Getting Started This book is a guide to ancient Greek history and ancient Greek art The illustrations were influenced by the art on ancient Greek decorated vases For example we drew the face of the goddess Artemis below in side view because that is how Greek artists usually drew the human face We also imitated the Greek way of drawing robes Ancient Greek vase painters did not use shading or perspective to show depth However we used shading in most of our pictures For over two thousand years artists have studied and copied Greek art Fortunately for us there are many examples of ancient Greek vases and sculpture in
museums The painting on page 28 is a copy of a vase in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City If possible plan a visit to a museum to see the real thing There are also many fine books on ancient Greece that contain more examples of their art What will you need to do the drawings in this book Only pencils paper and a kneaded eraser A pad of tracing paper would also be useful After you’ve done some drawings you may want to paint Any kind of watercolor will do and at least one small brush for details 5
1 Before starting look carefully at the steps in the drawing lesson above Note how each step adds to the one before it Check proportions and guidelines When you begin follow the guidelines closely 2 Are the basic proportions of your drawing like the lesson If not maybe you’ve placed the guidelines in the wrong position When the basic figure looks right strengthen the outlines Put in the features with a sharp pencil 3 Compare your drawing with the lesson Does something about your drawing bother you If so and you can see what it is correct it If you can’t see what’s wrong put your drawing away for a while When you look at your drawing again check the basic proportions first If they are all right look closely at the features Are they too small too large or out of place After you’ve fixed what was bothering you add finishing touches like the decorative stripe along the edge of the dress Painting If you want to paint one of your drawings first transfer it to heavier paper Here is a simple way to transfer your drawing First rub the underside of your drawing with a soft 3B 4B pencil Then tape the drawing to the heavier paper Trace your drawing with a sharp pencil Now and then lift a corner to see if the transfer is working 6
When you use watercolors paint the lighter colors first and the darker ones last Keep the colors clear and bright and use clean water to mix colors Outline painted areas with a very dark pencil You can also color your drawings with colored pencils markers and crayons 7
