Types of analytical drawing
This student's analytical drawings concentrate on the tone, shapes and colours of patterned fabric
Types of analytical drawing include:
- contour drawing - shows outlines, shapes and edges but not fine detail, texture, tone or colour
- cross contour drawing - uses lines drawn across surfaces to suggest their depth and form
- tonal study - uses different techniques that show light and shade, for example by blending, hatching or cross-hatching
- colour study - explores and shows different colours and tones, for example by blending colours together, using a range of different coloured pens, overlapping different colours of pencil
A student's colour study exploring colours of facial features
Try challenging yourself by setting limits on your drawing, for example:
- Set a time limit on your drawing. Try drawing the same composition in 15 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes. This helps you concentrate on key elements.
- Try blind contour drawing. This involves drawing while you look at your subject not the drawing. This helps you concentrate on what you see rather than what you think it should look like.
- Do a continuous line drawing in which you never take your pen or pencil off of the paper. This helps you work on varying line weight.
These continuous line drawings made by a student of cacti give more line weight to the overall shapes and use a lighter line for markings and more delicate details.
More guides on this topic
- Finding inspiration - Edexcel
- Responding to stimuli - Edexcel
- Developing ideas - Edexcel
- Creating a design brief - Edexcel
- Experimenting with materials and techniques - Edexcel
- Recording and observing - Edexcel
- Annotating your work - Edexcel
- Analysing and evaluating - Edexcel
- Assessment objectives and presenting your work - Edexcel
- Externally set assessment - Edexcel