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WELCOME TO HOW ABSTRACT EDU!

I’m How Abstract!

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And I want to share my knowledge of art with you!

What is negative space?

8/14/2024

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Photo of small frog
Image courtesy of Adobe stock photos.
We last spoke about how lines and shapes are the bones of an image within a drawing. Now lets focus on the space that exist around an image. The space surrounds an image is called negative space. Negative space helps define the boundaries of the positive space (the image itself) and can be used to measure the accuracy of the proportions of the positive space. Understanding negative space can also be used creatively to enhance the overall composition of an artwork which will improve your design skills! Notice the image of the small frog to the left — all of the lighter green area that surrounds the small frog and 2 green branches is the negative space!
Now that we defined what negative space is. What are negative shapes? You guessed it! Negative shapes are the shapes that form when the lines that define the positive space connect to one another. Sometimes these shapes are geometric, and other times they can be organic. Look at the image of the small frog image to the right, do you notice all of the negative shapes that I highlighted with pastel colors? Identifying these shapes are important when checking and correcting the scale and proportion of your positive shapes (the image itself) within the composition. When we are aware of the size of the negative shapes, we can use them to help measure the size and scale of our positive shapes to ensure they are as accurate as possible. 
Photo of small frog showing negative space
Notice how the negative space created 6 negative shapes that surround the small frog. We can use these shapes to make sure our frog is the correct size!
Think about it, the negative shapes are just as important to a composition as the positive shapes; as they both make up the entire artwork. If you were to draw the negative shapes about too small, the frog would be bigger than its actual size. However, if you were to draw the negative shapes too large, the frog would be smaller than its actual size. Getting the negative shapes or space accurate when drawing an image,  takes you one step closer to having good proportion and scale, which helps your image appear as what it is supposed to look like without being distorted. Sometimes artist intentionally want to distort their image and will purposely alter the size of the negative space to accomplish so. However, if you are attempting to draw realistically, understanding and knowing how to use negative space as a tool, will serve as huge help when taking your first steps at drawing or brushing up on your drawing skills!
LETSDRAWTOGETHER_ SMALL FROG
Click the link above and download the free resource and practice drawing the small frog from the photo above. Remember to use the negative space to check the proportions  of the frog! Find the lines and positive shapes to help you draw the frog itself. I will post a video of myself drawing the frog as soon as possible and add it to this blog post. Until then…happy drawing!
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Should I have a “why” behind wanting to learn to draw?

6/13/2024

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The simple answer is YES!

​Having a clear reason behind why you want to learn how to draw is crucial is establish your motivation, ability to focus, and resilience.  I will identify and explain these reasons more in depth below!

The first reason is motivation! Understanding the purpose behind why you want to draw provides the drive and energy to pursue and accomplish the task necessary to meet your drawing goals. Motivation can also be a form of inspiration to help guide you through the challenges that will arise when learning a new skill; so that you can stay committed to your main goals. Motivation can be found in many people, places, and things which artist use to create amazing works of art! 
The second reason is to help you stay focused! Knowing why you want to learn how to draw will help you maintain focus and prioritize the actions you need to perform so that your drawing skills can grow stronger! For example, completing 1 drawing per day is a great action to help you achieve growth. Being able to remain focused ensures that you allocate your time and resources effectively, steering you away from distractions and keeping you on the path to becoming amazing at drawing!
The third reason is to build your resilience! When learning a new skill, there will always be fallbacks and areas we may not perform the best at, however, that does not mean we quit and give up on learning the skills we want to learn in order to grow. This is where resilience comes in — when faced with setbacks or failures when learning how to draw, having a strong “why” can bolster and build your resilience. It reminds you of the importance of your drawing goals and encourages you to persevere, fostering a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset, it imperative when learning how to draw and create art!

If you do not have or know the reason behind why you want to learn to draw. Take the time to ponder and think about it. You will be amazed at what having a “why” can do towards your growth in art! 

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“How do we use lines and shapes to draw?”

