Q&A for How to Sketch

You can use Prismacolor ebony pencils. They are very dark and smooth and great for shading evenly in pencil.

You can buy a wheel that shows the ratios to scale a drawing. Then you will not have to do the calculations.

Usually you would want to start with basic shapes, then put in details. Do it step-by-step until you think it looks good, and then erase any unnecessary lines from your starting sketch.

Yes! There are lots of apps you can download that focus on sketching, and you can even purchase a tablet like a Surface Pro that has an ideal screen for digital sketching.

Fine art papers with texture are best for sketching. It holds the pencil well, preventing a whole bunch of smudging. But if you do not have access to that, blank white printer paper works just fine.

Yes, but you need to rub off a bit to get a light area, then for the rest of the sketch, you can use the pencil.

Charcoal is a great medium, but be advised, it is very dark and exceptionally easy to smudge.

Fixatives aren't absolutely necessary for your sketch, but if you're dead set on using one, you can try a cheap hairspray. However, that's not recommended as it doesn't last and can yellow over time.

You can absolutely sketch something that you are imagining! You can always use real life subjects and photos as references if you get stuck.

If you are sketching in a sketchbook then fixative is necessary or your sketch will get smudges on the page it faces. Hairspray is an alternative, but you do not want to spray it too close to the picture or you'll soak it.

People have different abilities. Some have a natural talent for drawing. However, everyone can greatly improve their ability by practicing regularly.

They are rubbers that you can squish and mold into different shapes. You can find them at most art supply stores.

A sketch is just a rough drawing, so it may not look the same as the image. Also, a sketch is softer than the image because your hand is lighter on the page. So no, the image may not look the same, or even similar, to the sketch.

The answer to this depends on how skillful you are naturally and how much practice you're prepared to put in. Unless you practice, you will always find it hard, even if you're naturally talented. Keep trying and with each attempt, you'll improve. Besides, it never pays to find art easy or you'll produce less than your best unless you're properly challenged.

One option is that you can sharpen your pencil and use the small gray led pieces to shade with. Use your finger to move it around, and make sure it doesn't smudge. Practice a lot.

First, start with simple lessons, like coloring and painting. Then move into simple sketches and paintings and slowly expand from there.

Yes, HB pencils are mid-range pencils that are harder than Bs and softer than Hs.

Yes. In my experience, it's a great way to know the shape of the sketch.

Hatching is a sketching technique where you make parallel lines to create different shades. The closer the lines the darker, the farther apart the lines, the lighter. Cross hatching is going back and forth to create a checkerboard-like form of hatching.

There's nothing you can do but practice, practice, practice! I would also say to look up some tutorials on YouTube so you can get tips on how to draw a realistic face.

You will need a lot of practice even if you are naturally talented. Remember, it may not always be the same.

Quick movements will ensure that your sketch is more natural.

You can find art materials at craft stores like Michael's or art supply stores like Blick or Joe's Artarama. You can always just use regular pencil, pen, or marker, too.

Use them just as you would standard pencils.

You generally don't color a sketch, just shade it. A sketch is kind of like a prototype of a drawing. You sketch first, to get a rough idea of what the drawing would be like, then you draw. Or you can just sketch for practice. If you do want to color it, then just skip the shading part and color it instead with whatever implements you prefer.

Yes, you may use any type of pencil. But if you want to be more professional about it, get the pencils recommended in the article.

You can use any pencil you want! It's your sketch, just use whatever you have available or what you prefer. Remember to start with soft, light strokes and finish with dark, thicker lines.

Draw an upside-down egg (the head), then make a light line in the middle of the head both vertically and horizontally. After that, measure the horizontal line and divide by five (this is the length of the eyes) and draw the eyes 1/5 between them. Next, draw the nose 1/3 of the way down the horizontal line, then draw the mouth underneath the nose. Draw vertical lines from the tip of the mouth, which should connect to the middle of the eyes. Draw the ears 1/5 of the horizontal line between the eyes. Measure the vertical line of the head until it meets the horizontal line and divide it by 3; use 1/3 of the line to draw the hair, then remove all the construction lines.

Use erasers if you make a mistake, or to rub out construction lines.

You should first look at someone else's eye and try to replicate it. It will take some practice though.