5 Tips for Drawing Realistically

Drawing realistically requires time and practice. That’s not the answer most people want to hear. They want the secret on how to do so now. The truth is, there is no magic pencil that can help you do that. And in fact, for many years, I did so with your average Ticonderoga #2. Yep. The same yellow pencil you used in elementary school. Heck, I’ve been at this for the better part of 50 years! Seriously. There’s no way around the practice. If you’re not willing to do it, it’s just not going to happen.

I can give you the tips, but you have to put in the practice.

1. Learn how to see like an artist.

   This is first and foremost. An artist’s eye breaks things down into basic shapes rather than trying to draw all the details from the get-go. It’s like building a house. You can’t put up the roof and fancy windows before you lay the foundation and frame of the house. The basic shapes are the framework for your drawing. If you can’t get this down, drawing realistically will always elude you.                                     ………………….. ………

   

   All of my initial sketches are this light or even lighter in order to avoid hard lines that I can’t get rid of. (Photo Credit: Myra Naito)

2. Keep your initial sketches light.

   Don’t press so hard that you engrave the tabletop! Initial sketches are just for you to plot things out. This stage should be VERY light and VERY soft. You want this sketch to be light enough for you to erase easily if necessary. ………….
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   With proper shading, you turn a flat circle into a believable 3D sphere. Shading is crucial for drawing realistically. (Photo Credit: Myra Naito)

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3. Value, or shading, is crucial to drawing realistically.

   Value creates volume and depth. Not all shadows are the same grey. Most people are afraid to make their shadows as dark as they truly are. This makes your drawing appear washed out and flat. At the same time, they don’t keep their highlights as bright as they should be (the white of the paper) or in the right place. If your highlights and shadows are not lined up properly, your drawing will look awkward and off perspective-wise. …………………………………………………. ………………………..                                  ………………………………. ……………………………                                                                        

   

   Drawing realistically requires believable shading. Shading by drawing in small circles rather than scribbling back and forth creates a smoother finish. (Video Credit: Myra Naito)

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4. Use lines as little as possible.

   Nothing in life has a hard-edged line around it. If it did, life would look like a giant coloring book with that heavy, black line around everything. Your eye perceives the edges to things, but there is no line. When I draw a human face, for example, there isn’t one single line in that face except for eyebrows and lashes. Learn to draw by creating overlapping, tiny circles. This method leaves no lines and no dark patches, which tends to happen with the back and forth method.                                                                                                                              ……. ……..

5. Shade gradually.

   It’s much easier to add slowly than it is to have to correct by erasing and trying to add graphite back evenly. This also begins to damage the surface of the paper and is often times remains noticeable despite any corrections.

If your goal is to master drawing realistically, these tips will help you, but only if you’re practicing diligently. It takes time. Practice and time not only improve your skills, but it also helps you develop better eye-hand coordination and a more sensitive touch. Try to remember that the people whose artwork you admire have been at it for many years. So, be patient. The one thing I always say is that if you truly want to do this, you should want to work at it as much as possible. Practice should be a welcome activity, not a chore.

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