☛ Simple Sketching Steps ☚

This is a drawing/ wash technique that I developed over the years of Drawing Everyday. I love this technique because it gives wonderful results with very little physical effort. One of the reasons I love watercolor so much is that once you know the technique, it literally paints itself. Often, if I am sketching on location, all I take with me is my sketchbook, pencil and eraser and I am set to go. I can always add the wash later.

I recommend a good quality spiral sketchbook, 6" x 8" for traveling or 9" x 12" or bigger for home with a medium weight drawing paper. You'll also need a soft drawing pencil (2B - 4B) and a kneaded eraser.

See my Drawing Everyday blog here.

Here's a sketch done on watercolor paper. This one looks more like a monotone painting, however my attitude while doing it was freer, like when I'm sketching. I like doing value sketches with one hue, because it really simplifies things.

Snowshoe Hare
"Snowshoe Spirit"

Quotations by Robert Henri on Drawing, from his wonderful book,
"The Art Spirit"

First Step

Start by changing the way you normally hold the pencil. I hold my pencil like a wand, as if I were conducting an orchestra. When you first start your drawing, you want to stay very loose. It's so much easier to first block in shapes this way and keeps you from getting caught up in details too early on.

Drawing Lesson ~ Second Step

Ok, now you can tighten up a little and hold the pencil like you would
to write. Add some of the main details. Correct and refine your sketch,
but don't get too nit picky! Keep in mind that this is an exercise.
It doesn't have to be a masterpiece!

Drawing Lesson ~ Third Step

I start this next step by generously wetting the surface of drawing
with clean water. I go right up to the edge of the figure so
the paint will flow to that point and the strokes will blend together.

Then I use a thirsty, *dry brush that's loaded with watercolor paint.
I usually use a combination of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna
to make a gray, but any dark color will do. I'm more concerned with
value than hue. I start squinting a lot from this point on. This makes it
easier to see big shapes and values. I float in pigment, giving the
figure shape by rendering values and a few details.

*The brush is damp, yet dryer than the paper.

Drawing Lesson ~ Forth Step

Here again I generously wet the surface of William with
clean water. I go right up to the edge of the figure so the
paint will flow to that point and the strokes will blend together.
I start with a light value and work up to the darkest. Remember
to use a *dry brush that's loaded with watercolor pigment of
various values.

Drawing Lesson ~ Fifth Step

Usually when the figure is dry , I would add a few more
calligraphic strokes with the brush on the dry paper.
Here however, I used a black colored pencil to draw
in the detailed design on William's body.

Here's a photo of my little traveling sketch box and sketch book with everything I need except water to do my Simple Sketching Technique.