How to Make a Simple Drawing More Interesting
If you ever feel like you don’t have time to make an expressive drawing, today's video is for you.
Ten or fifteen minutes is enough to make drawing part of daily life. Let me show you.
Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!
With just a single pen, a bit of water, and a few deliberate choices, you can create a loose, lively drawing. Today, I’m choosing a simple, everyday subject: a coffee pot and a glass on the window sill. The reference photo was taken on a cozy snowy January morning.
Here’s how:
Use a pen with water-soluble ink.
Start with line. Use negative space and overlap.
Add drop shadows to ground the subject and give it depth.
Use a brush and water to carefully activate the ink, creating light and dark washes.
Simple lines and loose washes keep the drawing playful and lively. No overworking allowed! A light touch goes a long way.
A fun drawing assignment for your own sketchbook practice is included in the video.
This approach is perfect for quick sketching, loosening up, or fitting drawing into a busy schedule. Ten or fifteen minutes of creativity can fit into daily life more easily than you think. Especially when you stack it onto a habit you already have (that's a pro tip!).
Materials used:
Etchr square sketchbook 20.4 x 20.4 cm
Sailor Fude fountain pen with watersoluble black ink
Pentel Aquash waterbrush
More
Here's the link to another video that builds nicely on this approach, so you can keep practicing and exploring: Quick drawing in the street (using the same materials as in today's video)
Other related videos:
-Video I recommend to watch next: Same pen, but combined with watercolors
-Sketching essentials (pens, inks, and more)
