Getting Started This book is a guide to ancient Egyptian history and ancient Egyptian art The illustrations were influenced by the art found in the Pharaohs tombs We used similar colors and the figure drawings resemble those done by the Egyptians However there are two ways in which the drawings in this book are different from authentic Egyptian art First Egyptian paintings always showed the human face in side view Second Egyptian artists never used perspective to show space or shading to show three dimensional forms We used both frontal and three quarter views of the face To illustrate space we used perspective and almost all the paintings have some form of shading If you want to know more about ancient Egyptian art there are many beautiful books available And perhaps you can visit one of the many museums with collections of paintings and sculpture
Some hints to help you with all the drawing in the book All you need to get started on the drawings are pencil and paper Later if you want to try painting use any kind of watercolor paint and brushes You should have at least one brush small enough to paint the detailed areas on the costumes and jewelry
1 Before beginning a drawing take a few minutes and look carefully at the picture you are drawing Look especially at its proportions When you start draw guidelines before sketching the figure For chairs and other such objects use a ruler 2 Are the basic proportions of your drawing okay If so the next thing you will need to do is to strengthen the outlines of your figure Erase the unnecessary guidelines Now put in the features with a sharp pencil 3 Before you put in the finishing touches jewelry headdresses costume patterns etc look at your drawing and compare it to what you are drawing from If something about your drawing bothers you don’t do anything right away Put the drawing away for a while even for a whole day When you compare your drawing and the original again check the basic proportions first If that’s okay look at the features Maybe they are out of line or the wrong size After you’ve discovered and corrected what bothers you then add the final touches Painting If you want to paint one of your drawings you first should transfer it to heavier paper An easy way to transfer drawings is to rub the underside of your finished drawing with a soft 3B 4B pencil Place the drawing over the heavier paper and then trace the drawing with a very sharp pencil
If you are using watercolors paint the lighter colors first and add the dark ones after Be sure to keep your colors clear and bright After painting you can outline areas with a very dark pencil Instead of paint you could also add color to the drawings in other ways color pencils markers or even crayons
