6 Drawing Hacks That Really Work

Drawing can be really difficult. We spend a lot of time searching for the best techniques to improve our art, the best tools to use, and we even invest in full-time courses. There’s nothing especially wrong with any of these, but oftentimes it can be time-consuming and just a whole lot of effort. Sometimes, you don’t need to go full out looking for a secret method to boost your art skills; all you might need are a few simple hacks!

Here are 6 drawing hacks that really work. Some are really simple hacks that you can use straight away, while I’ll be going a bit more in-depth in others so that you understand what you’re doing and why. Read through and hopefully, some of these will help you!

Overview:

I. The 6 Hacks

1. Reference

2. Break It Down

3. Mirror/Flip

4. Stroke Stabilizer

5. Using Shadows

6. Texture Hacks

6.1. Plastic Wrap

6.2. Brush Splatter

6.3. Paper Towels

6.4. Tea Bags

6.5. Tracing

II. Conclusion

I. The 6 Hacks

1. Reference

Now, the idea of drawing with a reference will either be extremely obvious to you, or you’ve never even heard of it before. Personally, when I was first learning to draw by myself, the idea of drawing with a reference in front of me never came across my mind. You might think calling it a ‘hack’ sounds a bit extreme, but once you’re done with this section you’ll see exactly why I call it so.

When I first heard of using a reference, I thought ‘huh, isn’t that just still life?’ For those of you who don’t know what still life is, read this article.

It’s basically painting an arrangement of objects in front of you as accurately as possible. The most common example would be an array of fruits in a basket.

An art style many people would consider extremely boring but let's face it, it's the best way to study and work on your perception basics. After a while of drawing still life you get used to it and I personally even started to enjoy it!

So when I thought of painting with a reference, for some silly reason I thought of still art. I thought I had to draw exactly what I saw in front of me. This is mainly why for so many years I wasn’t too keen on the idea, especially because still art can be so tedious. But that’s not what references are at all, and I’d been missing out on a whole lot that could have improved my art monumentally.

I call it a hack because although it’s so simple, so basic, it adds so much to your drawings.

Basically, a reference is an object or photo (it can be anything really) that you use as a sort of guide for your drawing.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to design a really cool magical lamp. You might have a very vague concept in your head of what it should look like but what about how it should be structured, its proportions, dimensions, etc? The more you think about it, the more frustrating it can get. It’s surprisingly difficult to put our ideas on paper.

One way to make the whole process easier is to actually get a lamp in front of you. Honestly, it doesn’t even have to be a lamp. It could be a teapot, a vase, anything you think would help you imagine and structure your magical lamp better. Once you have it in front of you, the stress that comes with trying to imagine in your head how the lamp should be structured is alleviated.

One product that a lot of artists use is this. It’s a tiny little mannequin doll that you can use for your figure drawings. It’s adjustable and you can move its limbs to whatever pose you want to draw. I see a lot of comic artists use this. It’s a really simple and cool way to have a reference of a human body right in front of you, especially because of its size, portability and adjustability. You can’t always ask your friends to pose for you!

Learn more about figure drawing in another article on our website that will show you different ways and tips to get into figure drawing with ease as a total beginner. Check it out here.

Using references isn’t just limited to structure though; colors, mood boards, anything that inspires you is something that you can, and should, refer back to throughout your painting process. If it helps you communicate your ideas onto a page, milk it as much as you can!

Many people who are new to learning how to draw think that it’s ‘cheating’ to use a reference. Believe me, it’s not. All those artists you look up to, the ones who make the most amazing designs? Well, they’ve all used references at one point in their careers. Chances are they still do. And honestly, it’s not even a big deal or a ‘taboo’ to use references. Anyone who tells you otherwise is plain wrong, so don’t hesitate to start using them right away.

2. Break It Down

While not exactly the same, this hack follows along a similar track to the previous one. It’s an effective way to structure your drawings and better understand the underlying shapes that contribute to the overall formation of an object.

For me personally, some of the most interesting things to draw are fantasy objects. These range from mythical harps to faerie crowns, all the way to those intricate little ornamental pieces you might find in Lord of the Rings.

One thing they all have in common is the high degree of complexity given to their shape and structure. These objects are usually layered and have multiple components that make them look so magical and striking to the eye.

All of their shapes are very dynamic and fluid, but without a clear understanding of their foundation, they would look stiff and dull. Here’s where the hack comes in!

Basically, I want you to break down the objects you want to draw to their most fundamental shapes. When I say fundamental shapes, I mean cubes, spheres, cylinders, etc.. This might sound complicated, but it’s not. Here’s a really simple example of what I mean.

Let’s break down a table. To do that, I’d first separate all the individual components that make the table and then simplify them. I’d be left with a rectangular prism and four cylinders. That’s a table broken down!

Once I’ve successfully reduced it down to its core shapes, I’m suddenly left with a lot more options and freedom to add my own spin on it and draw it however I want, while respecting its underlying structure at the same time.

Honestly, this method is so simple that I just had to call it a hack. It can be used for perpetually any object you wish to draw. Once you think about the actual shapes that go into what you draw, especially three-dimensionally, it can act as a doorway connecting your imagination with what you put on the paper.

