Hope you all are doing great in your artistic journey. You must be watching a lot of artists creating great artwork and doubting yourself. You want those beautiful strokes too, right? Feels intimidating, but sweat not. CSI art technique has come to your rescue. These three heroes will always have your back.
What is CSI Art?
The CSI art technique uses only three basic lines for the whole drawing process. We just purposely neglect every unnecessary detail that is making drawing hard. As the name suggests, these three strokes are shaped as C curved, S curved, and i, which is a straight line.
Historic influence for CSI art technique:
We don’t know exactly when CSI Art began, but its ideas are similar to some important art and thinking.
- Gestalt Theory: This idea says that we see the whole picture first, not just the small parts. In CSI Art, we use simple shapes that come together to make something bigger. This matches how Gestalt Theory works.
- Bauhaus Movement: This famous art school in Germany from the early 1900s focused on making things simple, useful, and beautiful that can be mass produced. They used basic shapes, which is similar to how CSI Art works.
- Abstract Expressionism: This kind of art is about feelings, colors, and shapes. While CSI Art isn’t exactly like this, they both use simple shapes to create something interesting.
Benefits of Learning CSI Art:
- Develops drawing skills.
- Enhances observation and hand-eye coordination.
- Fosters creativity and artistic expression.
- Offers a relaxing and meditative drawing experience.
What is it mainly used for:
While CSI Art simplifies complex objects and makes drawing more accessible, it offers a surprising versatility. Here are some ways to use it:
- Abstract Art: Experiment with C-curves, S-curves, and straight lines to create unique and dynamic compositions. These shapes can be used to represent emotions, themes, or simply explore visual aesthetics.
- Decorative Patterns: Develop intricate and eye-catching designs for borders, backgrounds, and surface decorations. This can be applied to wallpapers, clothing, or greeting cards.
- Textures and Backgrounds: Add visual interest to your drawings by using CSI Art elements to create unique textures and backgrounds for your subjects.
- Character Design and Figure Drawing: Utilize C-curves, S-curves, and straight lines as a foundation for creating expressive characters and figures. This technique can help with establishing basic forms and proportions.
- Illustrations: Integrate CSI Art elements into your illustrations to add depth, texture, and visual interest. These simple shapes can help extract the essence of a complex subject.
Core concepts:
I’ve covered this topic in detail in one of my previous posts. You’ll be able to read it here.
The CSI drawings from start to finish:
Here, I will draw stroke by stroke to help you understand better.
1. Draw a turtle using the CSI method:
Keep in mind that you only have three lines to draw with.
2. Draw a chameleon using the CSI method:
Just follow along and see how my lines look.
3. Draw a sea lion using the CSI method:
So this is it for now. I hope you enjoyed my post.
I’ve learned something. Thanks