How to Draw an Apple

ຂັ້ນ​ຕອນ​ຕໍ່​ຂັ້ນ​ຕອນ

1. ຂັ້ນ 1

   ແຕ້ມວົງມົນ​ທີ່ກວ້າງກວ່າ​ຄວາມສູງ​ຂອງ​ມັນ​ເລັກນ້ອຍ

   Start round and correct it later. An apple is not a perfect sphere but it is much closer to one than beginners draw it - most people go straight for the dented top and end up with a shape that reads as a pepper.

   ລະວັງ Drawing the classic 'apple silhouette' from memory instead of the round mass that is actually there.

   ກວດ Slightly wider than tall, and no dent yet.

2. ຂັ້ນ 2

   ກົດ​ໃຫ້​ມີ​ຮອຍ​ຫ່ຽວ​ຢູ່​ເທິງ​ສຸດ, ໄປ​ທາງ​ຂ້າງ​ໜຶ່ງ.

   The dip where the stem sits is rarely centred, and putting it slightly to one side immediately makes the apple look like a real one rather than a logo. Keep the dent shallow.

   ລະວັງ Cutting a deep V into the top. Real apples dimple, they do not fold.

   ກວດ The dent should be off-centre and gentle enough to still read as a circle.

3. ຂັ້ນ 3

   ອະນຸຍາດໃຫ້​ສ່ວນລຸ່ມ​ຕັ້ງ​ຢູ່​ນອກ​ສູນ​ກາງ​ເລັກ​ນ້ອຍ​ເຊັ່ນ​ກັນ.

   Almost nothing in nature is symmetrical, and an apple leans. Nudging the base a little away from the dent gives the fruit a direction, which reads as weight.

   ລະວັງ Making the outline perfectly symmetrical, which looks designed rather than observed.

   ກວດ Draw a vertical line through the dent - the two halves should NOT match exactly.

4. ຂັ້ນ 4

   ເພີ່ມ​ຕົ້ນ​ໄມ້​ທີ່​ມີ​ຮາກ​ອອກ​ມາ​ຈາກ​ຮູ​ທີ່​ແຕກ​ອອກ​ມາ

   A stem is a short thick tube, not a hair. Give it some width and let it lean - a vertical stem in the middle is the fastest way to make an apple look like a cartoon.

   ລະວັງ Drawing it as a single thin line straight up.

   ກວດ It should be thick enough to have two sides.

5. ຂັ້ນ 5

   ເພີ່ມ​ໃບ: ເສັ້ນໂຄ້ງ​ສອງ​ເສັ້ນ​ທີ່​ພົບ​ກັນ​ຢູ່​ຈຸດ​ໜຶ່ງ

   One curve is the top edge, the other the bottom, and they meet at a tip. Attach it to the stem rather than floating it nearby - the join is what stops it looking pasted on.

   ລະວັງ Drawing the leaf as an oval, which reads as a balloon.

   ກວດ Both curves should meet at both ends: base and tip.

6. ຂັ້ນ 6

   ເລືອກ​ບ່ອນ​ທີ່​ແສງ​ຈະ​ມາ​ຈາກ ແລະ ​ເຮັດ​ໃຫ້​ມັນ​ເປັນ​ສັນຍາລັກ

   Everything from here depends on this one decision, so make it consciously rather than letting it drift. Pick a direction - upper left is easiest - and commit. If you have a real apple, put a lamp on one side of it and look.

   ລະວັງ Not deciding, then shading a bit everywhere. That is the single reason most beginner drawings look flat.

   ກວດ You should be able to say out loud where the light is.

7. ຂັ້ນ 7

   ແຕ້ມເສັ້ນ​ໂຄ້ງ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ເຮັດ​ໃຫ້​ມີ​ແສງ​ສະຫວ່າງ​ຢູ່​ບ່ອນ​ທີ່​ແສງ​ສະຫວ່າງ​ຈະ​ສ່ອງ​ແສງ​ໂດຍ​ກົງ​ທີ່ສຸດ.

