Creative Drawing Techniques to Sharpen Your Graphic Design Skills

Do you want to develop your graphic design skills? Whether you’re a beginner or experienced designer, there are fantastic drawing techniques that can help you hone your craft. From sketching to painting and even photography, getting creative with a variety of media can help you explore your style and create something truly unique.

In this article, we’ll explore 6 exercises – from the basics to more advanced techniques – to help you sharpen your design skills by getting creative. Let’s jump in!

Practice Creating Dimensional Illusions

To understand the art of graphic design is to understand shapes. When you’re first starting out, take some time practice drawing basic objects, like spheres and cubes, and get a feel for how the dimensions interact. Once you have the basics down, you can start working on some more advanced illusions.

For example, try sketching a 3D cube on a flat piece of paper. Focus on perfecting your lines and shading work. This sketching exercise will help you gain a better understanding of how lines can create the illusion of dimension even though the paper is flat. When you’re done, take a look at your sketch and analyze how your lines determined the size, shape, and placement of the optical illusion.

Draw from Reference Material

Photographs and reference images can be incredibly useful when you’re learning how to draw, especially if you’re just starting out. Get hold of some reference material and start by sketching simple everyday items – like a chair, desk, or cup – and then move on to more complex forms like animals, plants, and people.

Once you’ve practiced sketching basic forms with the reference material, take your skills to the next level by creating a composite sketch. This exercise involves combining several reference materials into one image disregarding the original context. Aim for a sketch that shows good dexterity and texture.

Try Painting from a Reference Image

Ready to move from sketching to painting? Expert artist Patrick Seymour offers a wonderful selection of reference images to help get you inspired. Grab a canvas board and acrylics and start painting your favorite images from Patrick’s selection.

Even if the painting doesn’t turn out perfectly, it’s still helpful to push through and try your best. When you get feedback, it can help you figure out what techniques to focus on in the future. As your painting abilities improve with practice, you’ll find it easier to tweak and refine your drawings to create truly stunning works of art.

Use Photography as a Reference Tool

Thinking of enlarging your reference material library? Don’t forget photography! Wherever you’re working, take a moment to take some reference photos. Having your own library of images can be useful if you ever need to quickly jumpstart an art project.

For example, while you’re out and about, you can take photos of everyday objects and scenes around you – like a cup of coffee on a window sill, a row of houses across the street, or even a tree in the park. Once you’ve collected enough images, study the photos and try sketching the objects or use them as your reference when practicing painting.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Don’t be afraid of experimentation. Take the time to figure out how to make the most of the medium you’re working with. For example, if you’re usually a painter, why not have some fun and try sketching instead? The jostling change might help your creativity surge quicker in the future.

Challenge yourself in every piece you make and don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s not about the outcome of your artwork, it’s about the thought process behind it. Play around with color palettes and shapes, try different angles and perspectives – and most importantly, write down your reactions and observations.

Working with Software Programs

Finally, don’t forget the basics – working with software programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Software programs are not only useful for putting the finishing touches on an artwork, they can also be a great creative tool.

Take some time to run through tutorials and practice building shapes and elements with vector graphics. As you familiarize yourself more with the software, take your skills up a notch and start building templates, working with layers,

If you are looking for Awesome illustrations by Patrick Seymour | Art-Spire you’ve came to the right web. We have 5 Images about Awesome illustrations by Patrick Seymour | Art-Spire like Drawing for Graphic Design: 6 Exercises to Sharpen Your Skills and also 35 Creative Digital Illustrations Examples for Inspiration. Read more: