Master the Etch a Sketch
The Etch-A-Sketch is widely known as a children's toy, but did you know that it could be used for much more? Etch-A-Sketch is becoming increasingly popular as an art form. With just time and practice, you could draw almost anything on an Etch-a-Sketch.
Steps
- Start with the classic red Etch-a-Sketch. There are many other models including miniatures, color variations, and upgraded ones, but you will find that the and the right. The left knob controls the horizontal lines. Turning it clockwise will make the cursor move right, counter-clockwise will move the cursor left. The right knob controls the vertical lines. Clockwise: up, and Counter-clockwise: down. You should practice until you can control the direction with little thought.
- Practice doing diagonal lines. This can be done by turning both knobs evenly at the same time. But ensure that they move together otherwise you will end up creating a circular shape, which you don't want. The combination of their directions will guide the cursor in a diagonal line. This will take diagonal lines all the way from one corner to the next in all directions. With practice it will get straighter.
- Make simple shapes. Start with triangles. Get to the point where you have control over the cursor. That is the trick: control. The hardest shape to make is the circle. You must carefully direct the cursor using all four diagonals in a circle motion. If you can make a fairly large perfect circle, you will have much more capabilities with your drawings.
- Move on to organic shapes. Try to draw still life. Set out fruit and try to draw the shapes. try to draw plants or flowers. Find things with odd curves or shapes, and try to draw them on the Etch-A-Sketch.
- Become familiar with shading. You can do this by simply starting at the left, filling in the area you want by moving the cursor up and down while slightly moving it to the right until the area is shaded. You may read more about shading in sketching, then try to imitate some shading styles. What you do is up to you.
- Move on to simple pictures. Buildings are a good start. You can easily draw the square structures, but then try to draw two dimensional buildings with façade details. Try a city-scape. Get pictures of buildings online, and try to make replicas of them. Draw a farm building. Draw bridges, or anything structural and simple.
- Find and replicate landscape pictures with backgrounds. Practice making depth. Draw trees, grass, animals. try to put together a picture with multiple things happening. Also try to start developing tricks to damage control; the ways you can cover up or lessen the impacts of mistakes. Sometimes, shading over or over-tracing can make some mistakes disappear, but also know that some attempts simply need a good shake.
- Draw faces and portraits. On the Etch-A-Sketch, you can draw completely separate objects, however it is very difficult, so you must find ways to connect them, whether making subtle extensions or using the border to transport the cursor. The eyes and the nose are the hardest, but using the design of the hair and the eyes, you can easily work with what you have.
- Draw things completely free style, and make your own art. Be creative. This is a new medium to master, so there are no rules to break.
Tips
- When you have completed your masterpiece, drill a small hole in the base and drain out the excess aluminum powder. This is the substance that causes your picture to "Erase" when the Etch a Sketch is shaken.
- If you shake the Etch-A-Sketch, it will erase, so be careful with your finished work. If you think it is too valuable to erase, there are several things you can do. You can get a digital camera and take pictures of your works, or you can find a safe place to display your art, such as on a bookshelf. You can get mounting tape and mount your piece to the wall. Or, do as most Etch-A-Sketch artists do-buy a new Etch-A-Sketch, and pretty soon, you could have a portfolio of Etch-A-Sketch work.
- If your Etch-A-Sketch is making crinkling sounds when the knobs are turned, kind of like picking at taught rubber bands, the strings that move the stylus have gotten out of groove. This can make the stylus jump and move unpredictably, so it is recommended that the knobs are worked around before any project is started.
- Sometimes when making detailed work, you can lose track of where the cursor is. This can be easily found by moving the knob for a short distance back and forth until you notice the movement on the picture. If you are in the middle of a drawing and wish to take a break, by using a fine tip marker and circling the location of the cursor, you can easily pick up from where you left off without having to worry about finding the cursor again.
- Sometimes, you want to carry around your etch a sketch without drilling out the dust. In this case, you can tilt the Etch-A-Sketch from the top slowly until it is at a 85-80 degree angle. Then tap gently so the dust/beads settle by the knobs. The Etch-A-Sketch now has an almost free range of motion, except completely upside-down.
Warnings
- Make sure you store your finished work somewhere that is visible, but safe. It is very easy to lose a work just by having the wrong placement.
- Be careful when you drain the aluminium powder, as it can stain clothing, etc. It is, however, non-toxic.
- When taking a picture of a finished work, turn off the flash to avoid a glare. And make sure to use the "Macro" focus settings on your camera
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Sources and Citations
- Permission was granted by the owners of the Etch A sketch pictures. They could be found on Flickr along with many others Click on the pictures to be directed to the site. We thank them for allowing them to be used for this article.
