I would define drawing [...], really as organization and expression of relationships.— Craig Mullins, Interview
There are many ways of creating contrasts, among them:
Curves are opposed to straight lines
Larger strokes are opposed to thin strokes
Hard edges are opposed to soft edges or even lost edges
Light values are opposed to dark values
Etc.
Valentin Serov - Portrait of Princess Olga Orlova. On the left side, several contrasts help identify how the painting will turn out. The hat is darker than the fur, which is darker than the dress. The Princess is mostly curvy lines, while the background is made of straight lines. Clothing creates hard edges, while the face has soft edges. | Full size
Painters use drawing sketches as roadmaps, where relationships inform both the artistic intention, but also the practical way of achieving this intention, in the final painting.
Points to remember:
Contrasts exist to reinforce the composition by creating relationships between elements.
Contrasts is not just the difference between dark and light values, but several other things that depend on the medium used to draw or paint.
Thinking in relationships is good to translate artistic intention, but also has practical benefits, like indirectly creating a roadmap for a more fleshed out piece done later.
Initially published: June 5th, 2022 Generated: May 28th, 2023