home › Light and glass › How to learn to draw sketches. Tips for Drawing Quick Sketches from Life by Brenda Hoddinott

How to learn to draw sketches. Tips for Drawing Quick Sketches from Life by Brenda Hoddinott

As practice shows, for hundreds and even thousands of centuries, sketches have been used by artists, designers, inventors, architects and engineers to quickly display scenes, objects or their thoughts on paper.

Some sketch what they see directly, others sketch ideas that come to mind before they are forgotten.

Some sketches become the basis for a work of art or an invention. And others remain only in the album.

Whatever the reason for creating a sketch, there is always an opportunity to make them better. After all, fortunately, sketchers in their history, based on experience, have created their own golden fund of tricks and tricks.

We'll consider best advice from the best sketchers in this article.

1. Make the sketchbook your friend.

Drawing in an album teaches you to first look, then observe, and finally, it becomes possible to find a source of inspiration in it.— Le Corbusier

Any drawing requires practice. But, since sketching is, in many ways, aimed at capturing the present moment, it is not enough to sketch only on a planned schedule. It takes a lot of practice to create spontaneous sketches, and for this you always need to have an album with you.

Countless great artists always carried a sketchbook with them wherever they went. Pablo Picasso used his sketchbook to constantly practice his technique. His notebooks are full of preliminary drawings for some of his great works, as well as copies of paintings he liked, or just sketches of views from his studio.

Film director Guillermo del Toro uses his notebook to describe in detail the ideas behind his films. His notes are interspersed with illustrations of weird and wonderful fantasy characters, caught whenever he had an idea. Other artists also use their scrapbooks to collect fleeting ideas to use later. British ceramic artist Grayson Perry describes his notebook as "an archive of silly notes that later become art".

The most famous sketchbook creator was Leonardo da Vinci. In his albums you can find anything: from anatomical drawings to inventions in the field of technology.

There is one common feature all these albums. Compared to an artist's finished work, which may appear highly detailed and accomplished in a gallery or movie screen, sketchbook drawings are rougher, simpler, and more spontaneous. And, thanks to the habit of their creators to always carry their album in their pocket, sketches in them could be created at any time.

Buy a sketchbook from your nearest art store and have it become your new one. best friend. Whenever you see something interesting, take the time to do a quick sketch. It doesn't have to be perfect, and you don't have to sit down at the table every time or look for another convenient place to sketch.

Get into the habit of it, and very soon you will begin to look at the world through the eyes of a sketcher. The artist John Ruskin wrote that people who often paint the world begin to see it differently.

“Two people go for a walk. One makes sketches, the other has no such practice. They will go down the green path... One will see the alley and the trees... But what will the sketcher see? His eyes are accustomed to seek the origins of beauty and penetrate into the smallest details beauty."— John Ruskin

The main idea:

Buy a pocket album and don't part with it. Do sketches spontaneously when you have a great idea or see an interesting scene.

2. Learn to hold your hand correctly

The first secret of a good sketch may seem obvious - it all depends on how you hold your pencil.

Incorrect hand placement is a typical beginner's mistake. Most people try to draw by holding a pencil in the same way as when writing. But this is not the best solution for drawing, using the same muscles as when writing.

The most important thing to understand for different drawing need different hand positions.

Australian artist Helen Southes identifies four different ways holding the pencil while sketching:

as when writing, the hand rests on paper. suitable for drawing intricate details
extended grip - when the hand is raised from the sheet and can create free lines
top grip is good for hatching
the lower grip can make extended lines

For more technical, precise drawing, such as an architectural sketch, the lines should be straight and as precise as possible. Architect Bob Borson recommends a curious trick for beginner sketchers: Try not to move your wrist or arm from the elbow, but move your entire arm from the shoulder.

This eliminates the "wobble" created by small movements of the wrist and elbow.

The main idea:

Learn different pencil techniques, hand positions, what types of sketches they are suitable for. Practice your accuracy by drawing from the shoulder rather than at the wrist.

3. Don't be afraid to wash

Many skeptical beginners envy those who make almost no eraser adjustments to their work. They are upset by the sight of their own drawings, full of corrections, which they perceive as a failure.

But, as he explains English artist Stephen Farthing, even experts are making adjustments. In his series of lectures at Oxford, he points to the drawing of John Ruskin, perhaps the creator of the most talented sketches of nature in history. If you look closely at the drawing, you will see that Ruskin is constantly erasing and redrawing the lines, making dozens of tiny corrections.

"That's the point modern drawing, Farthing explains, Draw, make mistakes, correct them by drawing the right lines.

Using an eraser will give you great sketching practice. You will make more confident lines, because they can always be corrected. Instead of carefully trying to get the "perfect" line, you can take risks and draw without overthinking, knowing that you can erase it if necessary.

