How to use basic rendering techniques

How to render drawings – part 2 of 6

Basic rendering techniques using pastel chalks and watercolours

This next demonstration is going to show you how to represent a carpet. This particular sample is made up on one colour but has a texture to it. Before applying colour, mask of the outline of the area as this will help to keep the paper clean. Post-it notes are ideal for this.

Select the appropriate pastel chalks and shave off enough colour to achieve the required shade. Apply the chalk powder using a cotton wool ball and gradually build up the layer. Keep adding more colour until you are happy with the desired effect. A darker colour can then be added to create a slight contrast. This can be applied using a cotton bud and then gently tapping this down on the surface area to create a textured effect.

Rendering wood flooring

During this next demonstration, I will show you how to represent hardwood flooring. The grain of the wood is often made up of a combination of colours and sometimes knots in the wood can be visible. Mask off the outline and apply a base colour using the same technique as you did for the carpet.

Using a ruler, draw in lines evenly spaced apart to represent the scale of the floor. Additional lines can then be added to represent the individual lengths of each of the planks. A darker colour can be added using a cotton bud to help represent the definition in the grain. A cotton ball can be used to soften and blend the overall finish.

Once you are happy with this, the individual planks need to be drawn in. select an appropriate watercolour pencil in a matching shade and make sure this is nice and sharp.

The next video in this series will demonstrate how to represent upholstery fabrics and how light and shade will appear on and around the piece of furniture.