If you use sketchbook ideas, then drawing will be much more interesting. To make the creative process part of your hobby, you can use images for copying. You can find a lot of interesting images of different types on the Internet, for beginners and more advanced artists. Such drawings can be used to supplement a diary, create a thematic poster, and much more.
What is sketching
This direction appeared relatively recently. The main distinctive feature of sketching is fast drawing. The idea is to create an interesting image in a short period of time. If examples are used for copying, then with fast work you can get a completely different, more interesting result.
The sketch itself is a quick sketch that was first used by fashion designers to create outlines for new dresses and other clothing. That is, we are talking about a sketch that also has colors applied to it. But they do not necessarily have to fill all the gaps. In sketching, it is allowed to go beyond the boundaries or simply indicate where and what color is supposed. However, the color palette must be chosen harmoniously.
Today, sketching has become a full-fledged direction of fine art. The meaning of such images is to convey, first of all, the impression of the drawing. When working on such images, you can use pencils, watercolors, crayons, etc.
The images are entered into a special album called a sketchbook. In fact, it is a regular album, but only smaller in size. Thanks to this, you can always carry the sketchbook with you and create sketches when an interesting idea comes to mind.
Sketchbook copying ideas are suitable for beginners who want to learn how to draw, but are not yet ready to create complex images according to all the rules of fine arts. There are no strict rules in sketching, and the fact that you can copy pictures simplifies the task even more. However, more experienced artists will also be interested in this direction. It allows you to look at things in a new way and give free rein to your imagination.
Useful tips for copying
Many beginners have a problem related to the fact that, seeing a blank sheet of paper, they simply cannot start drawing. This is explained by the fear of ruining everything. Some are even sure that they do not have enough skills to draw. In such a situation, you need to understand that the sheet is just paper, having ruined it, the artist can always start from scratch. A person cannot learn to walk or ride a bicycle if he does not try and even fall a couple of times.
To overcome your fear, you just need to take a pencil and start drawing on the sheet. Let it be simple scribbles or simple strokes. The point is to stop being afraid of drawing. After that, you can try to draw a simple house, a person, a flower or any other simple object, for example, a square or a triangle. It is enough to look at small children who begin to draw without any problems and are never afraid that they will not succeed.
To make the task easier, you can draw squares on the image to be copied and line it up in the same way as a clean sheet of paper. By dividing the source in this way, it is much easier to navigate. But you need to understand that according to the ideas of sketching, it is not at all necessary to transfer the image exactly. The source is more necessary so as not to think about the idea of the image.
What materials will be required?
Beginners should work with a pencil, as it is easy to use, and if some line does not work out, it can always be erased with an eraser. Simple pencils differ from each other by how hard the lead is. To determine the softness of the tool, just look at the letters written on it.
| Pencil hardness designation | What do the letters mean? |
| IN | Soft option |
| N | Hard lead |
| NV | Medium soft pencil |
| 2B | Double softness |
| 2H | Double the hardness |
The pencil may also be marked 3B-6B. The higher the number, the softer the pencil. By analogy, you can determine increased hardness (maybe H, 2H or 3H). A pencil with H lead is great for creating the first lines, which should be barely noticeable. They are quite easy to erase.
The lines themselves are very thin. It is more convenient to enhance the contrast and create darkness with pencils B and 2B. It is recommended to use a pencil marked HB to create the main drawing.
You can find special sketchbooks on sale. The format should be chosen depending on your preferences. A4 or larger sheets are more suitable for drawing at home. Paper comes in different thicknesses. For pencil drawing, it is most convenient to use sheets with a thickness of 60 g/m2, for watercolors it is worth choosing albums with the parameter 200 g/m2, since it is important that the paper is thick enough to absorb some of the moisture without deforming.
The eraser should be soft enough. Usually, the eraser has a rounded shape. To make it easier to correct the image with such a tool, you can cut the eraser in half and then it will have sharp edges. As they become rounded, it is enough to just trim it periodically.
You can choose any ideas for copying into a sketchbook, but it is better to start with something simpler, gradually complicating the task. For example, characters from favorite cartoons, everything that a person sees around him will do. Since we are talking about copying, it will be quite easy to work with objects that have many small details. If you do not want to, then it is absolutely not necessary to draw everything. You can simplify any image and adapt it to yourself.
Flowers, trees and leaves
Botanical drawings are great for beginners. You don't have to try to create realistic images. Flowers and other plants can be stylized. This makes them look even more interesting.
There are several original ideas:
- If you first draw the outlines of the flowers with a simple pencil, and then color them using a brown outline, you will get a very stylish picture. Such plants do not necessarily need to be colored, leaving only a simple pencil.
- There are also more simplified options. Such flowers look more fabulous, fantasy. Below are several ideas from which you can create full-fledged compositions. If after applying a sketch, outline it with a black marker and color it, you will get bright pictures.
