Learn how to draw and paint China and Egypt through this free online workshop. learn essential techniques and tips in this video and article.
My favorite part of this scene of China was adding the red lanterns and cutting around them with those darks. This was a very busy scene, the reference photo was a bit much for some viewers. Just remember to draw the large shapes first. The buildings on the left and right can be reduced into two large shapes and then segmented from there.
Always look at a scene and reduce the features down into smaller shapes. For example, I draw the lanterns by indicating simple circles. The buildings are mainly composed of triangles and rectangles.
Figures can be added to give life a painting, and I made the decision to add some in the foreground and background to lead the viewer into the scene and give a sense of a busy street and movement. Keep their heads at the same point on the horizon line if you want to imply a flat landscape.
This is the second scene that I painted live. The shadows play a big part here to bring out the light. Don’t be afraid to add in those darks! I would suggest making the pyramid in the background lighter and less pronounced by using a thinner pigment liner or pen. It sticks out a bit too much for my liking here.
The figures were really fun to do, and I had to preserve the white of the paper here.
I hope you’ve learned a few useful drawing and painting tips in this ‘Paint China and Egypt’ workshop. See you around!
