Ever heard the saying, “Talent alone isn’t enough without hard work”? Well, I stand by it. The skills I’ve picked up doing coloured-pencil art didn’t develop overnight. Just as we might think some of our favourite performers sing effortlessly, you’d be hard-pressed to hear someone like Lea Salonga say, “It just happened.” Or Cristiano Ronaldo attribute his success on the field to something he was simply born with.
While it’s hilarious that I’m even comparing myself to them, the point is that talent alone generally isn’t enough to achieve lasting success. Being gifted helps and may give you a head start, but deliberate practice and discipline are key to developing that potential. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
Coloured-pencil art isn’t just about understanding the colour wheel (which I still struggle with to this day) and mastering blending techniques. Before any of the colouring happens, the “hard work” is the drawing. Bet not many people knew that!
Sketching a subject is critical because it provides the roadmap for proportions, placement, and the overall structure of the image before the colours come into play. And although I wouldn’t say I hate it the most, I struggle with it constantly. Without patience and perseverance, I would probably have given up in an instant.
So, exactly how do I sketch a subject?
With a LOT of patience. And for me, that’s the effort I invest in the most.
I use the grid method. This involves placing a grid of squares over the reference image, then recreating the same grid on my drawing paper. From there, I sketch the lines and curves I see in each square, working my way through the image one square at a time. Think of each square as a little puzzle piece that eventually comes together to form the complete picture.
This wasn’t the method I used when I first started drawing, though. Initially, I tried freehand sketching using shapes to guide me. Commonly known as geometric sketching, this involves breaking an image down into simple shapes such as circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles. In theory, it sounded perfectly reasonable. In practice, it didn’t work for me. Before long, my paper would be covered in so many shapes, pencil lines, and curves that I ended up frustrating myself more than helping myself.
Next, I tried tracing. I would display the reference image on a large monitor (I didn’t have a lightbox back then), place tracing paper over the screen, and outline the image. Then I’d shade the back of the tracing paper and place it, shaded side down, over my drawing paper. By tracing over the original lines again, I could transfer the outline onto the paper.
It worked, and the result was fairly accurate. But the process was messy, and I had to keep stocking up on tracing paper. Not exactly ideal.
After extensive internet research, I came across the grid method. And that, folks, is how I met…the one. Haha.
Strangely enough, the grid method gives me a greater sense of personal involvement and control. Rather than simply transferring a traced outline, I’m actively observing and drawing the image myself. I also think it has helped me improve my ability to recognise spatial relationships. Breaking an image into smaller squares forces my all-over-the-place brain to compare angles, negative spaces, and distances within a confined area. It can be quite the mental workout, especially when I’m working on more complex images.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that other coloured-pencil artists who don’t use the grid method are doing anything wrong. There’s no universally right or wrong way to approach drawing, and certainly no single method that works best for everyone. I’ve simply found what works for me. At least until the next best thing comes along. Haha.
As you can see from the photo, I’m still at the initial sketching stage, where the drawing doesn’t look like much just yet. Most of the grid lines have already been erased, but I’ve kept the ones within the image to help guide me as I continue working on the details. It’s not the most exciting stage to look at, but getting this part right makes a difference to the finished piece.
And if you decide to give the grid method a go, here’s a little tip from someone who has learned the hard way: make sure your grid lines are light enough to erase easily! I’ve ruined more than a few art pieces by pressing too hard with my pencil and leaving stubborn lines that refuse to disappear. Nothing quite like putting hours into a drawing only to discover that your grid has decided to become a permanent feature. Not a nice feeling when all that hard work goes down the drain, let me tell you.
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