- Colored images can be combined with black and white ones. You can use pictures from coloring books as ideas.
- The combination of both colors and inscriptions is a very effective solution that does not require special skills in the fine arts.
Ideas/Arts for copying in a sketchbook
Ideas for drawing people
If a beginner artist has never drawn people before, it is more convenient to start with cartoon characters. After creating the main outline, you can add a little color, which does not necessarily have to fill the entire space.
Several ideas will work:
- If the character conveys some character, then very funny pictures are obtained. It is not necessary to draw the whole person. For example, you can depict only the head and add some additional elements, for example, thoughts in a cloud.
- If you have managed to get the hang of simple images, you can create your own ideas. For example, you should think about what mood the image should convey and try to convey it.
- You can also depict one part of the human body. Hands look very graceful. Below are several examples of how a hand can be positioned.
- If you need to draw hair quickly, there are several simple techniques for doing so.
- Realistic eyes are drawn with a simple pencil. True, such an image will require practice, or you can use the trick with squares and line the original image.
Drawing animals
By drawing animals with a simple pencil, you can achieve spectacular images even if the artist is a beginner:
- Below are some ideas for fairly simple drawings.
- Many children like to draw horses, so almost everyone is familiar with the basic forms of ungulates. But it is not necessary to draw the entire horse. You can limit yourself to just the head, paying attention to the details, especially the eyes. They can be made realistic if you first color them with a pencil, and then add a highlight with an eraser.
- Of course, we must not forget about lions and lionesses. The king of beasts is another popular subject for drawing.
Drawing architectural objects
If you want to create an atmospheric image, you can draw a cozy street of a small town. You can use numerous photos from search engines as a basis.
There are some interesting ideas for drawing architecture with a pencil:
- Tiled house over the river. If you add some shading to the drawing, you get an interesting effect.
- More fairy-tale motifs will also work. For inspiration, you can look at photos of small European cities or places you would like to visit.
- Unusual viewing angle. If you create a panorama or an image as if in a round mirror, you get a full-fledged composition. To do this, it is enough to add curves to the buildings. You also need to remember about perspective, which allows you to enhance the desired effect.
- A cozy house with a bench in the yard. It is not necessary to depict a whole city. You can limit yourself to one house, conveying the atmosphere with the help of additional elements.
- Venetian street. You can follow more straight lines, this style looks more serious, but also very interesting.
Or you can depict the street from the inside. The drawing below is quite simple and is done in the style of sketching. If you use simple pencils of different softness, then this is enough to give the necessary shadows.
Food and Drink Drawing Ideas
Sketchbook ideas that can be used to add to a sketchbook can also include various food products. The advantage is that food and drinks are always nearby, so it is enough to open the refrigerator and get excellent material for work. Or ready-made pictures will do, which can be redone, slightly changing the style. Both color and black and white images can be used as a basis.
For example, you can use several ideas:
- By adding dots and numerous small details, the images look realistic, yet creative and unusual at the same time.
- You can add hatching to the edges of the images, which will give additional volume. This technique is very often used by illustrators and cartoonists. You can draw not only food or drinks, but also various kitchen utensils.
- When creating images, it is not necessary to adhere to strict straight lines. You can even make objects slightly crooked on purpose. This will give the images lightness and cartoonishness.
Drawing of the seasons
This is a popular theme for creating atmospheric images. For example, if the mood is sad, you can depict autumn and rain. Sunbeams, grass, beach and other attributes of summer, on the contrary, look more positive. You can combine several seasons at once to give a more enhanced effect, emphasizing the difference.
You can use the following ideas:
- Draw a cloud that covers several seasons at once and add additional elements that allow you to clearly understand where winter, spring, summer and autumn are.
- You can approach the idea with humor and draw a funny cat who can’t hold an umbrella and flies away in shock from a gust of strong wind.
- It may seem that it is impossible to draw anything bright and positive with a simple pencil. But if you look at the image below, it becomes obvious that this is not so. The picture turned out to be very cheerful, summery and positive.
- If after creating an image with a simple pencil, you add one color to it, then you also get an unusual picture. For example, you can make a bright accent with the help of red.
Nature
This is another category of drawings, in which you can find a huge number of different ideas. With the help of a simple pencil it is very easy to create spectacular landscapes. At the same time it is not necessary to spend a lot of time on the drawing. Sometimes just a few strokes are enough to give the drawing atmosphere.
For example, the following ideas would work:
- The picture below shows a very simple drawing that even a complete beginner can handle.
- If you add more strokes and transitions, the image becomes deeper and more saturated.
- You can choose an interesting perspective and add, for example, a fisherman who sits alone at sunset. It is interesting how easily this atmosphere is conveyed, although only a simple pencil is used.
- More experienced artists can create an almost photorealistic image. The waterfall and forest look very cool. This effect can be achieved using an eraser. If you run it over the finished image, you create highlights that give such realism.
