There are many people who want to sketch but hesitate to take a pencil in hand because they do not know the tips to start sketching. Here we shall discuss a few of the sketching tips which can help the beginners as a guiding force.
Know Your Pencil:
There are different sketching pencils. Some are harder (H), some are softer (B), and some lie in between (HB) based on the nature of graphite embedded in it. These are the scales of pencils. It is recommended to begin your sketch with an H scale to make a strong base and end your sketch with a darker B scale. For better sketching, use both traditional and mechanical pencils. Traditional pencils are for drawing large areas while mechanical pencils are best for precision.
Control of Pencil:
If your sketching demands you to control your pencil, then it is recommended to position your fingers to the end of the pencil. This will bring maximum control of the pencil. Your grip will be less when you start positioning your fingers in an upward direction.
Styles And Techniques:
You can opt for any of the sketching styles and techniques from plenty of available techniques. Choose which is best suited to you and enhance the style in your own way. Experiment with different styles. Explore every technique by sketching. A few of the ways to sketch are mentioned below:
- Hatching
- Cross-hatching
- Stippling
- Scribbling
- Small circles
- Finger blend
Variation In Lines:
To grab the viewer’s attention and make your sketch more interesting, imply variation in your drawing. The shift in lines will make your drawing visually appealing and dynamic one. These variations can be in the lines of width or while sketching darkness. You can master this art of variation with consistency and continuous practice. It is also recommended to experiment with different scales of pencils as mentioned above and consider holding the pencil at different angles. It will help you to bring variation in your sketch leading to a cohesive image.
Smudging:
Smudging is beneficial, as well as detrimental as well. It is recommended to place a page beneath your hand while shading. This will avoid the smudging of your hand with the drawn pencil lines. It often happens while drawing that smudging leads to an unclean and messy sketch. Due to smudging, drawing loses all its brilliance. But you can use smudging to your advantage with various tools. It is recommended to use tissue paper to smudge. It will bring refinement to your drawing.
Shading Hand:
There is a different rule for both hands. If you are left-handed, start shading from right to left. Similarly, if you are right-handed, then start shading from left to right.
Edges:
There are different types of edges. It is recommended to draw all the edges in your drawing to make it more appealing to the viewer. There are four types of edges usually implied in the drawing, which are as follows:
Thin Edge:
A thin edge gives an object a thin border.
Hard-Edge:
A thin edge gives the object a hard and thick border.
Lost Edge:
A lost edge is the one where background and object start to blend with each other.
Undefined Edge:
Undefined edge has no visual borders. It is decided by the viewers themselves.
Draw all the four edges in your drawing to make it dynamic, attractive, and beautiful.
Blending Stick:
It is recommended to use a blending stick for smooth shading. You can simply do it with a pencil, but you have to be very careful because pencil lines do not blend easily.
70/30 Rule:
This rule implies that 30 percent of your drawing will revolve around the central or focal point, while the remaining 70 percent is used as a filler.
Symmetrical:
Symmetrical drawings are good, but they often seem boring due to the static nature. It is recommended to draw asymmetrical lines as well to make your drawing appealing and interesting. It will bring variation in your drawing.
Different Textures:
If there are different textures involved in your drawing, then you cannot shade the entire drawing in the same way. You have to imply different techniques while shading different components of drawing. It is better to identify the texture first if it is rough or smooth, heavy, or light and then shade accordingly.
Realistic Sketches:
Sketches don’t need to look like a real-life picture but try to create realistic sketches by focusing on elements such as lighting, values, proportions, and anatomy. If you have learned to create realistic images, then it is very easy for you to bring style to your image, especially in the case of creatures and characters.
You can imply all the tips mentioned above in modern Arabic calligraphy leading to fine artwork.