How to Improve Your Sketching Technique
Artists and designers use quick, imperfect drawings called sketches to convey the most important elements of an image. Sketches may depict the stance of a model, the layout of a room or the design of a dress, or they may communicate an emotion rather than specific visual details. Whatever their purpose, sketches are characterized by their loose, free-form quality. Like any art, sketching is a skill, and developing good technique requires time, patience and practice.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Experiment with range of motion. Practice moving your pencil from your wrist, your elbow and your shoulder. Each pivot point gives a different kind of control and a different degree of freedom.
-
2
Create perspective by using thicker and thinner lines. Thicker lines give the illusion of distance, while thinner lines look closer to the viewer. If your sketch is a fashion design, use thicker lines for deeper fabric folds, and thinner lines for more shallow ones.
-
-
3
Make dynamic pictures by drawing with a relaxed arm. Draw with follow-through -- instead of stopping your hand where you want to end a line, lift the pencil from the paper and continue the motion without marking the page. This gives your lines movement and creates the characteristic sketch look.
-
4
Practice daily. Draw cars, human figures and other moving objects. Sketches often capture a sense of movement, so practice drawing things with a dynamic energy.
-
5
Sketch in pen. This helps you learn to incorporate mistakes into your final picture. Starting over each time you make a mistake also guarantees you extra practice.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images
