What is a “Still Life”? “A drawing or painting that features an arrangement of inanimate objects as its subject.” Classic examples would be a bowl of fruit or flowers in a vase. Making your own Still Life arrangement is wonderful practice for drawing from life. And, thank goodness, the objects don’t move.
Wander around your house, in drawers, through the closets to find a few objects that have a rather simple shape. Make the exercise more personal and interesting by using items that reflect your interests and a little of who you are. I choose 3 items, because odd numbers are best for composition of the picture. I have a dance shoe for my love of dancing and an activity I spend at least 2 nights a week partaking in. I added a stuffed tiger cub who was the mascot at the elementary school I taught art at for 26 years. And finally, a ceramic teapot I made, to reflect my passion for all things art and creative. What will you find?
Arrange the objects on a flat surface. It is helpful to have them elevated a bit so you aren’t looking down on your things. Check to be sure you have decent lighting. Lightly sketch the items on the paper with a 2H or 4H pencil with simple geometric shapes. Pay attention to placement (which object is in front and you can see all of it, which is partially hidden?) and size comparison.
Once the Still Life arrangement is BLOCKED in on the paper in simple shapes, use a softer pencil (4B-6B) and refine the shapes. Many of the geometric shapes should actually be more curved and organic. Add the details you’d like to see in your composition, and leave out what distracts from your image. Artist’s choice.
I find simple pencil drawings have a beauty all themselves. But I think I will put this aside to work on later with more intermediate skills we will explore. Such as I could continue with shading and highlights giving it more depth and drama, or I could add color for a finish piece. Where will this take you?