Designing things and people to look authentic is a surefire way to impress someone. The fundamentals are easy to learn, and with practice you can get pretty good at it. Read how to draw real pictures.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Inspired by life
Step 1. Draw using a template
The easiest way to start drawing is to use living things as models. Draw what is directly under your eyes. It can be a person, an object or a landscape. Drawing something that you can observe directly will greatly improve your technique.
Try to draw quickly. This will teach your brain to select important information quickly and efficiently. Take note of the basic shapes and proportions before moving on to the details. It will be useful if you need to make corrections in case the model moves
Step 2. Draw from a photograph
If you don't have a living model, are worried about him moving too much, or just don't have the time to dedicate to a portrait in person, you can use a photograph. It is not as instructive and effective as a method but in terms of results it produces the same effects.
If you want to make a realistic drawing but lack practice, this will be the simplest method because you will be able to grasp even the smallest details without rushing
Step 3. Inspired by your imagination
While you won't learn much, you can just create a realistic image by taking it out of your imagination. To make it truly realistic, however, you will need to have a clear notion of light and shadow, proportions, shape and physicality.
Method 2 of 4: Sketching
Step 1. Make a draft before you begin
Create a sketch of what the final result should be. It will help make the image look better by letting you explore composition and detail as well as being a constant exercise.
- You can start with miniature sketches or small images intended to represent the basic shapes of the design. This method is great for deciding the overall setting (usually referred to as a fine art composition).
- Once you have chosen the composition you can add the details. This will help you shape your subject as well as practice. If you have difficulty with the image during this step, it means you need to use a simpler shape or pose.
- Find basic shapes. When sketching, look for basic shapes that you assemble to create the object you want to reproduce. Everything there is made up of various forms. Noses, for example, are complex pyramids, trees are a series of cones or circles. Find the shapes to give dimension to your drawings and to reproduce them correctly.
- Better to draw the final image on top of the sketch, whether it is detailed or elementary depends on your preferences. This will allow you to adjust the shapes giving you a guide to create the final image.
Step 2. Draw the complete silhouette first
The more you do it right, the easier it will be to work on what goes where. You will find it easier to draw the shape of the space around the object than to outline the object itself.
For example - when drawing an eye, do not start from the pupil first; instead draw the white part and you will have automatically made the eye itself
Step 3. Draw what you see, not what you think you see
One of the most important aspects of drawing realistic images is making sure you reproduce exactly what you see instead of what you think you see. The brain tends to generalize images so pay attention and recreate what the head jumps, you will learn a lot.
- One trick to avoid drawing what you think you see is to take an image from a magazine, turn it backwards, and reproduce it. This technique tricks the brain into thinking it is looking at something new instead of something known. That way you can actually draw what you see - unique shapes - instead of what you think the object is.
- Pay special attention to items such as ears, noses, tree leaves, and shirt collars. These are things that we tend to generalize mentally by ignoring the details. To give realism to the design, be sure to reproduce those characteristics that make the object unique. The ears, for example, are different in each of us.
Step 4. Use perspective
The perspective or the way objects appear to be of different shapes than the distance from you is very important in making the drawing realistic. When reproducing a landscape, for example, you should draw trees that are further away, smaller and with less detail even though they may actually be taller than those that are nearby. This is an example of how your eyes perceive objects and make the image authentic.
- The perspective is drawn by first finding the horizon line. When you look at something in everyday life, you will see that there is a point where the earth physically seems to meet the sky. That's the horizon line. You will need to imagine where this is on the drawing and trace it with a ruler.
- Draw the vanishing points. You can use one, two or three points. With one it's easier, with two it's the most common way. Three is the hardest so avoid it until you are experienced enough. The two vanishing point method is described here.
- Draw a point or two on the horizon line. It is the direction or directions in which objects go. The points can be on the sheet or outside. With a double perspective you will need to have a point on both sides of the design.
- Draw the center line of your object and then the one from top to bottom, use a ruler to draw vanishing point lines.
- Think about how far the object goes and draw more vertical lines between the angled escape lines to start creating the space your object occupies.
- Close the gap by drawing a line from the bottom to one side of the opposite perspective. You can see which parts of the objects should be visible and at what degrees.
Step 5. Pay attention to the proportions
Proportions are the relative measurements of objects. Especially when portraying people, pay attention to the proportions that will be critical to make the image realistic. Most faces, for example, follow mathematical formulas that serve to align face and body in a particular way. With the wrong aspect ratio your portrait will look cartoonish or otherwise weird.
