I was at Trader Joe’s recently – and happened to go on the day they put out the new pumpkins! The checkout clerk hadn’t even seen them they were so fresh on the shelf. So I picked up a few pretties – and I’ve got a plan for them but….before I do I wanted to use them for a lesson in perspective – yes, with a weirdly shaped object like a pumpkin! Don’t let your eyes glaze over, you’re about to learn some good stuff.

Tutorial: How to draw pumpkins in perspective

Whether you want to draw pumpkins – or just be able to tell if a rubber stamp you’re thinking about adding to your collection – is drawn in perspective …..this video will hopefully be a big help! And if you only want to color them, read on….I have something for you too!

Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully!

Exercise 1: putting pumpkins in boxes

Believe it or not, drawing a box where an odd shaped object is going to be can really help with perspective! This works for a chair, a bush, anything that fits into a chunk of real estate in your drawing. If you’re looking for more indepth instruction, the Drawing Jumpstart 101 class is a great one to get lots on perspective! (and its on sale right now)

A great exercise is the one done here: draw a horizon line and give it two vanishing points. Then draw the vertical front edge of a box, and join its ends to the vanishing points. Decide where the left and right side are, and if needed attach them to the VPs.

Then draw pumpkins inside! You can make them look different directions, but you can also just place the faces in front and make it easier on yourself.

Add the meat and ribs

That may sound like a barbecue – but really it’s the names of the parts of a pumpkin! The meat – the thick rind – shows at different amounts depending on the angle you’re looking at the pumpkin. Just google carved pumpkins and you can draw from those, or look at your own carved masterpiece.

The ribs are the sections; some are more defined than others depending on the kind of pumpkin it is. They’re wider apart at the front and closer together at the sides – no matter what direction the face is pointing. The closest part to you is the widest sections and as they wrap around the sides you’re seeing a partial profile of them, so they look skinnier.

Pumpkin Patch Printable Pack

For those not interested in actually drawing pumpkins – you can purchase the Pumpkin Patch Printable Pack and just color them up! It includes a bunch more than my usual digi sets:

1. Five pumpkin images, two versions of each (with and withut faces) – 10 individual png files
2. PDF with:
   1. Samples with backgrounds – one from the Mini Copic Autumn Scenes class and one from the Mini Colored Pencil Autumn Scenes class, both on sale.
   2. A page printout of the Tiny Tutorial seen on IG and FB this week.
   3. Two pages with all the images assembled – print on a paper that suits your medium, or use the individual png files. Your choice!

Tap on the image below to go check out the Pumpkin Patch and get busy coloring:

How many fall cards do you make each year?

I send more general fall themes rather than Halloween; I have 2 friends who are totally into it so I send them spooky ones but everyone else gets happy pumpkins and lots of fall leaves. How about you?

Supplies

• Bee Sketchbook
• Grafwood Water Soluble Pencil
• Sharpie