   The brightest spot is not on the edge - it is on the part of the surface facing the light most squarely, which on a sphere is inside the form, slightly up and toward the light. Outline it now so you remember not to shade it.

   ລະວັງ Putting the highlight on the outline instead of inside the shape.

   ກວດ The highlight should be surrounded by apple on all sides.

8. ຂັ້ນ 8

   ສ້າງ​ເງົາ​ຢູ່​ດ້ານ​ນອກ​ທີ່​ຫ່າງ​ຈາກ​ແສງ, ​ທີ່​ມຸມ​ທີ່​

   Work in one direction rather than scrubbing back and forth. Scrubbing produces an even grey, which is exactly the thing that makes a drawing look flat, so lay your strokes the same way and build the darkness up in passes.

   ລະວັງ Being too timid. Beginners routinely stop two or three steps short of dark enough.

   ກວດ The darkest area should be clearly darker than the mid tone, not slightly.

9. ຂັ້ນ 9

   ປ່ຽນ​ສີ​ຂອງ​ເງົາ​ໃຫ້​ເປັນ​ສີ​ຂາວ​

   On a round object the transition from light to dark is gradual - a hard edge would mean a sharp corner. This soft band is called the core shadow and getting it to fade is most of what makes a sphere read as a sphere.

   ລະວັງ Leaving a visible seam where the shading starts.

   ກວດ Run a finger along the transition. You should not be able to point at where it begins.

10. ຂັ້ນ 10

    ເອົາ​ແຖບ​ທີ່​ເບົາ​ກວ່າ​ໄວ້​ຕາມ​ລຸ່ມ​ສຸດ​ຂອງ​ແຖບ​ນີ້

    Light bounces up off the table and catches the underside. That thin lighter strip is called reflected light, and it is what stops the apple looking glued to the background. It is subtle - lighter than the core shadow, still darker than the lit side.

    ລະວັງ Making it as bright as the highlight, which flattens the bottom of the apple out again.

    ກວດ Three values along the bottom: dark, then slightly lighter, then the shadow on the table.

11. ຂັ້ນ 11

    ເພີ່ມ​ເງົາ​ໃສ່​ຕາຕະລາງ, ໄປ​ໄກ​ຈາກ​ແສງ

    The cast shadow is darkest where it meets the apple and softens as it moves away. It also anchors the fruit to a surface - without it the apple floats, however well you have shaded it.

    ລະວັງ Drawing it as an even grey oval detached from the apple.

    ກວດ It should touch the apple and be darkest right at that contact point.

12. ຂັ້ນ 12

    ເພີ່ມ​ຄວາມ​ເລິກ​ຂອງ​ຄວາມ​ມືດ​ທີ່​ສຸດ ແລະ ກວດ​ເບິ່ງ​ໄລຍະ​ທາງ​ຂອງ​ທ່ານ

    Hold your drawing at arm's length and squint. You should see a clear lightest area, a clear darkest area, and a smooth ramp between. If everything sits in a narrow band of grey, push the darks - almost nobody pushes them far enough on a first attempt.

    ລະວັງ Lightening the highlight instead of darkening the shadow. Contrast comes from the dark end.

    ກວດ Squint at it. Can you still see three distinct values?

13. ຂັ້ນ 13

    ໄປ​ທີ່​ເສັ້ນ​ລຽບ, ປ່ຽນ​ແປງ​ຕາມ​ຄວາມ​ແຮງ​ຂອງ​ການ​ກົດ

    A real edge is not one uniform line. Where the form turns away from you into shadow it is darker and firmer; where the light hits it the edge almost disappears. Varying it is the last thing that separates a drawing from a colouring page.

    ລະວັງ Tracing the whole outline at one weight, which undoes the roundness you just shaded in.

    ກວດ The outline on the shadow side should be visibly darker than on the lit side.