What is sketching? Tips for drawing quick sketches from life from Branda Hoddinott

If you have an irresistible desire to learn how to draw, you should start with sketches. A sketch is where any drawing and even a painting begins. Before you create a piece artistic arts, most creators collected complete albums of sketches that showed what each character in the picture would look like, their environment, layout plan and color palette.

After all, a sketch is a kind of artist’s notes, a recording of thoughts about the life around him in general and some future work in particular. Good artist He always carries a notebook so that he has somewhere to sketch new impressions.

This article will tell you how to choose the right object, what tools you need, give tips and show examples for a novice sketch creator.

Tools

Anything is suitable for sketching, even a napkin and a toothpick soaked in espresso. But since we are learning, it is best to take thick paper (for drawing) in A4 format, no more, pencils of different densities, and an eraser.

An object

The subject for the sketch can, of course, be anything, but first you should choose a stationary object, independent of natural light sources, accessible. That is, you should not choose animals (the first sketches will take a long time to create, the horse will not withstand so much).

Houses, benches, sculptures are also not very good a good choice for the first sketch. Drawing sketches involves arranging light accents, but what if a cloud suddenly rolls in or, conversely, suddenly clears up?

The best option is a mug, a toy, a flower on your table under a lamp. You can also take the finished one and try to draw it, for which you also first need to make a sketch.

The tools are ready, the object is selected, we can begin.

How to draw a sketch?

Imagine your subject without details, as if you were looking at it in the dark. You can practice by turning off the lights. What remains the main thing? What lines, contours, shadows indicate that this is a mug and not a bucket or a cactus? Got a show? Forward!

Determine the center of the sheet, draw two lines through this point - vertical and horizon.

Now determine the approximate center of your sketch (the subject may be asymmetrical and stand above or below the horizon line), so draw two lines. Now you won't get lost in space.

Let's start depicting the object itself, its contours. To begin with, you can draw not even lines, but dots or dotted lines.

When they reflect the shape of the object, outline them in the main one.

The next step is to place shadows on the object and define it in space. The example shows the creation of a sketch of a fictional girl (character), but if your mug is on a stand, its edge is chipped off, and there is an openwork napkin behind it, all this - albeit in general outline- must be clearly visible.

Even for a fantasy character, all the details must be worked out in the sketch, because a sketch is an instruction for creating a drawing.

If there is a desire or need, you can finish the sketch by arranging color accents. You can color it with anything, do it in sufficient detail or simply apply color spots.

Regular practice will certainly lead to the fact that you will soon produce original, original, informative sketches, and what is important - very quickly!

Another exercise is "five lines" - allow yourself to depict an object using only five lines or less. It is better to try to fulfill this condition when you already have some experience. Choose objects that you see fleetingly (from a minibus window, riding in an elevator) - train your visual memory.

Try and don’t give up, creating a sketch is fun!

If you are starting from scratch - complete zero, like me, and wanted to learn how to draw with a pencil - read the chronicle of a lazy, mediocre artist. Last time I drew while still at school. I drew like everyone else, averagely.

How can you draw with a pencil after 50 hours of practice?, and how to learn it. I started drawing from scratch. I did not draw regularly, on average 15 minutes a day, for six months. And you can learn in a couple of months, drawing 60 minutes a day!

Drawing - copying skill

I started drawing the following drawings in the belief that I was mediocre at drawing. But since I know that almost everything I know about myself is not true. I decided to double-check myself: do I really have crooked hands or did I suffer that much at school?

Sphere

The main element of drawing. Draw the shadows and penumbras of the sphere.

The time indicated is based on reading the textbook. Drawing itself takes half as much time.

Cube

Basic building brick of any design.

Cube Modifications

Drawing texture with a pencil

Flags and rose

Drawing cubes - advanced level

Drawing spheres - advanced level

From this stage you obliged to buy shading - paper pencil. In previous tutorials I blended with my finger, then blended with #3.

All the magic of penumbra: volume, small shadows in the corners, when drawing an eye and a portrait - thanks to shading. It's like your drawing ability is multiplied by three! You'll be amazed when you compare your results.

Flags, scrolls

Cylinders: volcano, cup

Drawing a living tree

Room in perspective

Street in perspective

Drawing in central perspective: castle, city

Inscription in perspective

Learning to draw a portrait

Learn to draw a hand

Exam: first portrait!

Drawing people is much more difficult than roses or anime. The face cannot be distorted - every mistake is immediately noticeable. You need to learn to draw people when you feel confident that you can draw a recognizable outline and sketch of a face.

