[Brake Check]

I have two questions...Beginner Level

1) I have been studying Van Gogh's early drawings and the perspective set up is plain to see. Should I draw (light pencil) perspective grids or guidelines on drawings or is that done by eye and talent? Should I practice drawing without setting up proper grids and guides?

2) I have been sketching outside. I am using graphite and colored pencils.
What should be in the bag? Pencils and papers, of course (and a manual delete device) ..but should I pack rulers, compass and other aids to set up perspective guides as I do when working on the computer or at a table?

I have been strictly a mouse around computer graphics person but I want to go hard copy..I will see if the skills are transferrable.
Pencil? Where do I plug in the headset?

[Sumaleth]

I'd say include the perspective lines, and use a ruler.

If you want to learn to eyeball perspective you can always start with a sketch and then use a ruler to draw the true perspective over the top, and over time you could expect to get better at it.
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Art Links Archive -- Artists and Tutorials

[Brake Check]

Thanks for the quick reply..

I put a ruler in the bag. I will tote it along for quick corrections if a line looks too out of whack..Now that I think about it..It is easier to whip out a ruler than redraw, redraw and erase, erase erase..I wear holes in the paper.

I can't get the perspective or proportion without at least a mark for the horizon line. Must be a "computer dependency" because those "perspective" setups are so fast and easy in digital media.

I will do some freehand sketches during every daily session and then do the perspective over the top, as you suggest, to learn how I am off and where

I just wondered if "hard copy" artist had a different method or if they used aids like rulers and other measuring devices.

[T_England]

What often helps is training your arm to do good straight lines, practice a few hundred keeping your wrist steady and drawing from either the elbow or shoulder, the idea is to get good at construction and after a while you can anticipate it in your head and do it intuitively, this guy wrote a whole program on it.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=146

Other dudes to check out are Scott Robertson and Feng Zhu
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www.tenglandsketchbook.blogspot.com
www.thomasengland.co.uk

[Brake Check]

T. England
Now you have me thinking..I only need points ..sigh distance etc
It is the measuring..dividing into equal parts..that would require a ruler..as I should be able to draw a reasonably straight line or at least visualize one to those points from any point...
BUT..I have been puzzled by proportion. Dividing line by eye might be the part I am missing..I am going to try drawing geometrical design "by eye" to see if I can do it
I did some of Robertson's tutorials when they were more readily available. At the time, most of them were a bit too advanced for me. I didn't understand the question so the answer was meaningless..
Fenng Zhu is awesome!
I will check out the conceptart.org link more closely and study it today
Thanks Again!

[johnbriner]

Consider the perspectives, one way of making your art to be a great one!
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John Briner Art

[Brake Check]

UpDate:
This is easy and fun. I am drawing bottles and boxes and barrels and weeds and cue balls. I can draw what I see..Not Well but...enough that I want to improve....and I have some small ability to improve on..
So far..I am freehanding everything..no rulers..just eye measures and my proportions are not good
One residual effect of the computer is I draw very small.
I can do a celtic knot..and it is so much faster than a computer..
Doing it by hand is faster..I am better on a computer but much slower.. I can improve..maybe enough to post something on this forum some day..