Abstract Shapes: Micro-Lesson and Sketchbook Project.
Maybe you dropped off.
Maybe you never started.
Doesn’t Matter. Start again, Start now.
Every week I give you a short Micro-Lesson and a Sketchbook Project. Having a project is the best way to learn. This week’s project aims to help you build a more articulate drawing style by focusing on how you use abstract shapes.
Hi, I’m Adam Ming, Startup Co-Founder turned Picture-book Illustrator. I write to help Intermittent Creatives build a Creative Habit and this is Ten Minute Artist!
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Micro Lesson:
Your Illustration Toolbox: 7 ways to use shape in composition.
Balance: Flat shapes are key in achieving balance in art, creating symmetrical or asymmetrical harmony by distributing visual weight. Symmetry is attained by mirroring shapes, while asymmetry involves varied shapes for dynamic compositions.
Contrast: Utilizing different flat shapes, sizes, and colors creates contrast, enhancing certain composition elements. Mixing geometric and organic shapes, or varying sizes, adds visual interest and can express emotions or highlight key areas.
Movement: Flat shapes can direct the viewer’s eye, suggesting motion. Placing shapes diagonally or in repeating patterns implies direction and energy, creating a visual narrative.
Unity: Unity in art is achieved through consistent use of flat shapes, be they geometric, organic, or a mix. This consistency and repetition of shapes or patterns create a cohesive and rhythmic composition.
Emphasis: Strategic placement of contrasting flat shapes creates focal points, drawing attention to significant areas. Unique shapes serve as visual anchors, emphasizing key parts of the artwork.
Depth and Space: Flat shapes can suggest depth and space. Overlapping and varying sizes of shapes create perspective, with changes in size and detail simulating three-dimensionality.
Mood and Atmosphere: The selection and arrangement of flat shapes influence an artwork's mood. Irregular shapes can evoke chaos, while rounded shapes suggest calmness, affecting the overall narrative and emotion.
These points highlight the importance of flat shapes in designing compositions with balance, contrast, movement, unity, emphasis, depth, and mood.
Sketchbook Project
Everyday for a week we are going to fill a page of a sketchbook with abstract shapes.
Easy mode is just to fill the page with shapes for 10 minutes each day. Not just known shapes, like circles and triangles. But made up shapes too.
The shape of a chicken drumstick, or the letter ‘A’ without the hole in the letter, or foliage but made out of circles.
The goal is to add definition to your shapes to help you become more articulate with drawing.
Hard Mode is to use flat abstract shapes to convey the following:
Monday: Balance
Tuesday: Contrast
Wednesday: Movement
Thursday: Unity
Friday: Emphasis
Saturday: Depth and Space
Sunday: Mood and Atmosphere.
Interpreted these prompts however you like1. Pro Tip: If you’re doing Hard Mode, write the prompt in your sketchbook in advance, so you can just draw without referring to this email.
Post your sketches (and observations) in the gallery, I’ll post mine too, along with notes on why I think the sketch fulfils the prompt.
Here’s a CheatSheet for the weekly prompts (Use ONLY if stuck):
Monday: Balance
Use shapes symmetrically to create a sense of stability and harmony. For example, place identical shapes on either side of your page. Alternatively, achieve asymmetrical balance by using different shapes but arranging them in a way that they visually counterbalance each other.
Tuesday: Contrast
Explore contrast through shapes by using opposites. Pair large shapes with small ones, round shapes with angular ones, or dense shapes with sparse ones. This will create a visual tension and highlight the differences between the shapes.
Wednesday: Movement
Suggest motion by arranging shapes in a flowing sequence or pattern. Diagonal lines, spiraling arrangements, or shapes that progressively change in size can give the illusion of movement across the page.
Thursday: Unity
Aim for a cohesive look by using shapes that have a common feature, like similar curves, angles, or line quality. Repeating a particular shape or pattern across your sketch can also create a sense of unity.
Friday: Emphasis
Use shapes to create a focal point. This could be done by placing a unique shape amidst more uniform ones, using a contrasting color for a particular shape, or arranging shapes so that they lead the eye to a specific area on the page.
Saturday: Depth and Space
Convey depth by overlapping shapes, varying their sizes (larger shapes appear closer, smaller ones seem further away), or using shading. You can also create an illusion of space by arranging shapes to mimic a three-dimensional perspective.
Sunday: Mood and Atmosphere
Select and arrange shapes to evoke emotions. For example, jagged, angular shapes can create a sense of chaos or tension, while smooth, flowing shapes might convey calmness or serenity.
There's no single right way to fulfill these prompts; they're meant to encourage exploration and personal interpretation.
Looks like fun!
I’m falling behind this February, but I’ll try to get these done by this weekend in one sitting of one and half hour time 😜