Portraits cannot be drawn quickly; diligence and care are required. This is the portrait I ended up with of my wife:

Learn to draw pictures from scratch

I painted eight paintings in a total of 24 hours, half the time. I also practiced with a pencil for one day. You can learn to draw to the same results, even if your hands are growing out of your ass, in 50–150 hours. In terms of TV series, this is 2-3 seasons of Dr. House.

Vasya Lozhkin took 6 hours to paint his first acrylic painting, “And I Like You.” I didn’t know what acrylic was and how to use it. I also held a brush for the first time since school.

Kneading the desired shade is not easy. To give up everything because it wasn’t working out – I wanted to do it every half hour. We need a person who will support. I went to study at an art studio and painted under the supervision of an artist. A year later, I took online drawing lessons a couple of times from the same teacher.

I learned to draw with a pencil, and the skill turned out to be complex. I picked up a brush for the first time since school and painted. 6 long hours, a little crooked, but how great! Now I can give an extraordinary gift - draw a picture for a friend, a bookmark in a notebook, a caricature for work. I even made a small cartoon.

First painting: pastel, acrylic, gouache and oil. All the equipment is made from scratch, and there’s no shame in hanging it on the wall.

How to learn to draw correctly - algorithm

Learning to draw with a pencil is the basis: demolish angles, line sizes, maintain proportions. Just learn not to be afraid to draw. Master the initial level, and then it will only get more fun and easier.

How to learn to draw

Let's draw with a simple pencil .

A fundamental drawing tool. Almost all illustrations, sketches and paintings are drawn first in pencil. Then it is rubbed down to barely visible lines, or we paint on top with paints. Errors are easily corrected. #1 for beginners.

Let's draw gel pens.

A simple tool for drawing in color. The drawing technique is similar to the technique of drawing with a pencil - after all, it is a pen, not a brush. You can correct errors only in Photoshop.





We draw with felt-tip pens. Analogues: markers and professional “copies”.

More variety of colors than gel pens. The set will cost less. After 1–2 years, the markers dry out and you need to buy a new set.





The felt-tip pens saturate the paper a little and it begins to become limp, which is why I don’t like drawing with them. You can draw 2-3 times and the line becomes more saturated, you can draw penumbra.

We paint with watercolors.

Cheap materials, and familiar from school. They are diluted with water, so the new layer of paint blurs the previous one. It is difficult to master how she will behave. From scratch, on your own, it’s not easy to learn how to draw details. The advantage is accessibility.

• We draw with gouache.

  Matte color, thicker than watercolor, is also diluted with water. Great for beginners: it's easier to correct inaccuracies than watercolor. Cheap material.

  
  

• Let's draw acrylic paints .

  The most affordable professional material. Acrylic dries quickly, 5-15 minutes. It is easy for them to apply a second layer and correct flaws. If it is of high quality, it is resistant to water.

  Acrylic paint on canvas. You can also draw anything: a wall, a stool, a cup, a helmet, an ashtray, a T-shirt, photo frames. I recommend then opening the work with varnish from a can.

  

• Let's draw pastel – dry and oil.

  The technique of drawing with pastels is unusual - you need to draw with crayons, rubbing them on paper.

  
  

  The technique of drawing with oil pastels is similar to drawing with pencils, but has its own characteristics.

  
  

• Painting with oils.

  Complex professional paints. Durable, but you can’t buy cheap ones - they crack.

  It takes a long time to dry, about 2–10 days. This is a plus - you can always remove a layer, finish drawing, shade. But there is also a minus, you need to very carefully apply a layer on top so as not to spoil what you have. I do not recommend using them for beginners.

  

Can you learn to draw with a pencil? . Find “Why?”, buy a textbook and draw for fun. In a month, you will be surprised at your abilities.

Sketch Lately wins the attention of beginning and intermediate artists. Sketches are a unique opportunity to see the world through the eyes of an artist.
A sketch is the best way to reflect reality on paper in a short period of time. How to start drawing a sketch? This requires practice, as well as availability necessary materials to create a sketch.
To get started, you need inspiration and a lack of fear. Inspiration will help you see a certain picture that you want to remember and reflect on paper. And the absence of fear will allow you to quickly switch to creating a drawing and not be afraid clean slate paper As practice shows, if you are a beginning artist, then it is the fear of the result and self-doubt that can slow down any inspiration that appears to you. Try to draw, even if at first you get terrible images, with time and practice high-quality images will appear that you will look at with pleasure.

