How to Draw Cuts & Bruises

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Drawing cuts and bruises isn't difficult to do, but making them look realistic can be challenging. By using a combination of texturing and coloring techniques, you can create cuts and bruises in your drawings that will have a realistic appearance and lend a touch of professional realism to your work.

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Step 1

Draw a small line on the area of your drawing where you want to place a cut. The length of the line depends upon how long you want the cut to be. The line should not be perfectly straight. A cut will have a slightly ragged appearance.

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Step 2

Draw a line parallel to the first, making the line as ragged as the first line you drew. The lines should be as far apart as you want the cut to be wide. Connect the two lines at each end. This is the cut. To give the cut a deeper appearance, add a few pencil strokes in between the lines to give the impression it has severed through a layer of skin. Add shading around the inner edges to help enhance the depth of the cut.

Step 3

Draw a circle where you want the bruise to appear. The circle should be uneven to give it the appearance that it is spreading. Add a little pencil shading to the circle and smudge it with your finger to smooth out the hard lines of the shading.

Step 4

Add color to the cuts and bruises. The coloring phase will bring the wounds to life. You can use color pencils or markers. Add a dark red to the cut, then blend in some black to make it look more realistic. Color the bruise with a combination of black, yellow and purple. Begin by adding purple and black to the center of the bruise, then add some yellow around the edge of this. Blend the colors until they appear to run into one another to recreate the discoloration of the skin when it's bruised.

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