I have been drawing since the day my little hands could hold a pencil. My drawing collection dates back to a very young age and the improvement through the years is clear. However, when college came around I found myself unable to make time for one of the hobbies that make me who I am. I never realized how much I missed drawing until the stay-at-home order began and I found myself with a little bit more time in my quarantine routine than my previous one. Now that I am back into drawing a little bit more than before, I thought about giving four simple tricks that helped me when I began to get more serious about drawing.
1. It’s all in the wrist.
My art teacher in high school was a wild lady who believed in the power of the wrist. Although she confused me at times, she made me realize how stiff my wrist tended to be when drawing and taught me how to fix it. Loosen your wrist as you hold the graphite pencil (or any drawing material you use) and let it fall swift and loosely on the paper. There is no need to put pressure onto the paper because this might hinder your ability to move the tip around, causing the drawing to look choppy and unrealistic.
2. Lift the tip of your drawing utensil often.
Many people want to draw the outline of their drawing in one swift motion of the pencil. Although it does guarantee speed, by not lifting the tip of your drawing utensil you are more susceptible to putting pressure like I mentioned in tip #1. Strokes throughout the entirety of your drawing will make it look natural and realistic. Plus, the visible strokes can add texture!
3. Don’t focus on the symmetry of your drawings.
I remember how insane it would make me to see the lack of symmetry in my drawings, especially when drawing a person. I would get caught up with the fact that the two eyes were not perfectly aligned with each other or that the nose was crooked in relation to the mouth. It is impossible to make any drawing perfect, even when you’ve been drawing for years! The sooner you realize this the better your drawings will be because you’ll be able to see your unique talent.
4. Use up the ENTIRE space.
Whether you are drawing on a sketch pad, regular piece of paper or even painting on a blank canvas, make sure to use up all of it. Fill the space with your drawing as much as possible, it is there for you to fill! This will also make your drawings pop out more and dimensions to look great! :)
