How to Sketch and Work from a Sketch

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Find a comfortable position

   Move around first to decide what that best angle is.
   
   People's faces look best in 3/4 view, so do buildings.
2. 2

   Step 2: making sure you're facing the best angle of the object you want to sketch.

   You might do several of these before deciding the best angle for a detailed sketch.
   
   You'll be surprised at how much you can get down in two minutes
   - and later, when the timer's off, it'll feel like you've got forever to get everything in. , Don't take you eyes off your subject.
   
   Block in the big shapes in proportion first, then work smaller.
   
   You can enclose them in geometric shapes if that makes it easier for you. , Edit it however much it needs ,, Look carefully at your subject, and sketch it carefully! ,, Look at your sketch and draw it again quite small in black, light gray, dark gray and leaving the paper white.
   
   Try different crops till you decide on a good composition. , If you're working from both a sketch and a photo, your color sketches are truer to color than the photo.
   
   Skip the details, the photo has them and this is just to plan your colors. , Trace its outlines and scale up if necessary to transfer it to your canvas, good paper or board.
   
   Only transfer the outlines of the main elements and a few loose marks to place features on a portrait.
   
   You'll do the details at the end of the painting.
   
   Set out all your sketches and any photo references within sight of your painting area.
   
   If you have a live model, you can continue working from these sources during breaks.
   
   If not, you'll need to work entirely from these and your memory.
3. 3

   Step 3: Warm up with a timed gesture sketch of two or three minutes.

4. 4

   Step 4: Look directly at the object and just draw what you think you see.

5. 5

   Step 5: After a couple of minutes

6. 6

   Step 6: check your work so far.

7. 7

   Step 7: Keep looking back and forth from the object and your paper

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   Step 8: and continue to sketch

9. 9

   Step 9: Do the detail last.

10. 10

    Step 10: Add shading and a background to the sketch if you like

11. 11

    Step 11: Develop a composition thumbnail for your painting.

12. 12

    Step 12: Then work out a color version with felt tip pens

13. 13

    Step 13: colored pencils

14. 14

    Step 14: pastel pencils or anything else you can color a small sketch with quickly.

15. 15

    Step 15: After several preliminary sketches

16. 16

    Step 16: do a loose one full size.

Detailed Guide

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