Line Field / find

Start with an Ordinary Object

A mug is enough for a first drawing.

The small question

A mug is enough for a first drawing. This exercise asks you to check a visible relation rather than judge whether the whole sketch is good.

Try it in front of the subject

Place a plain mug on a table where its handle is visible. Spend a minute naming the oval rim, taller side, shorter side and the shadow below. Draw those relationships before thinking about ceramic texture. Keep the first marks light enough that you can revise them after another look.

What this exercise cannot prove

If the handle hides behind the cup, turn the mug rather than inventing its curve. An invented detail can look persuasive but teaches less about seeing. An example can suggest where to look, but the scene in front of you is the evidence for your drawing.

A second pass

Make three thumbnail sketches from different seats. Circle the one in which the handle and rim are easiest to distinguish. Keep the first attempt beside the revision so you can see which choice changed.

A field-note challenge

Return the mug to the same mark on the table for a second sitting. Compare the outer rim width with the body width, then notice whether the handle meets the cup higher or lower than you first drew it. Keep both versions; the comparison records a more useful discovery than a polished outline.