5/19/2024

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When we draw, we combine lines to create shapes, then, we combine shapes to create an image. When we break down an image to its basic lines and shapes, we are looking at the image “skeleton”. Once we have an understanding of the “skeleton” and can draw it, it is then, when you can begin to manipulate the skeleton by altering lines and shapes and adding additional details!  
The purpose of the “skeleton” is so that we can begin to add information on our paper in the size that we want it to be. Before we draw, our surface is blank. The “skeleton” adds basic information to our paper that we can build upon through the process of revising and editing. The “skeleton” can be looked at as a rough sketch of your final image. This reason is why I encourage my students’ to use light pressure when drawing the “skeleton”, as it will be erased overtime as you add in your permanent details. Once you have your permanent details, you can add even more fine details when you begin applying color to your drawing. I would like to demonstrate this process so I will upload a “color with me” video where we will apply color to our fairy cottage!   
LetsDrawTogether_Fairy Cottage
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What are shapes?

5/9/2024

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Shapes are enclosed areas that are flat. Shapes, along with lines, can be thought of as the “bones” of an image. Almost every image can be reduced to its “bones” which are the lines and shapes that make-up the image. When I am drawing an image, I find the basic lines and shapes of that image and start there. Once I have the anatomy or “bones” of the image sketched out, I build on top of it by adding more details  ​and altering previous details. I will demonstrate this process soon so please stay tuned!
The resources in the photo are free and downloadable so that you can either complete them traditionally or digitally. The goal with this resource is the same as the, “What is a line” resource — draw a variety of shapes, both geometric and organic/freeform, until drawing these shapes becomes automatic!

Happy learning and creating! :)
​I Love Art!
BASICGEOMETRICSHAPES_WORKSHEET
ORGANICSHAPES_WORKSHEET
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“What is a line?”

4/25/2024

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A line is a point creating a path as it moves through space. A line is also the most used element of art! When we look at images, most can be reduced to their most basic element, which would be lines. Lines connect to create shapes, and shapes are combined to build forms, and so on — it all begins with a line!
Picture of resource
Practicing how to draw a variety of line types in different directions with varying weight, will provide a great foundation to begin your journey of learning how to draw. This worksheet that I created is a simple way to practice drawing lines! It is a free downloadable resource that you can print again and again to continue practicing until drawing lines becomes “second nature”. This means, you are a master of lines, which will make learning how to draw, much more digestible. 
Here is the link to the worksheet. I suggest printing it out on card stock, however, standard printer paper works fine as well as using it digitally on a tablet/laptop/computer.
WHAT’S A LINE?_WORKSHEET
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“Can you teach me how to draw?”

4/23/2024

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Greetings everyone! This is my very first blog post on How Abstract Edu! I created this blog for many reasons, however there is one reason that sticks out to me the most — well… it is more so a question that I get asked the most — especially by my students. Can you guess which question that is? Yes! It’s, “Can you teach me how to draw?” I love when others have a thirst to create and indulge in art, however, I do not have the time to give one-on-one lessons to those who are interested.  This blog is a free way for me to share my art knowledge and resources with you so that you can continue to develop, refine, and master your art skills! 
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To begin to learn how to draw, it is best to get a good grasp of the 7 elements of art and 7 principles of design. I will begin with the 7 elements of art and begin to gradually introduce the 7 principles over time. Line and shape are the 2 most used elements within art. Some artist and art historians will even say they are the building blocks of all art creation. You see, every artwork, or majority, can be reduced down to its most basic elements which are lines and shapes. Therefore, I will start this blog off by talking about art elements Line and Shape! 

To the left are 3 free resources/worksheets I created to help you refine your fine-motor skills and introduce you to a variety of ways you can draw lines and shapes! Allowing yourself to practice drawing a variety of lines and shapes with the help of these worksheets will give you an understanding of how lines and shapes are used within artwork!
I created a google drive account where I will store the resources that I create and generate a shareable link for you to use. 
What’s a line?_Worksheet
Basicgeometricshapes_Worksheet
Organic Shapes_Worksheet
For my next blog post, I will post a short tutorial of how I use the worksheets above! Once you click the link it is a free jpeg document for your to download and complete digitally or you can print them out and complete them on paper (this is the option I opt for, but I have used them digitally as well). 

Thank you for allowing me to be your teacher!
Cheers to future blog post!
Happy learning and creating! :)
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    How Abstract Edu!

    ​How Abstract Edu! Is a safe space where artist How Abstract will share her knowledge of the fundamentals of art by creating resources, worksheets, sharing information, and posting tutorials via blog post. This information is meant to be free to the public, artists, art enthusiasts, and co.

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