Difficulty: medium

Materials: pen and pencil

Monthly category: Summer Goodies

Inspired by: photo by Ralphs_Fotos

To finish June drawings in style, we are treating ourselves to an ice cream drawing, and maybe a real one, too. How does an ice cream cone with two scoops sound?

Find a cool corner, play some calm music, and let’s get started before it melts.

Settle In and Draw

Step 1: First, draw the shapes for the scoops. Draw two larger circular shapes for the scoops and one smaller shape for the licked part. They are not perfect circles, so don’t stress over the shapes.

Step 2: Now draw a V for the cone. You can make it longer or narrower if you wish. A smaller cone will make the scoops appear larger — a bigger ice cream portion. A larger cone will make it look like more cone and less ice cream.

Add a pointed part to the smallest circle. It will show that this part has already been licked. Then add some circular lines to the biggest scoop.

Step 3: Take your pen and start tracing over the scoops. Keep the lines wobbly and imperfect. Scoops are not perfect balls. They have little dents and melty parts. Leave an empty spot on the lower line of the bottom scoop for the drip.

Step 4: Add many light lines inside the scoops to show the texture. Use as little pressure as possible while making those lines. Add the drip.

Step 5: Trace over the cone. Add the waffle pattern with two sets of parallel lines. Space them out so the pattern looks large.

Step 6: Build up the texture of the cone. Add short, light lines close to the existing crisscross lines. In each little diamond shape, add one light line along the top edge and one along the right edge. Make those lines short and light, just little indications. Don’t let them touch each other.

Step 7: Everything from here is optional. Your ice cream is already done. You can stop here if you are satisfied with the drawing, or you can stay a little longer and add a few more details.

I felt like mine looked too clean, so I added some scratchy lines. Just outline the two scoops and the cone with fast, short lines. Do not go over the cone’s waffle pattern or the lightest texture lines in the scoops.

Step 8: Then I felt like mine looked too flat, so I added some shadows. Take your pencil and very lightly draw a shadow near the right side of the cone and below the bottom scoop. There is no need to make it look complicated. Just shade part of the cone in one even tone. Ignore the waffle pattern for this part and shade right over it.

Step 9: In the same uniform tone, add shadows to the right sides of the scoops. Use the texture marks as the edges of the shadow areas. Don’t shade the drip.

Gentle Tips for Easier Drawing

Ice cream is something we can all easily imagine, and there is no strict rule for how it must look. One scoop can be bigger than the other, one side can be more melted, one part can already be licked. It will still look like ice cream. So it is really hard to make a mistake with this one. Just relax and enjoy the process.

A drawing like this has a lot of charm, exactly because every version will be a little different. Send me a picture of your drawing if you feel like sharing. I would love to see how yours turned out.

I hope to hear from you soon,

Yours in ink and paper

Difficulty: medium

Materials: pen and pencil

Monthly category: Summer Goodies

Badminton has always been one of those gentle summer games that my family and I could make as relaxed or as chaotic as we felt like. A few rackets, a little space, little to no wind, and this strange feathery thing flying through the air.

And that thing has a name: shuttlecock.

I don’t know about you, but this is exactly the kind of word I always almost remember. I know the object. I know the game. I can see it clearly. But the name? It takes a second.

This week, we are giving the little badminton mystery its sketchbook moment. Let’s draw a shuttlecock. Actually, let’s draw two: one fresh and upright and a fallen one that has clearly seen a few games.

Settle In and Draw

Step 1: First, draw two circles. One goes at the top right, and the other goes at the bottom, a bit to the left.

If you somehow draw perfect circles on the first try, wonderful. But if you are like the rest of us, build them slowly with a few light lines until the general shape looks like a circle.

Step 2: Add the shapes for the skirts of our little feathery things. Notice how the lines go wider from the middle toward the end of the skirt.

Step 3: If you drew two perfect circles, skip this step. If not, gently half-erase them. The idea is to erase enough so the lines we add over them will not be interrupted, but still keep enough of the original circle so it can guide you.

Step 4: At the base of the top shuttle, add the lines for the black band that connects the tip and the skirt. The horizontal lines should be slightly curved. Add two vertical lines to hold them together.

Add the same band to the lower shuttle. Make its lines more curved, following the edge of the half-erased circle.

Step 5: Trace a line over both half-erased circles.

Step 6: Pause and check. The most important part of the drawing is done. Take a look and see if everything feels right. Do the angles look good? Is the tip the right size? Does the band below it follow the shape?

If everything looks good now, your final drawing will be good. If something is off, fix it now. It will be harder to fix later.

