Fun with Abstract Art Plop!

Steps For Drawing Abstract Shapes

Abstraction in art is thought of as the elitist of activities, despite being simple to learn and master. Therefore, drawing Abstract Shapes is an activity that can be easily learned and can be perfected with a lot of patient practice.

Abstraction and drawing Abstract Shapes starts with the fundamental idea that the objects we see are a conglomeration of Basic Geometrical Shapes such as, Triangles and Squares. It is the combination of these shapes, which build the complex world around us. For example, a Fir Tree is only a Triangle and it does not take a wild imagination to reduce a building into a Square.

So why is it so difficult to draw Abstract Shapes? Primarily because we refuse to see the big picture when drawing Abstract Shapes. It is all very nice to notice the detailing in the leaves of the tree; it is easy though to miss out the shape of Foliage and that of tree. It is these fundamental Geometric Shapes, which help us draw Abstract Art.

Let us try a few basic steps to Drawing Abstract Shapes, which anyone with half the amount of Grey Cells as Picasso, can do.

o Selecting Subject. Take a note pad and sit in the front of any object, which you want to observe, say a pot, a few toys, or whatever you think is interesting. There should be adequate shading and light on the Subject. To create an effect, you may put a Table Lamp on one side of the object selected for drawing Abstract Shapes.
o Geometrical Figures. Now half close your eyes to blur the object. You should be able to see only the basic outline of the object. Take your pencil and draw the basic shapes you can make out in the blurred picture. The basic shapes should be limited to the Straight Lines, Circles, Ovals, Triangles, Rectangles, and Squares.
o Image Distortion. Keeping the same set up of Geometrical Figures, now juggle around these shapes so that you have a distorted image of the object of Abstract Art you had drawn earlier.
o Accelerate. Using the same basic shapes that you drew earlier, now accelerate the process. Do the same thing with twice the speed.
o Filling Up. Just fill up the areas, which appear dark in your blurred images. Leave out the rest.
o Repetition. Repeat until you feel that you are going to collapse if you drew that thing even once more. Take a break
o Abstraction. Now draw the basic shapes without the real object.

The main idea of drawing Abstract Shapes is to blur the picture you are looking at so that what remains are just blocks of Geometrical Figures. Details are immaterial in Abstract Shaping as long as the basic shape is right.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Is is also a venue for artists to display and sell their art . Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited. Please visit the website at http://www.labedzki-art.com