5 Practice Methods: How to Sketch in Digital Art?
In digital art creation, character design is crucial. Do you often struggle with capturing the right figure? Consider practicing more quick sketches.
Sketches come in various types, each requiring a different time and focusing on different aspects. In this article, we'll share five sketching exercises to help you improve your digital drawing skills rapidly.
In this article, you will learn:
- Method 1: 30-Second Sketch
- Method 2: 2-5 Minute Sketch
- Method 3: Theme Sketching
- Method 4: Custom Theme Sketching
- Method 5: Illustration Theme Sketching
- Final Thought About How to Sketch
Method 1: 30-Second Sketch
Challenge yourself by setting a 30-second time limit to quickly sketch a human figure.
With only 30 seconds, you can draw a very limited amount. Therefore, don't aim to depict every detail like clothing or facial features clearly in this type of sketch.
Focus on capturing the figure's external outline and dynamic curves. Then, use a simplified approach to outline the general shape.
By consistently practicing these 30-second sketches, you can train yourself to quickly see the fundamental structure and dynamic essence of the human body. This skill will be tremendously helpful when drawing figures.
Method 2: 2-5 Minute Sketch
Give yourself a bit more time for sketching, say 2 to 5 minutes.
Compared to 30 seconds, 2-5 minutes allows for more detail. So, you can consider drawing finer details of the human body, facial expressions, and even include clothing details like folds and wrinkles.
This sketching method primarily trains you to handle the details of a character.
Method 3: Theme Sketching
As the name suggests, theme sketching starts with choosing a specific theme, like a spring outing or home life.
You can look for relevant action references (such as photos), and sketch a series of character poses that fit this theme.
During the theme sketching process, try to analyze and summarize the relationships between the characters' body shapes. Pay close attention to the overall dynamics and flow of the lines in the characters.
Method 4: Custom Theme Sketching
Different from selecting a specific theme for sketching, custom theme sketching requires you to break away from the mindset of copying from photos.
After finding relevant reference materials, you need to infuse your own subjective ideas by simplifying or exaggerating the characters.
This approach adds more continuity and specificity to the characters' actions. The more associations you make, the more divergent your thinking becomes.
This sketching training method subtly enhances your creativity. As you practice more and improve your drawing skills, you may find that you no longer need any references.
Because the characters' actions are in your mind, and you can easily sketch them out.
Method 5: Illustration Theme Sketching
You can try sketching around an illustration theme. Illustration theme sketching involves creating a sense of storytelling in your sketches, beyond just basic drawing, as if you are crafting an illustration.
Before sketching, establish a consistent character image. Expand your imagination based on this defined character image and sketch a series of actions that convey a sense of what they are doing.
However, remember that regardless of the activity or action, the character's clothing and appearance remain consistent throughout.
Final Thought About How to Sketch
In this article, we've shared five methods for practicing sketching. You can see these as steps to improve your sketching skills, starting from practicing 30-second sketches and gradually advancing to illustration sketching.
Of course, practice makes perfect. In digital art creation, continuous practice is the fastest way to enhance your drawing skills.
If you find yourself tired of repetitive tasks like adjusting brush sizes, rotating the canvas, or tweaking brush properties during your digital art practice, you might enjoy using the TourBox creative controller.
Similar to using a game controller for playing video games, TourBox provides a similar experience in digital art creation.
Consider trying out the new combination of TourBox with a digital pen. You'll discover how digital drawing can be both easy and efficient. Check out our digital painting page to see how TourBox simplifies every step of digital art creation.