Step 7: Add one straight line in the center of each shuttle to represent the stem of a feather. Then add two curved lines in the top half of the skirt. These will become the thread bands that hold the feathers together. Make sure the ones on the bottom shuttle are more curved, especially near the edges.

Step 8: Add lines for the rest of the feather stems. Make sure they follow the curve of the skirt, getting wider in the lower half. The last feather stem should be near the edge of the skirt.

Step 9: Draw the basic shapes of the feathers on our new shuttle. They are overlapping, so decide which ones sit in front. No need to draw them on the fallen shuttle. That one is well-used, so it will not hold its form perfectly.

With this, our sketch is done. This is a good moment for a little break. Rest your eyes, shake out your hand, and come back when you feel ready. Then grab your pen, and let’s start the fun part.

Step 10: Trace the lines of the tip, the band, and the top of the feather stems.

Step 11: For each feather stem, add two more lines, one on each side of the line you already have. Make the new lines go all the way to the bottom. They do not need to be perfect. Draw them with multiple strokes.

Step 12: Trace the line for the thread band. Make a small upward-facing semicircle whenever the thread line meets a feather stem. Then repeat by adding a second line just below it. This will make the thread band thicker.

Step 13: Add the new feathers. Trace them lightly. Add a little split here and there for a bit of variety.

Step 14: Add the well-used feathers. They are mostly random lines. Leave one stem completely without feathers. Let another one have feathers only on one side.

Step 15: Now we are adding details. Fill in the bands near the tips, but do not fill them perfectly.

Add light lines near the edges of the feathers. Draw them from the outside toward the stem. Keep them parallel.

Step 16: Final little touches. Erase the sketch line near the feather base of the fallen shuttle.

Take your pencil again and draw some light lines where the shuttles touch the ground. They will act as shadows.

Add a small line on each tip to show its shape better. Then add the feather stems that are on the other side of the shuttle. Draw them as simple, thicker lines between the pen stems.

Gentle Tips for Easier Drawing

This little drawing is a bit harder and has more steps, but the result is totally worth it. Once your sketch holds the structure of the shuttles well, you are 82.94% done.

If this drawing feels like too much today, you can draw just one shuttle. The new one is easier to draw, but the old one has more character. You can always add the other one later.

Did you find this one challenging? Are you proud of your result? Let me know.

If you feel like sharing, send me your finished drawing. I would love to celebrate your little accomplishment with you.

For the quiet pride of making something,

Yours in ink and paper

Difficulty: easy

Materials: pen and pencil

Monthly category: Summer Goodies

Inspired by: my wish to go camping and a photo by Araz Yurtseven

Camping gear has become so advanced lately. Tents can be so luxurious that you would rather stay inside than explore the wilderness outside. But this week, we are going back to basics. A single piece of fabric hanging from a few branches. That is our tent.

If you can, go outside. Find a cozy spot in the shade. Play some forest sounds: birds, running water, wind in the foliage. Open your sketchbook and enjoy.

Settle In and Draw

Step 1: First, let’s mark where our tent is going to hang. Usually, that would be clean, flat ground with a nice view. Today, it is four dots placed around the page.

The first dot marks the top of the tent. Place it in the middle of the page, near the top. The second dot marks the right edge of the tent. Place it lower down and close to the edge. The third one is near the center, but a bit to the left. The fourth one is on the left. Make it slightly higher than the second one. The last three dots should be about the same distance from the edge of the paper.

Step 2: Now let’s connect the dots. It is basically two inverted V’s. Make sure that the line connecting dots one and four is not a direct line between the two. It should drop more sharply near the first dot. That is because the fabric of the tent is hanging, and its weight is pulling the line down.

Step 3: Add the fabric lines that mark the open tent entrance. Then add the line marking the place where the tent meets the ground. That line should connect dots two and four. To make it easier, you can connect them all the way and then erase the part that is hidden by the front of the tent.

Step 4: Now include the sticks that are holding up the tent. Do not make them too straight. Ideally, the empty space above the sticks should be about the same as the space between the three bottom dots and the edge of the paper. Add the rope line connecting the tent to the sticks. And our sketch is done.

Step 5: Grab your pen and trace the tent. Leave out the lines at the top of the entrance for now.

Step 6: The fabric is folded at the top of the entrance. Draw it as shown in the picture, but don’t stress over it. Then add a few lines to represent the folds. Place them near the top and bottom of the tent. Keep these lines lighter and straighter.

Step 7: Add in more folds. Let the lines follow the flow of the fabric. Draw them with less pressure and faster strokes.

Step 8: Trace the sticks. Decide right away which one is in front and draw that one first. For the sticks, use more pressure and short strokes. Make each line straight, but change the angle slightly. That way, the small lines will not merge into one perfectly straight line.

