Sketching is a really interesting form of art, and definitely very useful nowadays. Whether you’re working as a graphics designer or any profession similar to that, sketching is one of the techniques that you have to master if you want to be successful. Today we’re giving out some useful tips on how you can improve your sketching, so if you want to learn more, feel free to read until the end.
Table of Contents
Knowing your pencils
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When it comes to sketching, knowing what your pencils are capable of is essential. How “hard” the graphite is can be seen on the side of the pencil. If you are even slightly into art and sketching, chances are that you already know everything about the HB scale and how you can indicate which pencil is darker and which ones is lighter.
If you are not familiar with it, however, there’s nothing to worry about. We are here to help. Basically, what the scale indicates is the softness of the pencils. The more a pencil ranks towards the B, the softer it is. The more it ranks towards the H, the harder it is. HB sits in the middle of the scale, and pencils ranked as HB are always good for the foundation of your sketch. According to v7varts, it’s always a good idea to start the sketch off with an HB pencil, and then finish with a darker B scale, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. It’s all personal preference, but HB ranked pencils are really great for making the first lines.
Knowing how to grip
Sketching is all about controlling the pencil, and nothing gives more control than gripping it hard on the lower-end. However, if you position your hand closer to the end of it, you will soon realize that your lines are harder and darker, and this is not always optimal for sketches that require lighter markings.
If you want to make lighter markings, you can lightly grip the pencil in the middle area, or more to the start of it if you’re really going for those barely noticeable lines. Once again, it all depends on what you’re trying to achieve with your sketch.
Making your sketches symmetrical
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Symmetrical drawings are really satisfying both for making and looking at. However, not all of your sketches need to be symmetrical. If you’re drawing abstract things, it’s good to have some symmetry, but if you are trying to achieve realism, you might have to misplace a few things on purpose.
Choose or develop your own mark-making method
Sketching is something that you learn by yourself and with a lot of practice. And while practicing, chances are that you are going to develop your own style, meaning that you will not be following any existing techniques or rules. However, if you are a complete beginner, you can try some of the most popular mark-making methods, just so you can use them as a foundation of developing your own style. Some of the most famous ones are hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, scribbling, small circles or finger blending.