In honor of Halloween, I’m going to draw some pumpkins. Recently I joined some friends to draw and paint at a local pumpkin patch. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of pumpkins. I especially loved the gray ones and those that had unusual shapes.
I was reminded of a student who questioned me about my use of vertical lines to draw round objects. He understood how I could draw buildings, “But,” he said, “How could you draw a pumpkin?” “Like this,” I said. Then I proceeded to do a five minute drawing of an imaginary pumpkin using only straight (fairly straight) vertical lines.
Watch for yourself as I tackle a group of pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. I start out with a light pencil sketch placing each of the pumpkins on the pile. Then I literally start in the front and move around the pile drawing each one. I put in a few outlines for definition, but most of the drawing is vertical lines that define value.
It took about an hour to work my way around the pumpkin pile. It’s a simple drawing, but looking closely you can see how the proximity of the lines defines the shape of each pumpkin. I used an 01 Micron pen on sketchbook paper. I wish I would have used watercolor paper. These pumpkins were not the usual orange, but a deep reddish color and I can’t help but think a bit of watercolor would add to the drawing.
Love to Draw 