Using abstractions
You can find ideas for copying into a sketchbook even if you have no experience in drawing and don’t particularly want to learn. In this case, abstractions always look like a sure bet. Some people think that they can only be colored. But this is not true.
And with the help of a pencil you can get beautiful pictures:
- You can use a variety of patterns and geometric shapes. All you have to do is start drawing with a pencil on paper and unusual images will appear on their own.
- With a few lines and shading, even three-dimensional images can be easily created.
- Here is another successful example. The drawing uses soft rounded lines, shadows, and highlights. To quickly shade the pencil, just rub the image with your finger or a special sponge, which can be purchased at a stationery or art store.
- You can also give preference to more contrasting images. Such pictures do not require shading and, nevertheless, look amazing and mysterious. Everyone sees something of their own in such illustrations.
Sketchbook patterns
Ideas for copying in a sketchbook come in a variety of directions. For example, you can use patterns. They can be combined with abstractions or any other ideas. This option is especially suitable for beginners.
If you start drawing curves, triangles, squares and other simple geometric shapes on paper, a complex image will gradually begin to emerge:
- It is worth starting with the simplest lines. You just need to turn off logic and not try to create any specific drawing.
- When looking for ideas for patterns, it is also worth looking at patterns for simple tattoos. In this direction, such images are very often used.
- Using simple lines, some beginning artists draw flowers and other interesting objects. For example, below is a more delicate version of a drawing based on simple patterns.
- Below is another example that will decorate your sketchbook or diary.
Doodling
This unusual word is used to describe a trend that involves drawing peculiar scribbles. For example, doodling can be called something that people usually draw to keep their hands busy while talking on the phone or if they are trying to distract themselves from some thoughts. It is calming, but can also become an excellent basis for creating a unique sketchbook.
Here are some interesting ideas for quick sketching:
- It can be said that the real experts in doodling are bored students in lectures and call center employees, who often draw a lot of repetitive patterns.
- If you concentrate a little and try to depict some simple element, it will turn out even more interesting.
- You can go further and use a mixed method of drawing. For example, it can be abstraction, doodling and other techniques that are used when depicting food, fruits and vegetables.
- It could also be an unusual stylized road in the mountains. If you look closely, it becomes clear that the artist used the simplest curls and curved lines, but the result is a unique and creative image.
Calligraphy
We are talking about a full-fledged art that appeared several thousand years ago. We are talking about writing text. Letters in calligraphy are practically separate drawings. Learning to draw them may take a little more time, but such training is worth it. There are 3 types of calligraphy. For example, East Asian looks especially interesting. Western or European and Arabic techniques are also used.
If you don't want to study calligraphy, you can try redrawing:
- Calligraphy is usually done with a pen and ink to achieve the effect of writing as it was thousands of years ago. But the text written with a simple pencil looks no less interesting.
- Beginners will find it easier to start with a simpler text. You can write any word that comes to mind or your name.
Volumetric images
3D pictures are a more modern trend that is gaining popularity every day. Having learned how to create such pictures with a pencil, you can complicate the task and try to color a path on a country site or a barn wall. The point of such images is that due to the images made at a certain angle, it seems that the object is actually three-dimensional. You can enhance the effect and give it realism using shadows and highlights.
There are several simple ideas you can use to create three-dimensional images:
- If you draw lines at different angles and create shadow transitions, it will create the impression that there is a tunnel on the table going downwards.
- Or you can create a crack. If you use a lined sheet of paper, it is much easier to achieve this effect.
- If you cut off some of the paper after creating the drawing, it looks as if the object is truly three-dimensional and stands on its own on the surface. This is another popular technique that was invented relatively recently.
- You can depict a ball using straight and curved lines. To enhance the volume, you need to add shadows and highlights on the ball itself, as well as around it. To do this, you need to at least have a basic understanding of such a concept as chiaroscuro. There is absolutely nothing complicated about it.
- If you practice, eventually it won't be difficult to draw even realistic water drops.
Don't be afraid to learn
At the initial stages of drawing, it may seem that there is no talent and there is no point in continuing. But it is important to remember that fine art requires patience and constant practice. Even popular YouTubers today often say that their first works looked more like children's drawings. But if you look at what these people have achieved today, becoming successful designers, it becomes clear that the main thing is desire.
To track your progress, it will be useful to always mark your work, indicating the year it was completed. After a few years, it is worth trying to repeat the drawing and compare the result. It is usually a pleasant surprise. And if you do not look at the older image, you can see an even greater difference.
For example, it is quite difficult to draw animals, horses in particular. But if you look at the example below, you can see what phenomenal results the artist has achieved in a fairly short period of time.
It remains to find interesting ideas for copying and add more images to the sketchbook. You can start several such albums at once for different directions and drawing techniques. Some people put all the ideas in one album and see which options combine best. There are no rules in this direction, so you can safely turn on your imagination.
Sketchbook Ideas Video
Sketchbook ideas: