One of the components to making a drawing that accurately represents your
subject is having confidence in your linework. Lines are the essence of any drawing. When you have confidence in your ability to manipulate lines, it will show in your final result. A basic knowledge of how to use them to get the result you want will liven your picture and help your viewers to understand what you are trying to show.
A common mistake that I make when drawing complex subjects is forgetting to use line variation. Varying the weight of your lines helps to give your drawing more depth. Of course, for showing distance, lighter lines are usually best, precisely because they stand out less. I like to think of line variation as a way to actively control where a viewer will look in your drawing. What part of your drawing most interests you? Find that spot and guide your viewers there.
When you are drawing an outline, don’t make it a big, bold border around the entire subject. Make your line thicker where the focus of your picture is and fade it out where your subject fades into the distance. Also, letting your line break in spots gives an “organic” feeling to your drawing; this really helps when drawing flora and fauna.
Know your subject. Having even a general database in your mind for how the feathers overlap on a bird, what the prominent muscles are on mammals, and what the basic flower components are can be immensely helpful when you are puzzled about what you are seeing. On the other hand, learning to see the negative space between flower petals or bird legs helps you to easily place hard-to-draw parts of your subjects.
If you make a mistake, it’s okay. Just go with it and move on to the next part of the drawing. There will always be a next time to try again. (Practice really does make perfect!) Train yourself to find what worked for you in your last drawing and use those techniques in your next sketch.
Be careful but confident. But most of all, enjoy what you draw. Being creative is a joyous process that you can cultivate every time you pick up your pencil. ‘Till next time, happy sketching!
Note: Don’t feel like you have to use everything discussed here. Pick and choose what you like or think might help you improve. Have fun with it!
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