Chapter 12
Making Meaningful Still-Life Drawings
In This Chapter
Choosing subjects to include in your still-life drawings
Arranging and lighting your still lifes
Creating your own still-life drawing
The still life is one of the most popular subjects in the history of art, likely because it offers so many clear advantages over any other type of subject. One of the most important of these advantages is time. Unlike human models, who eventually have to leave your studio to eat, sleep, and so on, still lifes work on your schedule. You can work on them for a while, take a break, and come back to them whenever you’re ready. And unlike when you work with landscapes, you don’t have to worry about changing weather conditions and the like when you work with still lifes.
When most people think of still-life art, they think of a bowl filled with fruit or a vase filled with flowers. The truth is, though, anything that sits still can make a good subject for a still life. The trick is to choose objects that are meaningful to you so that you don’t lose interest before you finish your drawing.
Because still-life drawings offer you the freedom to work when and for as long as you want, they make for ...