Step 9: Add the rope and tie it to the sticks. Then add texture to the sticks with some very light lines. When drawing them, apply as little pressure as possible. With that, our little tent is done.

Step 10: If you are satisfied with your drawing, you can finish here. A simple tent is enough. But if you feel like staying in the forest a little longer, you can add a background. All the lines from here should be made with very little pressure. Keep your hand relaxed and your lines short. You can also draw the background in pencil if you prefer.

To place the tent in a forest, let’s add a line for the ground. Above that, add some wiggly lines to represent the bushes. Draw them with many short lines that do not touch each other.

Step 11: Draw vertical lines to represent tree trunks. Add more wiggly lines in the bushes. Keep them short and light.

Step 12: Add more wiggly lines near the top. They represent higher bushes or foliage from the trees. Texture the ground with some zigzag lines. Add more of them where the tent touches the ground to create a shadow effect. And you are done!

Gentle Tips for Easier Drawing

This drawing is all about the quality of the lines. They are slow and intentional. Fast and bold. Light and delicate. It is all about using the right type of line in the right place. You can add as much or as little as you like.

I recommend taking an extra piece of paper and placing it next to your main one. Then, whenever you need to draw a new type of line, use that extra paper to practice first. It will help relax your hand and make your lines more confident. Once you are happy with the style of your lines, you can switch to your main paper.

Individual lines are not important here. If one line goes weird, five more will come along and distract from it. So enjoy your lines. That is the most fun part.

This drawing was very relaxing for me. Especially the background. How did it feel for you? Was there a part where you just went into the zone, one line after another?

Reply to this email if you feel like sharing. I would really like to hear from you.

I hope you have a calm day,

Yours in ink and paper

Difficulty: easy to medium

Materials: pen and pencil

Monthly category: Summer Goodies

Inspired by: photo by Mai In May

June brings summer with it, so that will be our inspiration for this month’s category. With Summer Goodies, we will cover favorite little parts of summer that await us this month. So let’s start with the tastiest one.

I LOVE strawberries. Deciding between fresh ones or the ones in a cake is a real struggle. I won’t lie, eating them is more fun than drawing them, but here we are. If you can, find a few real strawberries to use as models. They can serve as a reward later. Play some relaxed summer music. Grab your sketchbook.

Settle In and Draw

Step 1: Let’s start with the strawberries themselves. Place them in the bottom-right corner of the page, not too close to the edges. Make them overlap. The one closer to us is bigger, so make it slightly longer. Smaller strawberries are usually more round, so apply that to the second one.

Step 2: Add stems as simple lines. Do not press your pencil too hard. If your hand feels stiff wiggle it a bit. Relax, this part will not ruin the drawing.

Step 3: Now add leaves, flowers and a baby strawberry. Draw leaf by leaf, no rush. Enjoy the process. This is all we need for a simple sketch.

Step 4: Now switch to pen. Start with leaves, tracing the pencil lines. Make sure to leave small empty spaces where the stems will come out from under the leaves.

Step 5: Trace flower petals and strawberries. This is your final chance to change their shape if you wish.

Step 6: Add in steams. Biggest strawberry is closest to us, so draw its stem first. Make steam parts closer to strawberries as thin as possible. It is okay if steam lines touch (it makes it more artsy). Parts near the top of page should be thicker.

Step 7: Strawberry seeds are next. Make them by drawing simple dashes. Be sure they are not too small. Start by drawing a row of dashes near the side of the strawberry. Follow its curve. Draw the next row of dashes next to it. Then start new row from opposite side of a strawberry, following that curve. Continue until the whole area is filled.

Step 8: It is time for finishing touches. Finish strawberry seeds. Add some random seeds mostly around the sides of each strawberry. Do not forget about baby strawberry. Add random lines in the middle of leaves to create texture.

Step 9 (optional): If it bothers you, you can erase pencil marks that are still visible. You want to avoid smudges. So be sure all pen lines are completely dry before doing so.

Gentle Tips for Easier Drawing

The two main strawberries are the most important part of this drawing. If you draw them nicely, everything else will follow. What you want to pay attention to is their shape, size — even bigger than mine would be fine — overlap, and seeds. They do not need to be perfect, but you do need to like them.

The good thing is that once you sketch your two strawberries, you can relax. Everything after that should feel like a vacation. So enjoy it.

Tell me if you had trouble drawing this one. Were there any hard parts? If you are feeling bold, send me your finished drawing. Reply to this email, and I will make sure to send a few words back. Or post it on socials, if that feels easier.

I hope to hear from you soon,

Yours in ink and paper