Explore the Basics of Drawing

There’s more than one way to make a drawing!

Scribbling is done quickly to find the overall shape of an object. Try to keep your pencil on the paper while you scribble.
 

Gesture drawing is similar to scribbling. Artists use it to capture the form of an object in a loose, quick way. They sometimes add details on top of the drawing to define forms.

Light and heavy pressure build up tone and texture.

Contour breaks down objects to simple lines and forms.

Hatching uses short or long parallel lines to define forms.

Crosshatching utilizes intersecting parallel lines to add tone and texture to a drawing.

Combining these techniques creates different levels of shading, texture, and effects throughout a drawing.