Don’t fret the details. ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ This newsletter is about drawing. It goes out every Friday. Want to draw? Then check out my free art flashcards, 3D models, and workbook!

#104 - Draw With A Thick Pencil First To Get The Big Shapes Down Before You Go Into Detail

Don’t fret the details.
 
some of my sketchbook pages
Art Flashcards, images ready to be drawn.

 
NOTE: I mentioned the Earthsworld website a few weeks ago: don’t go there anymore! It seems to have been hacked and appears to be infested with malware!
 
Last time I endorse an exernal resource! Anyway, back to the regular program. But first: some pen and ink drawings I did on matchbox-sized little cards.
 

Initial Letter When I start a new drawing meant to be a finished piece, I first draw loosely with a thick, soft (green color) pencil. Drawing with loose lines helps give the final drawing energy, and drawing with a thick, unsharpened pencil forces me to focus on the bigger picture as I can not draw details. The soft pencil allows me to erase still, easily.

This helps me solve and fix problems early: get proportions and expressiveness right.

Then I tighten the drawing, but it starts with a loose, expressive underdrawing. It will shine through the final finished piece and make it more dynamic and less stiff.


Previous article: #103 - Making It Easy To Start Drawing Every Day Is A Good Way To Make A Drawing Habit Stick