How To Draw A Cage
Are you looking to add an eye-catching artistic flair to your sketchbook or canvas? While some drawings are straightforward in their composition, creating an aesthetically pleasing cage can be tricky. But with these tips, you’ll be rolling out impeccably detailed cages – no matter the size – in no time.
Study Geometric Shapes
The first step towards a knockout cage is to get familiar with common geometric shapes. Befriend circles, squares and triangles, and practice sketching them with great precision and accuracy. Finding the most perfect circle, for example, will come in handy for the various bars and frames that form the cage you’re after.
Next, try to grasp the fundamentals of perspective. Draw from life – why not recreate a birdcage you have back home? Taking the measurements in real life, and transfer it over to your paper. As you become comfortable with this exercise, you’ll understand how to organise your objects to create the illusion of depth and three-dimensionality in your cage.
Gather Supplies
While it is possible to draw out a cage with nothing but a pen or pencil, the finished piece will be a lot more eye-catching if you also add bits of texture and colour. That’s why it’s a great idea to have ready a variety of supplies to bring your drawing to life.
Stock up on charcoal and graphite pencils for your outlines. These will be great for adding delicate shading and hatching – neat, overlapping lines – around your drawing. Alternatively, you could use markers and pens for a super defined look.
Gel pens too, provide a really unique colouring effect. Plus, with thick and thin options available, you can get really creative with the lines and shapes that you’re drawing.
Choose Your Cage Type
The kind of cage you’ll be drawing depends entirely on your preferences. A birdcage, for instance, would require thinner bars with lots of detailed intricate designs woven into it, while a circular metal cage may require a thicker frame.
Before you start sketching, sit and visualise what kind of cage you want. If you want to draw a traditional birdcage, start by drawing the stand and the bottom frame. Work up to this, adding the thin bars around each panel one at a time.
When it comes to drawing cages with thicker frames, think about how you want to divide your circle. For example, you could draw an octagon within the circle, with each point forming a side of the cage.
Add the Finishing Touches
With your outline finished, it’s time to add the the finishing touches. Add tiny bars and extra details to the sides and the back of the cage, using your thin charcoal or graphite pencil. Choose just the right shade, since this will be the highlights of your art piece.
Swap your pencil for a marker or coloured pens, and bring the entire piece together. Bring in colour and texture, even for plain cages! Use both thin and thick lines to create different effects. Add dashes or arrows between the lines, and even a few squiggles and spirals.
From here, you can spruce up your drawing with watercolour or paint. There’s this wonderful thing called dry-brush painting, created with a dry brush and thin acrylics. Simply dab at your cage to add texture and further definition to it.
Done right, even the simplest of cages can create a great impact. With these tips in mind, nothing is stopping you from drawing this fantastic art attention-getter – a cage you can proudly display at home, or include in a large canvas work.
