Drawing is an art with many nuances. Styles or types of drawing are all around you without even noticing it, from the simple drawings of a child to the sketch you made to show your friends where your long-awaited party would be.
Through drawing you can capture many ideas and very subjective artistic expressions, but also portray realities, for example, the parts of a machinery. As you can see, these subjects are not related to each other, a fact that gives rise to all the types of drawing that exist today.
In that sense, according to Luis Gadea, professor of the online course Pencil Drawing: from beginner to expert, “knowing how to draw is being able to interpret reality in a drawing, not necessarily portraying reality, but using reality as a means of inspiration”.
Thus, not all realities can be represented in the same way, and not all types of drawings project a reality or express feelings. If you draw, for example, a plan of a building to be built, there is no emotional component or feeling in that style of drawing, you are only representing the idea of a future reality.
Then you may wonder how to classify drawing. To begin with, there are different types of drawing, and these, in turn, are classified into subtypes with their own characteristics and purposes.
If you are an artist or want to be one at some point, you need to learn the kinds of drawing you may encounter in your passage through the creative world. This will help you discover the options you have to develop as a draftsman, as well as to diversify your technique and innovate constantly.
If you don’t have the slightest idea of what types of drawing exist, in this article we will teach you the types of drawing and their characteristics. so get your pencils ready to take note and discover how versatile the art of drawing is!
1. Artistic drawing
According to the Peruvian Institute of Advertising, ” artistic drawing is the type of drawing that hides among its strokes, the feelings of the artists who draw them”.
In other words, this type of drawing represents objects or scenes from the artist’s perspective. in artistic drawing, contours and shapes are limited by means of lines and can gather all the characteristics of drawing that the artist desires.
In addition, it is the most expressive form of drawing, since it expresses what is felt, what is seen or what is imagined, whether it is realistic or not. However, if you want to represent some reality, it does so with fidelity and beauty.
Some types of artistic drawing can be realistic, such as portraits, or far from reality, such as caricatures, or even surrealistic or abstract.
Types of artistic drawing
Artistic drawing is, without a doubt, the one that allows the greatest creative freedom, since it is not subject to norms or strictly measured notions. Although different techniques are used according to the type, the possibilities it offers are endless.
Therefore, if you want to learn how to draw step by step, you should keep in mind that there is no perfect way to draw, since each artist has his own style and way of expressing himself. Besides, the types of artistic drawing are so diverse that you can adapt to one in particular or combine them, it all depends on what you think is best.
The types of artistic drawing that you can experiment with to unleash all your creativity and emotion are the following:
1. Simple artistic drawing
The best type of drawing to start in this art. You only have to use the easiest techniques and, perhaps, it is the form of drawing that you like to do the most because of its simplicity. Here it is only important to know how to make the strokes, composition, proportions and measurements.
Source: Unsplash
2. Portrait
It is an artistic form that draws in detail the physical features of a person. We could say that the intention of these types of drawings are similar to that of a photograph: to give a representation of how the person looks at a certain moment.
However, unlike a photograph, here the artist must use the same elements of the drawing to reflect a mood or personality in the portrait .
It is worth mentioning that this type of drawing does not have to be realistic in its entirety, it only has to portray one or several people in a certain style.
Source: Unsplash
3. Still life
Also known as still lifes, these types of drawing focus on taking natural or man-made objects and placing them in a certain space to, subsequently, be portrayed.
Their goal is usually aesthetic and harmonious, as, through this form of drawing, they want to convey a sense of peace and harmony.
Source: Pinterest
4. Caricature
This is a type of drawing that stands out and shines for its exaggerated features and characteristics to generate feelings ranging from the comical to the terrifying .
It is more common to find these types of drawings in graphic novels or animations for children, but they are used in many styles and for many different audiences
Source: Unsplash
5. Illustration
This is the type of artistic drawing that is mostly used to illustrate texts, as they serve as a complement that helps to understand or accompany what is written. Illustration helps readers understand the information visually.
This is where all the drawings you have seen in your school textbooks or in a book you have read come into play.
The most common use of this type of artistic drawing is scientific illustrations, sometimes known as diagrams, to communicate complex concepts in an easy-to-understand way. They show scientific subjects, such as animals, the human body, and natural objects in the universe in great detail, both still and animated.
Scientific illustrations can use arrows and labels to point out specific information and show how certain parts interact with each other to provide as much data as possible.
Source: Unsplash
6. Hyperrealism
A style of artistic drawing whose main characteristic is a deep and precise level of detail, that is, a realism that takes care to obtain even the smallest detail of something in particular.
According to the Pure Architecture portal, this kind of drawing “is extremely detailed, as it seeks to be very difficult to distinguish from a photograph”. Undoubtedly, this kind of drawing will play with your mind and make you question whether it was indeed captured by a camera or someone portrayed it.