People for example are as tall as 5-7 stacked heads. Between the eyes, the distance is equivalent to that of the eye itself. The line of the mouth usually turns towards the corner of the jaw. From elbow to wrist the distance is that of one foot. There are many measures like this to make a human body and it can take some time to learn them but it is an interesting and rewarding process
Method 3 of 4: Study the Lights and Shadows
Step 1. Choose the light source
Lights and shadows will be vital in making your drawing look as realistic as a photograph. The more detailed and accurate they are, the more realistic the drawing will be. However, before adding them, you will need to decide where the light is coming to your design from.
A soft light can come from a lamp or a window. If you are outside it can come by itself. The light will come direct from the source hitting the sides of the design
Step 2. Add the shadows
Areas that are hidden or blocked by the line of light will be in shadow. The farther they are from the light, the deeper the shadow will be. Once you have determined the source of the light, decide where to put the darkest shadows and start blending them. Shadows give the drawings depth and shape.
- The next step is to add half shadows. They are areas that are partially shaded and not as dark as those on the bottom. Continue like this until you have three to six levels of shaded areas.
- Once you have the shadows in general, blend them using your fingers or a butt. This way you will make the gradient homogeneous. Keep the sharp lines of the shadows if there are any such as those of a table or other rigid objects.
- Hatching and variation of lines. If you use ink or don't want to blend shadows, you can give depth and shape by carefully arranging lines and textures. Make stronger outlines in areas where shadows should be, such as the depression of the apple that houses the stem or the point behind the ear that meets the neck. It uses lines to follow the shape of an object and overlapping lines in different sections to give the illusion of shadow.
- Research hatching and engraving to see examples of how they turn out and experiment to learn. This type of drawing is quite challenging to perfect and takes a lot of practice. However it is quite versatile.
Step 3. Draw the light points
Once you have settled the shadows add the highlights where the light hits the objects directly. You can do this by erasing or using white charcoal and similar substances.
On a face lit up in front for example, the highlights will go on the eyebrow, under the nose, on the cheek ridge and on the chin as these are the areas that protrude the most
Method 4 of 4: Choose the Suitable Tool
Step 1. Pencils
The most common tool is usually the pencil. Pencils allow you to fix shadows and leave white areas for highlights. With a pencil it is easy to layer and have great control of the image to be created. Also you can shade relatively well.
The pencils have different hardnesses (given by the amount of graphite). The harder it is, the lighter the stretch will be. Use different pencils depending on how light or intense you want the stroke. Hard pencils have H and soft pencils B. The higher the letter number, the harder or softer the lead. A standard pencil is usually HB
Step 2. Pens
Even with a pen you get a realistic drawing. You will have to rely more on accuracy of lines and proportions but also on hatching, variation of lines and etching-style shadows. You can use a pen but you will get a better result with a nib which will give you a better opportunity to change the width of the stroke.
Step 3. Charcoal
Create an equally realistic effect. Charcoal is perhaps the best tool for creating shadows and highlights, a crucial aspect of a drawing. It is easy to break apart to blend shadows, which can be an advantage but also creates difficulties.
The drawing charcoal has various shapes and sizes. Willow or vine are good for almost anything, white is perfect for details
Step 4. Dedicated Card
Depending on the instrument you choose, you will need the right card. Especially the charcoal wants a special paper (with a thick texture able to make the charcoal adhere well). Pencils work best on smooth paper that allows shading.
- Make sure you find acid-free paper, archival paper if you find it is ideal. It will prevent designs from yellowing over time, getting damaged.
- In addition to the special paper, the charcoal also requires the use of a fixative spray that prevents smears once the image is made.
Step 5. Twisted smudge
It is a kind of pen made of rolled paper with sandblasted tips. It is used to mix the charcoal or pencil, blending it to form the shadows in the drawing. You will need to sandblast it every time it blackens. You can buy it in stores or you can make it yourself.
Step 6. Eraser
An eraser is an unparalleled tool for removing errors and creating highlights. You can use a regular pencil eraser or a bread eraser. The latter is good for both charcoal and pencils because it can be shaped into a sharp point to remove errors in detail.
Advice
- Use an extra-fine-tipped pencil for detailed areas like eyebrows and wrinkles. It will be easier to delineate them and make them authentic. The width of the mine in this case should be less than 5 mm.
- One of the hardest things to do is make hair and skin. Remember to draw your hair in wisps because that's how it grows. Each tuft will have different shadows and highlights. It will help give the hair a realistic look. Also remember to include skin blemishes. Freckles, scars, blemishes and wrinkles are what make the skin authentic instead of plastic.
- Have fun!
- Turn the design or look at it in the mirror even as you do it. This way you will see if you are making any mistakes. It is normal to draw one eye higher or wider than another. The jaw line is usually wrong. By turning the drawing, you will have a clearer view during the sketching phase.
- Draw often. Always carry a block with you and draw whenever you can. Draw the people around you as you take the bus or train. You can also draw objects that you see around you while eating or watching TV. Practicing will help develop your hand faster.
