Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 6.

9
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 71.8
Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A21 - 6 Pages and 16 Illustrations
Levels: Beginner to Advanced

Sketch a
Still Life Object
Use the process of sketching proportions, outlining
contours, and then adding shading to draw an object
from life and/or to draw a mug by following along
with step-by-step illustrated instructions

Resources:
• 2.1.R2 Drawing with Feathered and Continuous Lines
• 2.1.R8 How to Render Contour Drawings
ArtSpeak
• 2.1.R10 Capturing Your World in a Sketchbook
Ellipse: (also called an oval)
Activities: A circle that appears to be
• 2.1.A14 Create Six Contour Drawings elongated when viewed from
• 2.1.A16 Line Up Shapes and Lines above or below the horizon
line according to the rules of
Supplies: sketchbook, HB and 2B pencils, kneaded and vinyl perspective.
erasers, pencil sharpener, and a sandpaper block Form: An element of art that is
created in drawings and paintings
by using shading and/or colors
to transform shapes into three-
You have two options for rendering a still life object: dimensional structures.
Horizon line: (also called eye
• Set up an object so a light source (such as a level) An imaginary horizontal
lamp) is shining on it from the front and slightly line that exists at the viewer’s
from the upper left. Refer to both the object and eye level and divides the line of
the step-by-step illustrations as you draw. Having vision.
the actual object to look at is a fantastic help in The artist controls whether the
fine-tuning your observation skills. viewer sees the drawing subjects
in an artwork straight on or from
• Follow along with the step-by-step illustrations to above or below. The viewer’s eye
draw the mug in this activity. level is determined by where the
artist places the horizon line.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-97-7
Copyright © 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
2 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A21

The overall drawing process is the same whether you

draw from an actual object or from the illustrations. The
instructions are separated into three sections:
ArtSpeak
• Sketch Proportions: Outline the object
Light source: The direction(s)
proportionately correct with faint feathered lines in
from which light originates.
A light source identifies the preparation for a more detailed drawing.
light and shadow areas of a
drawing subject and helps
• Outline Contours: Redraw the object with nice neat
artists know where to add light continuous lines.
or dark lines and values in
their artworks. • Add Shading: Add hatching lines to the sections of
Perspective: (also
the object that are in shadow.
called geometric or linear
perspective) A technique You will find very few text instructions in the second
made up of a precise series and third sections; rather, you rely primarily on your
of rules to make subjects in observation skills as you work.
drawings appear to recede
into distant space.
Shadow: A dark area on an
object or living being that
receives little to no light. Sketch Proportions
Keep your sketch lines very light; you may want to
erase some of them later.

1. Lightly sketch an oval (called an ellipse) with

an HB pencil in the upper left section of your
Tip! sketchbook page (Figure 1).

If you prefer to use an actual Position this oval in the upper left-hand corner of
mug as a reference, place it your page to leave room on your paper for the rest
in front of you positioned with of the mug and its handle.
the handle on the right and
tilted slightly toward you as in
Figure 1
Figure 12.

As an Aside 2. Add the sides of the mug by sketching a straight

line (freehand) downward from each end of the
The lines in many of the oval (Figure 2).
illustrations are in reality much
lighter than they appear here.
Photoshop helped make them 3. Add a curved line along the bottom.
darker so you can see them
clearly. Now you have a mug without a handle.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-97-7
Copyright © 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A21
3

Figure 2 4. Sketch the two Figure 3

ends of the handle
(Figure 3).
Look closely at where
the handle connects to
the mug. Two curved
lines slightly inside the
right side of the mug
mark each end of the
handle.

5. Sketch the two

backward C-shapes
to complete the handle.
Sketch the outside one first (Figure 3) and then
the inner one (Figure 4).
Figure 4

Outline Contours
In this section you redraw the mug with
neatly rendered contour lines. You may
want to lighten your sketch lines (pat them
gently with a kneaded eraser) before you
begin.

6. Use a sharpened HB or 2B pencil and

neat, thin lines to outline the shapes
of the handle (Figures 5 to 7).

Note that the ends of Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7

the handle need to be
a little wider than the
rest of the handle.

Pay close attention

to the directions in
which the lines curve.
Take your time;
accuracy is more
important than speed.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-97-7
Copyright © 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
4 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A21

7. Outline the remaining shapes of the

mug (Figures 8 to 11).
Tip!
Figure 8
By drawing lightly, mistakes are easier to
fix. If your lines are very dark, the eraser
may damage your paper. If you want more
noticeable outlines press lightly with your 2B
pencil rather than pressing hard with an HB
pencil. A 2B will give you a dark line but one
that can still be partially erased.

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

8. Feel free to erase the remaining

sketch lines before you add shading
(Figure 11).

ISBN: 978-1-927365-97-7
Copyright © 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A21
5

Add Shading Figure 12

The sets of straight lines that you

rendered in Line up Shapes and Lines
are also referred to as hatching lines.
You now use hatching lines to enhance
the illusion of form on your mug by
shading the sections that are in shadow.
The light source in this drawing is
shining from the front and the upper left
(as indicated by the arrow in Figure 12).
Therefore, the shading is darker on the
right side of the mug, which is farther
away from the light source.

9. Use HB or 2B pencils to add Figure 13

shading to the mug with hatching.
Refer to Figures 13 to 15.
Remember to keep your pencil
sharpened. Don’t forget the shading
on the right edge of the handle and
inside the rim on the left.

Figure 14

ArtSpeak
Crosshatching: A shading technique
in which sets of straight or curved
lines cross over, overlap, crisscross,
and/or cut through other sets.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-97-7
Copyright © 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
6 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A21

Figure 15
Time to pat yourself on the back! You
just completed a major project with
hatching.

Challenge!
Find other objects to sketch in your
sketchbook using the same process as
used in this activity.

Challenge
Figure 16
Try your hand at turning
your hatching into a more
advanced shading technique
called crosshatching and
adding a cast shadow to the
right of the mug (Figure 16).
To turn your hatching into
crosshatching, you simply add
more sets of hatching lines
that cross through those you
already rendered.
To add a cast shadow, you
render two sets of hatching
lines that cross over one
another. Take note that the
shadow is much darker closer
to the base of the mug and
gradually becomes lighter
toward the right.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-97-7
Copyright © 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.