Source: Pinterest
7. Comics
Comics are a type of drawing that follow a logical or linear sequence that tell stories. these can range from humorous vignettes to massive and detailed tomes from among many genres, such as romance, drama, science fiction, action, etc.
In fact, it is one of the most popular types of artistic drawing today, which is why it is very common to look for comic book templates to make superhero or animated character drawings.
Source: Unsplash
8. Graffiti
This is one of the types of drawing that is done with spray paints and usually in public spaces to attract attention. In these drawings all kinds of feelings are expressed, although due to the way they are exposed, they usually reflect the attitudes of the artists in the society in which they live.
There is much controversy regarding this expression of artistic drawing, and some even think that it should not be included in the types of drawing, as it is often equated with acts of vandalism. However, this does not take away its characteristics and essence as an expressive drawing.
Source: My Modern Art
9. Landscape
Natural drawing types are also very relevant nowadays, as they are one of the most important graphic elements in a scene or portrait. The central idea of landscape is to convey emotions to the viewers; for this purpose, artists can portray all kinds of environment: a forest, a desolate terrain, a busy street, etc.
Source: Unsplash
10. Characters
Finally, among the different types of artistic drawings, we can find this category that only includes fictional characters, which usually have a fantastic origin, such as monsters, humanoid and mythological creatures, etc.
Some artists combine styles such as portrait and caricature to create unique and more eye-catching characters.
Source: YouTube
11. Tattoo
The first thing tattoo artists must learn to do before picking up a needle is to draw. Every tattoo starts as a simple drawing, which then goes through the process of becoming a stencil that is transferred to the skin before being permanently tattooed.
In fact, there are a lot of drawing styles for tattoos, so an artist has the freedom to draw any element. But if you are interested in becoming a professional tattoo artist or just enjoy this art, start following some tattoo artists and get inspired by their types of drawing.
If you’re geared towards the professional tattoo route, it’s important to develop an authentic style of your own or focus on a particular subject, as these practices can significantly boost your career.
Source: Superprof
12. Chalkboard Drawing
Whiteboard drawing, also known as scraperboard or scratchboard drawing, uses a sheet of cardboard covered with a thin layer of clay and India ink. Artists use a sharp tool, sometimes called a scratchboard pen, to carve the ink and reveal the clay.
The more lines they form, the brighter the image becomes. the types of scratchboard drawings can be very detailed and can sometimes even resemble wood engravings.
Source: Deposit
13. Typography
Typographic design is an art in itself, so much so that it is known as the “art of lettering” or lettering. Whether you are a professional graphic designer who works with typography on a regular basis or you just love to play with typography as an artist, this is a type of drawing that will make you stand out.
Typographic drawing can involve anything from drawing scenes within letters or even creating an image from words. It’s really up to you to be creative and have fun playing with letters.
2. Technical Drawing
On the other hand, technical drawing is a type of drawing specific to the industrial area. This form of drawing is used to communicate details and ideas with technological background of one or several objects.
In other words, the technical drawing represents an object in graphic form to provide relevant information that will serve for a future analysis that will allow the construction and maintenance of the object.
Types of technical drawing
This is the second most common type of drawing due to its application in industrial sectors. Technical drawing is the means to clearly and accurately describe the shapes, dimensions and characteristics of material objects.
According to the Pure Architecture portal, “technical drawings are graphic representations, such as lines and symbols that follow specific conventions of scale and projection”.with this type of drawing, you will be able to make plans for the creation of bridges, buildings, houses, among other buildings.
But what is technical drawing for? Unlike the subjective nature of artistic drawing, technical drawing must be completely objective. Its function is to represent objects in the most detailed and accurate way, in order to convey the information necessary to build, design or maintain those objects.
If you are wondering how many types of technical drawing exist, here are the details, take note!
1. Architectural drawing
These types of drawings are used for constructions in general, such as houses, factories, bridges, buildings, companies, churches, among many others. It is a graphic representation of how the place to be built looks or will look like, as well as the sections, facades, columns and details that constitute it.
Source: Unsplash
2. Topographical drawing
This type of technical drawing shows all the elements that exist in a given place, for example, buildings, fences, roads, rivers, lakes, forests, as well as elevations and plains.
In short, this type of drawing serves to get a general idea of what a place is like in geographical terms.
Source: Pinterest
3. Urbanistic drawing
With many similarities to topographic drawing, what sets urbanistic drawing apart is its focus on the elements that make up a city, such as gardens, streets, avenues, buildings, parks or recreational areas.
Source: Pinterest
4. Mechanical drawing
This type of technical drawing is used in industrial machines, vehicles, cranes, ships, airplanes, motorcycles, among others. Mechanical drawing is used to understand the mechanism of a machine, as well as the parts that make it up and how they interact with each other.
