Portrait Drawing Tip 80
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Why rendering tonal values won't give 3D appearance
As a Drawing Academy tutor, I receive student drawings for critique on a daily basis. Many artists ask me how to make objects appear three-dimensional. They think that there is some "magic trick" of tonal rendering that will do the job. The truth is, to make a good realistic drawing, an artist has to "build" an object properly. This also applies to portraits. I use the word "build" instead of "draw" because good drawing is constructed rather than happens accidentally. When it comes to rendering, many artists misunderstand its main purpose, which is not to "decorate" objects with tonal values, but to reveal their three-dimensional construction. If the purpose is misunderstood, the result might look flat instead of 3D. There are many rules of proficient tonal rendering. To learn those rules, take the Life Drawing Academy Correspondence Course
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