How Difficult is it to Learn Sketching?

Are you interested in learning how to sketch but are worried that it will be too hard? The level of difficulty someone faces when learning how to sketch is subjective. The challenges of learning how to sketch depend on factors likeyour level of confidence, whether you know what subject you’d like to sketch, and how you handle frustration.

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with sketching, there are plenty of tools available to help make learning easier than you might think.

What is Sketching?

Sketching is an essential part of the drawing process. Sketches are freehand drawings that are made in a short period. They essentially serve as the rough draft of a drawing or even a painting. Sketches are used in a variety of professions like art, design, science, and architecture.

Sketching is done using graphite, charcoal, ink, and Conté crayons and on a variety of paper-based surfaces. Because sketches tend to be done for personal use, lower-quality paper may be used. Artists typically use sketchbooks or even notepads when sketching out their ideas. Sketches may be done on higher-quality paper if they’re going to be sold or displayed.

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Benefits of Learning Sketching?

Learning how to sketch can provide you with several benefits. If you’re looking for a relaxing hobby, sketching might be it. Creative activities, like sketching, contribute to serotonin production, which helps reduce stress and anxiety. Sketching also requires your focus, which can distract you from the stressful things going on around you.

The attention to detail required when sketching will depend on how serious the sketch you’re creating is. If you’re directly observing something and depicting it through your sketches, you’ll want to pay quite a bit of attention to your subject, especially if you plan to sell your sketches. It’s important that you’re accurate with proportions, shade, space, and other elements. Sketching will help focus your brain and improve your attention to detail.

High-quality sketches can be sold, or you can open commissions and advertise your work to people looking to purchase sketches. Pencil and ink sketches are particularly popular displays, especially in minimalist spaces. Those looking to sell their sketches are recommended to use archival quality paper that’s thick and acid-free. This type of paper is ideal because it is longer lasting than acidic paper.

What Are the Hardest Parts of Learning Sketching?

You’re likely to face a few challenges when learning how to sketch. Commonly faced challenges are low confidence, indecision, and frustration. Thankfully, these challenges can be overcome. Keep reading to learn more about how to tackle these challenges and become better at sketching along the way.

Having Confidence

One of the biggest challenges that artists face is a lack of confidence. When people struggle with their art, they tend to dwell on their negative thoughts. They may think that what they’ve produced is no good or that they’re incapable of creating good work. This can prevent them from continuing or even starting a sketch.

It’s completely normal to lack confidence in your art, but it is important that you overcome it. If you’re afraid to fail at learning how to sketch, you should know that failure is a learning curve when it comes to art. Creating good sketches comes from practice, so failure is inevitable and, in fact, necessary. The more you fail at sketching something, the more lessons you’ll learn about how not to approach your work.

There are a few steps you can take to help work on gaining confidence in your ability to sketch.

Find inspiration. Go outside, look online, or talk to friends to figure out what you’d like to sketch.
Start small. Make small sketches to start. This requires less commitment and can help you figure out things like composition.
Relax. Unless your sketch is for a commission, sketching should be an entirely stress-free activity. Most mediums can be erased, or you can start new on a fresh sheet of paper.
Seek out criticism. Receiving criticism on your art can be scary but can also help you grow as an artist. Consider asking a friend, family member, or art instructor for objective feedback on your sketches. Feedback may knock your confidence at first, but you can also use it to improve your skills. Taking an in-person or online sketching class is a great way to receive personalized feedback from an expert instructor who can help you figure out your next steps.

Deciding Your Subject

Deciding on a subject to sketch can be difficult. People often sketch people, animals, plants, and landscapes. It’s recommended that you sketch a subject that you can observe or find ample reference photos of. Although you should challenge yourself, you don’t want to sketch something out of your skill level before you understand the fundamentals of sketching.

Handling Frustration

Sketching can be a low-stress activity, but it can also be frustrating. When something doesn’t come out the way you want it to or you’re struggling to make your work look realistic, you might become frustrated and want to give up. Unless you’re working on a commission, it’s ok to step back and take some time away from your art.

Here are some helpful ways to handle art frustration:

Find what you do like in your sketch. You may find that you don’t dislike your entire sketch. Consider what parts of it work and can be carried over into a new piece. Or, if you plan on continuing your sketch, consider what can be fixed by erasing or shading.
Consider the next step. If your frustration stems from not knowing what to do to fix your sketch, consider what logically comes next. Do you need to add lines? Depth? Space?
Look at your older work. Look at the previous work you have done to see how far you’ve come. This can improve your mood and encourage you to keep trying.
Start fresh. If you’re struggling with a piece, just start over. There are no serious repercussions from throwing out a sketch and starting something new.

Key Takeaways

Common challenges faced when learning how to sketch include low confidence, indecision, and frustration.
It’s important to overcome these challenges to become a better artist.
Confidence can be gained, indecision can be solved, and frustration can melt away.
Consider how far you’ve come in your sketching journey and look for inspiration to keep you going.
Sketching classes can teach you how to overcome your fear and frustration while also providing you with subjects to sketch.
Contact CourseHorse to find out more about the in-person and online training options available to you, including private group sessions.