Tips for Making a Cool Drawing

In this instructable I will be going through the process of drawing and going over tips when drawing. I am also going to be using a character from a series as an example for this instructable.

-Pencil
-Eraser
-Paper
-(Recommended) A device for referencing

When starting your drawing you will want to find references to create your drawing. Referencing is impotent because not every artist can memorize or depict the right pose or style they want to draw. It is easy because you can easily find references online. When finding references try to find multiple references you like which you can reference with when drawing. Also tracing is not referencing! References are also important if you want to create a certain character. For my example im using Tanjrio from Kimistu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer).

When sketching mark out impotent features. For example in the initial sketch I marked out the head as a circle and the fists as a circle too and I also sketched out what pose I wanted him to do and I also sketched out his clothing. If the initial sketch didn't come out as good as you wanted it to look its okay because this is just so that we can get the idea of the figure onto the paper.

Once you think that you got the overall idea of your figure you can then make the drawing itself. And you can correct any part of your sketch you don't like. In my example I made the head, face, hair, and clothes of the character. I didn't like where the legs were placed so I erased them and decided to work on them later. This is also the time you should use the references but you still should use the references as you progress along.

Once you've created the main parts of your character its time to move on to finalizing your sketch by fixing parts you don't like and adding extra things that might be included with your character. After finalizing your sketch erase any guide lines you might have used when making your sketch. You can also start adding details onto the clothing like folds.

When making the clothes for your character you have to keep in mind, what the texture of the clothing will be, the thickness of the clothing (if the clothing is thick add less folds but if its thin add more). When clothing squeezes or bunches up there are more wrinkles in that area but if the clothing is stretched there should be less folds. you also have to keep in mind that the folds also directly affect the border of the clothing. If your character has an arm that is bending there should also be more folds in that spot. Also when putting folds use lines as the folds first before shading them. Also if the clothing has a texture or design on it make sure that the design follows the folds.

After you make all the folds or have an idea on where they are supposed to be and look like you can start shading the folds and areas where there should be shading. Also you should make the wrinkles of the clothing while creating the shape of it at the same time.

When making a background you should use references. You should also do preliminary sketches. You also shouldn't worry too much about perspective. And When making the background start with the main lines. If your doing an indoor background start with the roof, floor, and walls and try to get an idea of the shape of the room.

When making hair you want to figure out the direction and area the hair is growing from. The reason you want to do this is because we all have one spot where grows outward from so its important to know where the hair is coming from. This applies to facial hair too because you still want to know where the hair begins. You should also first use simple shapes to make the hair first before further developing the hair. For example you should draw the main bunches of hair then add more lines or details onto those simple shapes.

When making shadows and highlights you are going to want to keep in mind where light is coming from. If you had light coming from the top of the character you would see that here would be more shading under their nose, under their eyelashes, and on their neck. When making highlights on the hair you can add spots in the hair where it is lighter than most parts of the hair.

As you start to finish your drawing make sure the lines in your drawing are kept relatively consistent unless you are purposely doing it for other reasons. For example you can use bolder lines to make a character stand out more from a background. Now that you've got the relative idea of the process of drawing make sure to keep practicing and to implement these techniques and tips when drawing.