Source: Pinterest
5. Electrical drawing
If any building or house requires electricity, the type of technical drawing known as electrical drawing is used. By means of symbols, all the installations and electrical ways of the place itself are noted, as well as everything related to its control or management, for example, switches, connections, boards, etc.
Source: Pinterest
6. Electronic drawing
Unlike the electrical drawing, this type of technical drawing shows the connections and details of electrical components or devices, such as communication equipment, industrial, power sources, transistors, among others.
Source: Pinterest
7. Geological drawing
This type of technical drawing is very useful for the mining and petroleum industries. With the help of these drawings, it is possible to identify the layers of the earth, as well as the location of metals for extraction
Source: Pinterest
8. Plumbing Drawing
These types of drawings show the systems that bring water to an area and remove waste. Elements may include water supply lines, vent pipes, valves, drains, and fixtures .
Plumbers use a variety of industry-created symbols to show the correct elements. Like electrical drawings, plumbing drawings use many straight lines and curves. while they show a lot of detail in their content, this type of drawing often lacks elements such as color and shading.
3.geodesic drawing
This is one of the most specific types of drawing. It is used to draw the spherical shape of our planet. The geodesic drawing is used to represent round objects, and is made by carrying out corrections proportional to the distance at which the points are located in reference to the poles.
Source: BestDealPlus
4. Geometric drawing
As the name says, it refers to that type of drawing that is developed following the rules of geometry. to make a geometrical drawing, it must be represented by flat figures or elementary strokes, such as squares, circles, triangles, etc.
In addition, a measurement system is used by means of tools like the ones you used when they made you draw figures in school: rulers, squares, compass, angle protractor, etc.
Source: Unsplash
5. Perspective drawing
Artists use perspective drawing, also known as 3D or anamorphic drawing, to create three-dimensional images in a two-dimensional space, such as on paper.
Those who use this type of drawing pay attention to distance, space, light, volume, surface area and scale to determine how each object relates to each other.
Types of perspective drawing
This style of drawing teaches you how to create depth, from simple shapes that create the illusion of 3D to complex drawings that seem to jump off the page.
Anamorphosis is a perspective drawing technique that uses distortion to depict an illusion that can only be seen from a specific point of view. The image can look distorted and chaotic from most viewpoints, but when viewed from the desired perspective, it comes to life as an amazing 3D image.
These are the types of perspective drawing:
1. Aerial perspective
Focuses on the shading, tone and color aspects of perspective.
2. Linear perspective
Focuses on the organization of shapes within a space. Architects, engineers, interior designers and illustrators can work in perspective drawing.
Source: Pinterest
6. Sketch drawing
You can usually distinguish sketch drawing types by their less refined lines and edges and unpolished appearance. artists often create sketches with simple, quick markups and may avoid certain details that aren’t important to the piece.
In fact, they are used to show a working concept or capture something important in a short period of time. You can find the types of sketch drawing in the following areas:
1. Automotive
Automotive sketches are used to show designs of trucks, motorcycles and other motor vehicles. often these sketch drawing types are used to depict the overall complex shapes of the subject and include certain areas with more detail to show design features or enhancements, such as custom wheels.
Automobile sketches can show both interiors and exteriors and usually feature colors to illustrate paint schemes or design ideas.
2. Courtroom
Some media use courtroom sketches in the absence of photographs or film to illustrate stories about trials and legal proceedings.
These types of sketches of people focus more on faces, hair or arms to show the important issues or actions of a court proceeding. although it is a sketch, some aspects may include a lot of detail.
3. Fashion
Fashion illustrations often feature long, elongated figures intended to mimic the look of runway models. However, these figures rarely include facial features because the focus is on the designs .
Fashion illustrations can have a rough or polished look, depending on the artist. They are drawing styles that use lines, outlines and colors to create initial ideas for future portable designs.
4. Interior Design
Interior sketches show how design ideas fit together and how they will look in a 3D environment. Interior designers use perspective and technical drawing together to create accurately proportioned elements and shadows.
In addition, interior sketches can appear in black and white or color to show how shades, fabrics or schemes work together within the room.
Source: Pinterest
Now that you’ve learned what types of sketching there are, don’t you feel like getting started in the art of sketching? It’s easy, if you don’t know how to make a drawing, the solution is very simple, choose the type of drawing you like the most and get to work.
Keep in mind that drawing is art, it is expression, it is the representation of a reality. the art of drawing includes a wide variety of forms and structures that can hardly be condensed into a single type of drawing.
Although artistic drawing and technical drawing are the broadest categories in art, it is important that you recognize very well the differences between artistic drawing and technical drawing, because these types of drawing represent the industries in which you can practice. that’s right, if you are a lover of drawing, you don’t necessarily have to make a living doing portraits, you have many options to choose from!
see you soon!