Artists see the things that they want to draw in shapes. Once you master this, you can literally learn to draw and scale-out anything and become a kick-ass graphic facilitator and visual communicator in the process. Using shapes is where drawing all comes together and you become a drawing Marvel Hero of your choice.
A quick recap of the journey so far:
- In Learn Graphic Facilitation Episode 1, we looked at telling your Ogre to go and get stuffed
- In Learn Graphic Facilitation Episode 2, we explored just how powerful a line is and more importantly, how simple it is to express ideas
Basic Shapes
There are four basic shapes you need to be able to draw. These are:
- A circle, or you can squish it to make an oval
- A square. If you squish that square or you make a rectangle
- Also, a triangle and it can be any type you like
- The final shape you need is an amorphous shape. It could be anything that can be pushed and pulled outside of three basic shapes: A blob, a cloud or something in between. It doesn't have to have a name but it has to be flexible.
Using these shapes, you can literally draw anything.
So remember, look at the world in shapes. If you are stuck ask, “What are the shapes that make this object up?" and use the four shapes to sketch that out. Once you get your scale and frame correct, you can then easily fill in the rest of the detail. It's how artists all over the world draw.
Always remember, practice makes perfect. Practicing silences the Ogre. So get practising!
If you have any other ideas around how to make graphic facilitation or visual communication easier, let me know and I will share it.
Last Word
If you would like to improve your Visual Communication skills, you can run our Graphic Facilitation workshops inhouse OR join one of our Graphic Facilitation public workshops.
Curious? You can get in contact here to find our more. We are known for being very friendly and prone to smiling randomly.
Or check out my book on kickstarting a culture of innovation in your workplace, you can download the first 2 chapters FREE here.
Chat soon,
Simon Banks
Simon Banks is an author and International Keynote speaker on creativity and innovation and recovering artist. He's delivered over 1300 events across the globe. He's the Director of creative training company VisualFunk, known for running innovation workshops, conferences and design sprints to brew fresh thinking and develop market-leading ideas. His book A Thousand Little Lightbulbs: How to kickstart a culture of Innovation in your Organisation is out now.
