kitchen table, turn on the overhead light, and draw, huh? Well, there’s more to it than that if you want the make your drawing sessions more productive and comfortable.
First up, either buy or build a drawing table where you can adjust the table’s surface to about 45 degrees. When you draw on a flat surface, the top of the paper is further away from your eyes than the bottom of the paper, usually making for some distortion. When drawing people, it often results in big heads and little bodies. Not pretty. When you set your drawing table at 45 degrees, then the whole drawing paper surface is roughly equidistant from your eyes, eliminating this distortion.
Next, get two lamps. I suggest the adjustable lamps that you can clamp to each upper corner of your drawing table. With a lamp at each end of your table, your hand won’t cast troublesome shadows over what you’re drawing. These shadows are frustrating and awkward to work around.
Here is a short checklist of other important considerations:
- Keep all the tools you use regularly close at hand. This can be in a tray hooked to your art table, a nearby shelf, whatever, as long as the tools you need are in easy reach.
- Have a mirror mounted nearby so you can use it to check your pages for errors, or to model face expressions or hand poses in.
- Have a shelf within easy reach to keep all your current reference books and photos, scripts, models, and props.
- Don’t keep your ink on your drawing board. Spills happen, and it would be a shame to destroy your latest page!
Hope this helps!
Scott.
