How to start sketching with three quick studies

What you need to know

Use a small, inexpensive sketchbook

Choose unlined paper that opens comfortably. Loose printer paper on a firm board also works for the first session.

Start with one ordinary pencil

An HB or No. 2 pencil and an eraser are enough. A larger pencil set adds choices but does not make looking easier.

Pick subjects that stay still

A plant, shoe, lamp, or chair lets you compare the sketch with the subject without chasing movement.

Set a visible timer

Short limits keep each study focused on the main shape. Use a phone timer or any clock you can glance at.

Divide the page before you begin

Sketching is useful when you want to record what you notice without turning every page into a finished drawing. Divide one page into three loose boxes. Place a plant, shoe, or other still object where the light will remain steady, then date the page.

Warm up in a spare corner for two minutes. Make straight, curved, light, and dark marks. The Met’s sketching guide uses similar experiments to explore line, shape, and value.

Make three five-minute studies

For the first box, draw only the outer shape and the largest interior division. Keep the pencil moving lightly. In the second, change your seat or turn the object and look for the empty shapes around it. In the third, add one broad shadow after the main proportions are in place.

When the timer sounds, stop. Write one short note beside each study, such as “too narrow” or “good tilt.” That note turns a rough page into a usable record.

Correct the next sketch, not every line

If you get trapped in detail, shorten the subject to two or three large shapes. If the object leans or stretches, compare its total height and width before adding anything else. Dark outlines are hard to revise, so save firm marks for the end.

Repeat the session with the same object on another day. Once quick studies feel comfortable, use the Getty’s gesture and sketchbook activities to vary the exercise.