Sketches will become more lively, lighter and more similar to the original object.

The eraser can also be used for artistic effect on its own. Some sketches can be made beautiful by first covering a piece with graphite or charcoal, and then using an eraser like a pen to whiten out the highlights, as Disney animator Aaron Blaze demonstrated in his drawings of fabulous creatures.

The main idea:

All great artists use an eraser. Include it in your list of materials and don't be afraid to make corrections.

4. Learn to use tone

Tone is the gradation of dark and light. This is what makes our image three-dimensional, gives a sense of depth.

The simplest example of how to use tone is to see how light hits an object. The part closest to the light will be almost white, the farthest part will be the darkest. Between them there will be gradations, the sharpness of which depends on the softness of the light source.

However, there are many other ways to use tone.

Tone can give a sense of distance. In their art lectures Stephen Farthing describes how John Ruskin, in his sketch of the mountain scene, uses darker tones in the closer parts of the image and lighter in those farther away, as in his sketch of the Alps below.

Sketchbook by John Ruskin

How tone affects a drawing depends not only on the darkness of the applied strokes, but also on how they are laid, in what direction. Different strokes can be used to create the feel of different objects in an image.

In his 1900 book The Practice and Science of Drawing, the English artist Harold Speed explains how different stroke directions can be used to create tone.

“Hatching lines that follow the shape suggest softness, rounded strokes give the fullness and tangibility of the form, lines can be hard and intersect in all directions, due to their diversity, a riddle of tone arises”. — Harold Speed.

Speed does not recommend messy scribbles, they look unprofessional and do not help in creating tone.

Pencil can be given a very even tone - good for smooth skin, clouds, or shiny hard objects - by a method known as brushing or polishing (described by artist Diane Wright).

Brushing consists of rubbing the design with a soft cloth or compressed paper and results in a soft, "mottled" texture, while polishing requires rubbing the sketch with a very hard (3H) pencil and this method retains more detail.

The main idea:

There are many methods for creating tone to make the objects in your sketches saturated. Carefully study shading techniques, how to use tone to show light, depth, and texture.

5. Create a "Dictionary of Meaningful Things"

When you get familiar with sketching tools, you can create a directory from different materials(pencil, 3d pen, chalk, graphite, charcoal…) and methods (hatching, crosshairs, shading, polishing…).

But how quickly can you get your bearings when sketching? When you grab your sketchbook to sketch a beautiful scene before it disappears, you may not have time to stop and consider whether it would look better with a 2B or 3B pencil, with a curved or crossed stroke.

As a solution to this problem, the Ashmolean Museum recommends creating a "dictionary of meaningful things" and writing it down in your album. Every time you get a hold new technology create tone or purchase new type pencil, mark it in your "dictionary" and give it a short label.

This way you can quickly refer to your "vocabulary" whenever you start drawing. Quickly evaluate what method is best to sketch the scene in front of you. This is especially useful for painting outdoors where your time may be limited and your decision must be made outside the comfort of the studio.

Sketching is a technology quick sketches any materials that are at hand, from ordinary markers to watercolors. Visual notes and sketches give freedom, happiness, and even fill your life with meaning. The ability to draw with a marker using the sketching technique gives the same wonderful impressions as the ability to breathe, sing, love each other. This is another way to capture the here and now moment and capture it forever with a sketch.

What are the types of sketches?

Now we will analyze the types of sketches.

Tools

Anything can be used to create sketches, even a napkin and a toothpick soaked in espresso. But since we are just starting to learn, it is best to take thick paper (for good drawing) A4 format, no more, pencils of various densities, a marker and an eraser.

An object.

Almost anything can be an object for a sketch, but first you need to take an object that is motionless, independent of simple light sources, accessible. That is, you don’t need to choose animals, it’s better to start with the interior (the first sketches will take a long time to get, the horse will not last that long).

How to draw a sketch?

Let's imagine our object without different elements, as if we are looking at it in the dark. You can practice by turning off your light. What will be the most important? What lines, contours, shadows indicate that this is a stool, and not a bucket or a cactus? Any fantasies? Forward!

Lesson Description:

Try sketching and don't give up, sketching is fun! With the help of sketching lessons and courses, you can learn how to draw beautiful drawings with a marker. And it is not necessary to pay money for courses, they are now full of them on the Internet, many begin to draw people, especially girls.

The first steps in drawing are perhaps the most convenient to start with. Making sketches is easy enough and with their help you can learn how to avoid serious ones in more detailed drawing.

Sketch like artist's notes

To create a sketch, any paper, pen or pencil is suitable - the choice is yours. Small sketches are like a kind of notes made by an artist, sketches of a future picture. They are made without corrections, on the fly.

Sketches - helpers and drawing tools

Pencil sketches can serve as memory aids. With sketches, you can quickly outline the main features of a subject or make a quick sketch of the whole picture. Also often artists use sketches for the general planning of the subsequent painting. Without worrying about the details, in sketches you can quickly manipulate objects, the horizon and other parts of the sketch, creating a future shape or indicating movement.

How to draw sketches

Think of your subject as almost devoid of detail, as if you were looking sideways 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 a future large drawing. Clearly define key shapes and use shading to indicate dark areas. And one more thing: in the sketch there is no concept of "right / wrong" - this is a completely individual work.

Adding color

Sketches are convenient to use to indicate the color spots of the future drawing. In the course are pencils, markers, watercolor. 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.

Take notes and sketches

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

Sketch Lately wins the attention of beginners and continuing 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 sketching? This takes practice and 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 novice artist, then it is the fear of the result and self-doubt that can slow down any inspiration you have. Try to draw, let creepy images come out at first, 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 keep in 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, as you will be able to view the resulting drawings. However, having a notebook does not mean that you will be sketching. If you have inspiration and desire, then at first you can draw sketches on plain paper, the main thing is that it be at hand at a certain time. In the future, the choice must be taken more seriously.
The sketch can become your book of impressions, memories and ideas for the future. If you still bought the necessary sketchbook, then you can collect various tickets, checks, small photos in it, as well as make notes and, of course, draw.

Sketches should be light, fast and uncomplicated, this rule is the main idea of sketches. So, you do not need to have a complete art education to make your sketchbook the epitome of creativity and beauty. The idea of sketches is that the artist draws what he sees, so there is often a small amount of time to create a sketch. It is enough to outline the silhouette, and then work out the details. Let the resulting drawing not be a clear copy of what you saw, but it will convey your feelings and impressions at that very moment.
If you're painting in a public place, don't be afraid to be judged or looked at from the outside. You draw for yourself, and everyone who looks with condemnation may not even know how to hold a pencil in their hands.

How can you draw a sketch? Everything you have on hand is suitable for - liner, pencil, felt-tip pen, pen. At first creative way use a simple pencil, it will allow you to make adjustments to your drawings. Also, a nag will become an indispensable assistant.
Your goal is not to build an academically correct drawing, but to create an interesting illustration that will remind you of certain area time. Of course, do not forget about practice and certain skills that you need to achieve before you admire your drawings.

Hello friends! In this article, we will define sketching and talk about where this concept came from.

Nowadays, sketching can be considered a separate direction in design and art. However, this was far from the case before. Initially sketches (from English word"sketch" - quick drawing) called sketches made by hand. Moreover, the important criterion was precisely the speed of the work.

Such sketches were made in a separate notebook allocated for sketches, or even on a piece of paper that turned up under the arm. At the same time, they could be used various materials: pencils, charcoal, watercolor, pastel and so on. As a rule, these were only sketches of future paintings that did not have much value. Thanks to a quick sketch by hand, the artists could build the composition of the future painting, choose the main colors and tools.

However, over time, the situation has changed. So what is sketching these days? Now this is a whole trend in art, which includes both high-speed freehand sketches and detailed illustrations with balanced proportions, on which the designer worked for more than one hour.

Thus, for some, sketching has become an exciting hobby, a way of self-expression and getting away from the routine. And someone went further and began to study academic drawing expanding horizons.

There are even special notebooks for sketches - the so-called sketchbooks, designed both for keeping personal diary with sketches, and to create full-fledged illustrations in the field of design. Previously, sketchbooks often had to be made by yourself, using special paper for watercolors, drawings or pastels. However, now the market offers a fairly large range of products in this segment.

Currently, there are many areas of sketching. These are sketches in a cafe, and city sketches, and portrait sketching ... Completely different objects can cause inspiration for an artist: both his own working tools, and a cup of coffee with a croissant. Travel sketches are also very popular: people want to capture what they saw on long trips by simply making a full-page drawing or a whole collage of sketches with pasted memorabilia like plane tickets.

However, it should be noted that sketching can act not only as a hobby. Separately, it is worth saying a few words about its application in the field of design. After all, sketches are not just a way to pass the time pleasantly, but for some it is also an element of a working routine. Speaking about the professional use of sketching, we can distinguish such areas as interior design, architecture, fashion sketching, website prototyping, industrial sketching, and so on. Each of these areas has its own characteristics.

Creating professional sketches requires certain knowledge, skills and often takes more than one hour. So, for example, when drawing an interior sketch, a designer must understand the principles of perspective, light and shade modeling, be able to build objects at one or more vanishing points, and also convey various textures on paper, such as wood, concrete, marble, glass, metal, and so on.

The world of sketching is truly diverse. Everyone is free to choose which direction is closer to him. And we will try to analyze in more detail its individual aspects on the pages of this site.