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SET-UP: Place a white onion on a dark wooden table or dark-colored material. Arrange it so that the light illuminates the onion from above and slightly sideways (from a window or desk lamp). Face the setup so that you can see the side of the onion where the shadow is dividing it in half.
Draw it by following the same steps as in class.
Here is how the Grayscale (tonal range) in your drawing will be distributed:
VOCABULARY EXERCISE: Pretend you are an art critic, and write 3-5 sentences about your drawing, using the terms: chiaroscuro, tenebroso, sfumato, silhouette, monochromatic, highlight, cast shadow, body shadow, tonal range.
EXTRA CHALLENGE: The second subject for practice is a head of garlic. The challenge with garlic is due to the fact that while it has this solid “onion-like” form that’s rolling from light to shadow, it consists of smaller cloves, and each clove has its own light and shadow. Please note, that it is normal for a beginner artist to understate the darkness of shadows. Squint, and you’ll see the tonal range more clearly. Follow the same steps of the Chiaroscuro technique.
TIPS:
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Click here to learn how to spray your drawings. We also made a short video on our Instagram.
Click here to read the article about tone, written by Olya Losina, the founder of Prima Materia.