Chapter 3 | DECORATIVE RIBBONS
Drawing a decorative ribbon is drawn in about the same way as a waving flag. In art history, such a decorative ribbon usually contains a name or saying. Painters liked to make them squirm to make them look rich and also to show off how well they could draw.
Exercise 1: copy one or more of the following decorative ribbons. Towards the bottom one they become more and more flowy. Follow steps 1 to 3 for each ribbon.
Step 1: First draw the continuous winding ‘S-line’. Sometimes that S-line is at the top, sometimes at the bottom.
Step 2: Draw the vertical lines exactly where the sway line changes direction and where the ribbon ends on the left and right. Make sure the ribbon stays the same width everywhere.
Step 3: Finish the ribbon. Make the bends nice and round, so no sharp corners. If you like, write a name or saying in beautiful letters on the front of the ribbon.
Exercise 2: Draw the following mirrored ribbons. Start again with the S-line, which runs from top to bottom here (or from bottom to top if you like). Make sure that the sides are straight, otherwise the ribbon will appear convex.
Sometimes a decorative ribbon is part of an emblem/brand, such as that of the famous English football club Liverpool. The decorative ribbon reads EST.1892. EST is the abbreviation of ‘established’ and means that the club was founded in 1892. Another example is the intricate logo/coat of arms of London’s South Bank University.
Exercise 3: Design your own emblem with a decorative ribbon for something or someone that is important to you, for example a name, person, animal or club.
EXTRA: The last exercise in this chapter is for drawing puzzlers. The next two ribbons twist around themselves and each other and there is no continuous S-line! In this case, it is useful to first draw two vertical assisting lines so that the width remains the same everywhere. This example is painted with white, blue and orange acrylic paint on brown cardboard. In color, it is important that the ribbons have a clear front and back.
