How to Draw a Book

ຂັ້ນ​ຕອນ​ຕໍ່​ຂັ້ນ​ຕອນ

1. ຂັ້ນ 1

   ແຕ້ມ​ເສັ້ນ​ໄຍ​ທ້ອງ​ເປັນ​ເສັ້ນ​ສັ້ນ​ລົງ​ໄປ​ທາງ​ກາງ

   Everything hangs off this. The spine is the hinge, and both page halves are measured from it - which is why drawing it first stops the book coming out bent.

   ລະວັງ Starting with a page and adding the spine afterwards.

   ກວດ It should be vertical and near the middle of your page.

2. ຂັ້ນ 2

   ແຕ້ມ​ຂອບ​ເທິງ​ຂອງ​ໜ້າ​ແຕ່ລະ​ໜ້າ, ໂຄ້ງ​ໄປ​ຫາ​ກັນ​ເລັກ​ນ້ອຍ

   These are the edges going away from you, so they converge. Not dramatically - a few degrees is enough. This single detail is what separates a box from a folded rectangle.

   ລະວັງ Drawing them parallel, or worse, diverging.

   ກວດ Extended, the two lines should eventually meet.

3. ຂັ້ນ 3

   ປິດ​ໜ້າ​ທຸກ​ໜ້າ​ດ້ວຍ​ຝາ​ນອກ​ທີ່​ກັບ​ມາ​ຫາ​ທ່ານ

   These are the short edges of the covers. Keep them roughly the same length as each other - the two halves of an open book are the same size, and any difference reads as a mistake rather than as perspective.

   ລະວັງ Making one cover visibly longer than the other.

   ກວດ Both outer edges should be about the same length.

4. ຂັ້ນ 4

   ລວມ​ເອົາ​ຂອບ​ນອກ​ຄືນ​ໄປ​ຍັງ​ລຸ່ມ​ຂອງ​ກະດູກ​ສັນຫຼັງ

   This closes the two page shapes. Corners must actually meet - overshoot slightly and let the lines cross rather than aiming to stop exactly on the point, because a crossed corner reads as closed and a gap does not.

   ລະວັງ Stopping just short, leaving four small gaps.

   ກວດ Every corner should be closed or slightly crossed.

5. ຂັ້ນ 5

   ແຕ້ມຄວາມຫນາ: ເສັ້ນ​ສັ້ນ​ລົງ​ຈາກ​ມຸມ​ນອກ​ຂອງ​ແຕ່ລະ​ອັນ.

   A book is a solid, not a sheet. These three short verticals turn the flat shape into a box, and they must all be the same length - unequal ones make the book look warped.

   ລະວັງ Making the three drop lines different lengths.

   ກວດ All three verticals should measure the same.

6. ຂັ້ນ 6

   ເຂົ້າ​ຮ່ວມ​ສ່ວນ​ລຸ່ມ​ຂອງ​ເສັ້ນ​ເພື່ອ​ປິດ​ສ່ວນ​ລຸ່ມ

   Now the box is complete. These lines run parallel to the edges directly above them - if they do not, the thickness of the book changes along its length, which is the classic wobbly-box look.

   ລະວັງ Drawing these at a different angle from the edges above.

   ກວດ Each bottom edge should run parallel to the one above it.

7. ຂັ້ນ 7

   ເພີ່ມ​ໜ້າ​ທີ່​ເກັບ​ໄວ້​ເປັນ​ສອງ ຫຼື ສາມ​ເສັ້ນ​ສັ້ນໆ​ຢູ່​ເທິງ​ທຸກໆ​ດ້ານ

   Pages read as a stack, not a slab. Two or three lines following the cover edge is enough for the eye to fill in hundreds - drawing more just makes it look hatched.

   ລະວັງ Drawing one hard line, which reads as solid wood.

   ກວດ You should see distinct layers, not a filled band.

8. ຂັ້ນ 8

   ແຕ້ມເສັ້ນໂຄ້ງນ້ອຍໆ ເຂົ້າ​ໄປ​ໃນ​ໜ້າ​ທຸກ​ໜ້າ ໃກ້​ກັບ​ເສັ້ນ​ຫຼັງ

   Open pages are not flat - they dip toward the spine. Adding that curve is the difference between an open book and two flat cards taped together, and it takes one stroke each side.

   ລະວັງ Leaving the pages perfectly flat.

   ກວດ Each page should dip slightly as it approaches the spine.

9. ຂັ້ນ 9

   ເພີ່ມ​ແຖບ​ຂໍ້ຄວາມ, ຕາມ​ມຸມ​ຂອງ​ໜ້າ

   Text lines run parallel to the top edge of the page they sit on, which means they are NOT horizontal - they lean with the perspective. Drawing them level is the fastest way to flatten a book you have just built.

   ລະວັງ Drawing the text lines horizontally.

   ກວດ The text lines should lean the same way as the page's top edge.

10. ຂັ້ນ 10

    ປົກ​ຄຸມ​ດ້ານ​ຂອງ​ປຶ້ມ​ໃຫ້​ຢູ່​ຫ່າງ​ຈາກ​ແສງ​ແດດ

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

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

    ກວດ The dark side should be clearly darker than the mid tone, not slightly.

11. ຂັ້ນ 11

    ເພີ່ມ​ເງົາ​ໃສ່​ພື້ນ​ທີ່​ພາຍ​ໃຕ້​ມັນ

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

    ລະວັງ Drawing it as an even grey blob detached from the object.

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

12. ຂັ້ນ 12

    ໄປ​ທີ່​ເສັ້ນ​ທີ່​ທ່ານ​ຢາກ​ຮັກສາ ແລະ ສູນເສຍ​ຕົວ​ຊີ້​ນຳ

    This is the step that turns a construction drawing into a finished one, and it is the one most people skip. Press harder on the outline and the features; leave the small stuff light. That difference in weight is what makes a drawing look deliberate rather than traced, and it costs thirty seconds.

    ລະວັງ Going over everything at the same weight, which flattens the drawing back out.

    ກວດ The outline should be clearly darker than the smallest details.