A Step by Step Guide on How to Sketch

It's not difficult to learn how to sketch people, landscapes or your favorite items around the house. With the right basic supplies and techniques, you will be sketching like a pro in no time.

Supplies You Will Need:
Tracing paper
Graphite pencil
Fascinating subject to sketch

1. Study the subject to become familiar with it. Turn it slowly, looking for its best, most basic aspect. Do not try to sketch an odd, dramatic angle. You are learning how to draw accurately by sketching what you see. Decide if this is truly the subject's best side. Position the subject at eye level.
2. Begin a light, sketchy, line drawing on translucent tracing paper. This extra step allows you to keep a record (the tracing paper original). On a more immediate note, maintaining the tracing allows you to re-work the drawing over and over again in varied wet or dry mediums.
3. Sketch lightly and hesitantly. Your lines should be broken and unconnected. Your goal is to block-in the entire subject. You are not spending time putting in details in any particular area. Constantly check accuracy of the negative spaces, or the unrecognizable spaces around the subject.
4. Draw to scale when possible, so plan carefully that you do not run off of the paper, or worse, distort the accuracy of the subject to fit your paper. Work the entire page, slowly adding more detail.
5. Stand back and critique your work. Flip the tracing paper over and look at the sketch from the back. Often mistakes become obvious only when seen in reverse. As segments of the sketch become accurate, go over the soft, broken sketch lines with darker strokes.