3. Mirror/Flip

Mirroring your drawing is basically when you horizontally flip it around. As the name suggests, it’s just mirrored. While this might not sound like much, once you actually use it, you’ll see just how different your piece looks after it’s been flipped.

This hack is better suited to those of you who draw digitally, as there’s usually a mirroring tool built-in to your art program. If you don’t know which shortcut to use, first try Ctrl M or Ctrl F. If these don’t work then you should either go to your menu or search it up online. Remember, each program has different keyboard shortcuts!

It’s a bit more difficult if you’re drawing the traditional way. The most common way I see it being done is by scanning or taking a photo of your work, and then horizontally flipping it on an editing app.

When you flip your paintings it’s a lot easier to find mistakes and errors. Usually, because you’re looking at what you’re drawing for a long amount of time, the little blunders aren’t so apparent. They’ll be more obvious when it’s mirrored, so go and give this hack a try!

4. Stroke Stabilizer

This hack is only for digital artists. You’ll find it especially useful for when you’re doing your line-art.

Think of a stabilizer as a sort of auto-correct, but for drawing. Essentially, it smooths out your strokes. You can control how strong this feature is. The higher the value you assign to the function, the more it smooths out your brush strokes and lines.

Some artists don’t like to use this feature much, and if they do, they make it so that it isn’t too strong. This is because they feel it might interfere with what they’re trying to do. It’s different for everyone, so I suggest you experiment a little to see what works for you.

5. Using Shadows

If you take a look around you, you’ll notice that everything is made up of light and shadows. We’re so used to seeing shadows around us that most of the time, we don’t even notice them. When we look at something that has a shadow, we’re not registering the object and the shadow as two separate things; we think of the shadow as a part of the object we’re looking at.

Unfortunately, a lot of us forget all about shadows when we start drawing. We think of what we’re drawing as two dimensional and so we don’t put the right technique or colors into it. The result? A very flat and dull piece of work.

Maybe you’re just drawing cartoons or something that is supposed to be 2D. If so, this hack probably isn’t for you.

But if you're not just into drawing cartoons and 2D pieces of art, you'll find this helpful.

You should think about what you’re drawing as three-dimensional because then you're actively thinking about the shading process and structure. you’re bringing it to life. And one of the most effective ways to do so is by incorporating shadows into your art.

I call this a hack as it immediately brings life to your art. It enhances the form of whatever it is you’re drawing.

Another reason I find shadows so important in art is because, depending on where the light source is, it can create various moods. Strong, long shadows can make a piece automatically look mysterious, whereas shorter, more subtle shadows can make for a romantic mood. Knowing how to use shadows is an incredible skill that will only add to your art.

Beware though, as shadows aren’t just plain black. There’s a certain technique to drawing them. They should be natural, not forced, as that would have the opposite effect. Also, note that shadows aren’t always black! It’s a bit difficult to explain solely with words, but the color you give your shadows has a lot of variables that you should take into account. For example, what color is the flooring? Or the background? What color is the lighting? And if these factors don’t impact the coloring of the shadow too much, you should play around with some values of grey.

Here's a link for a video that explains how to draw shadows very thoroughly. I recommend you give it a watch! You can also watch the video right here if you click on the one directly above this paragraph.

6. Texture Hacks

Texture! It’s such a big part of realism, but it can be very difficult to draw accurately by hand. If you’re drawing digitally, then you know that there are a ton of options for different textures in your art program. They’re very easy to use as well, so I won’t bother explaining it (they’re basically used in the same way you’d use a brush).

Traditionally though, it’s not obvious how you’re supposed to be drawing texture realistically. There are no preset texture brushes anywhere, and it’s hard to draw the surface and grain of objects by looking at them only by eye. Here are a few easy ways to draw or paint texture realistically.

6.1. Plastic Wrap

This first hack is quite simple. Use a plastic wrap, put some paint on it, and then press down on your canvas. This makes for a really cool rock texture. You can learn more with the following video beneath the current paragraph.

6.2. Brush Splatter

A popular and easy technique, chances are that you've already seen it been put to use. Put some paint on your brush and flick it onto the canvas. It's an easy way to paint stars fast.

6.3. Paper Towels

You can use paper towels to make an array of effects. It helps create a soft, fluffy effect without much difficulty, so many artists like to use it for painting clouds.

6.4. Tea Bags

Tea bags create that sort of effect you'd see on old maps. To use this technique, seep the bags in hot water and then drag it around all over your canvas for the effect. If you're using regular paper, make sure not to wet the paper too much as it will most likely tear. The best way to do it is by gently blotting down the tea bags on the paper and then letting it out to dry.

6.5. Tracing

This next technique is similar in a way to tracing (it works best on regular paper). Place your sheet of paper on top of a textured surface, and lightly scribble over it. This works because of the uneven surface, so some areas will be shaded darker, and other areas will be shaded in a more subtle manner.

Finding the right surface to trace over is key here. You can create some really cool looking fantasy characters with this hack. I’ve used it to make scales for dragons and other mythical creatures. Not only is it less time consuming, but also you can create textures that would otherwise be very difficult to draw.

II. Conclusion

Everyone has different methods of drawing, ranging from digital art to traditional painting. I tried to include hacks for these individual fields, so hopefully some of these will be of use to you! Use these hacks as often as you want, but not too much or they might get in the way of you learning your fundamentals! But don't let that scare you.

Now go start drawing!