Further, a sketch is a sketch, a picture that you want to leave in your memory, and then enjoy viewing the pictures after some time. To do this, it is best to purchase a special notebook where you will add drawings every time you see something interesting. Such a notebook will encourage you to draw better and more, since you will be able to view the resulting drawings. However, having a notebook does not mean that you will draw sketches. If you have inspiration and desire, then at first you can draw sketches on plain paper, the main thing is that it is at hand at a certain time. In the future, you need to approach the choice more seriously.
A sketch can become your book of impressions, memories and ideas for the future. If you do buy the necessary sketchbook, then you can collect various tickets, receipts, small photographs in it, as well as take notes and, of course, draw.

Sketches should be light, quick and uncomplicated; this is the main idea of ​​sketches. So, you don't have to have a full art education so that your sketchbook becomes the embodiment of creativity and beauty. The idea of ​​sketching is that the artist draws what he sees, so there is often a short period of time to create a sketch. It is enough to sketch the silhouette and then work out the details. Even if the resulting drawing will not be a clear copy of what you saw, it will convey your feelings and impressions at that very moment.
If you are drawing in public place, then don’t be shy about judgment or outside views. You draw for yourself, and everyone who looks with judgment may not even know how to hold a pencil in their hands.

How can you draw a sketch? Whatever you have on hand is suitable - liner, pencil, felt-tip pen, pen. At first creative path use a simple pencil, it will allow you to make adjustments to your drawings. Also, a nag will be an indispensable assistant.
Your goal is not to create an academically correct drawing, but to create an interesting illustration that will remind you of a specific period of time. Of course, don't forget about practice and certain skills that need to be achieved before you admire your drawings.

Gather the right materials. As with any art form, it is difficult to sketch with poor quality materials (or the wrong materials). Everything you need can be easily found at local art and craft stores. Spend some money and gather everything you need, including:

• H pencils. These are the most hard pencils, which are used for sketching thin, straight, non-shaded lines. They are mainly used in architectural and business sketches. Collect an assortment that includes 6H, 4H and 2H pencils (6 being the hardest, 2 being the softest).
• Pencils B. These are the most soft pencils, which are used to create blurred and shaded lines and to apply shadows. Most artists prefer to use them. Collect an assortment that includes 6B, 4B and 2B pencils (6 being the softest, 2 being the hardest).
• Paper for drawing with a pencil. Sketching with a pencil on regular printer paper is possible, but such paper is very thin and does not hold a pencil very well. Use special drawing paper that has texture and is best for sketching and also looks good when finished.

Select a drawing object. For beginners, it is easier to draw from life or from an image than to use your imagination to create your drawing. Find a picture of something you like, or search for an object or person to draw. Spend a few minutes studying the subject before you begin sketching. Please pay attention to the following things:

• Find a light source. Determining the main light source will allow you to understand where the sketch should be the lightest and where the darkest.
• Pay attention to the movement. Whether it's the movements of a live model or movements in an image, determining the direction of movement will allow you to determine the direction of movement and the shape of your strokes in the sketch.
• Pay attention to the basic shapes. All objects are built from a combination of basic shapes (squares, circles, triangles, etc.). Look at the underlying shapes of your subject and sketch those out first.

The first steps in drawing are perhaps most convenient to start with. Making sketches is quite simple and with their help you can learn to avoid serious ones when drawing in more detail.

Sketch like artist's notes

Any paper, pen or pencil is suitable for creating a sketch - the choice is yours. Small-sized sketches are like original notes made by an artist, sketches of a future painting. They are done without corrections, on the fly.

Sketches - assistants and drawing tools

Pencil sketches can serve as memory aids. With the help of sketches, you can quickly outline the main features of an object or make a quick sketch of the picture as a whole. Artists also often use sketches for general planning of the next painting. Without worrying about the details, sketching allows you to quickly manipulate objects, the horizon, and other parts of the sketch to create a future shape or indicate movement.

How to draw sketches

Imagine your subject to be almost devoid of detail, as if you were looking askance or in low light. All that remains of your “hero” is just rough lines and some shapes. now make a rough little sketch. Maintain proportions and arrange objects (or orientation) as for the future large drawing. Clearly outline key shapes and use shading to define dark areas. And one more thing: there is no concept of “right / wrong” in a sketch - this is a completely individual work.

Adding Color

Sketches are convenient to use to indicate color spots for a future design. Pencils, markers, and watercolors are used. You don't have to paint the entire surface. It is enough to make only certain sketches that clearly show the colors, but do not distract from the main details.

Make notes and working sketches

Once you've created your sketch, you may want to make some other notes next to it. For example, about the position of the sun, the play of colors, or make a couple of very small sketches of specific objects. You can also make a working sketch. It can be the same size as the finished work. With the help of such sketches, you can work out problem areas in advance or more accurately depict some aspects of the picture.