{"id":188,"date":"2018-02-08T10:50:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T23:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/?p=188"},"modified":"2025-12-20T18:42:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T07:42:22","slug":"foundation-lines-the-killer-technique-for-better-sketching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/08\/foundation-lines-the-killer-technique-for-better-sketching\/","title":{"rendered":"Foundation lines: the killer technique for better sketching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you struggle to draw from imagination \u2013 or even what’s right in front of you! \u2013 the foundation lines drawing technique is made for you. Try it yourself, and gain greater\u00a0confidence and ability, with more satisfying results.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[UPDATED] Quite a while ago I was filling my Presto Sketching Instagram account<\/a> with a big collection of\u00a04-step how-to practice drawings<\/strong>, like this one:<\/p>\n\n\n

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How to draw a bowl of ramen in 4 steps<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I started doing these ages ago, as a way to build a visual library of things that were (and still are) useful to mentally \u2018reach for\u2019 when sketching at work. This is handy for\u00a0journey mapping<\/strong>,\u00a0graphic recording<\/strong>,\u00a0sketchnoting<\/strong>,\u00a0storyboarding<\/strong>, or anything else where you need to communicate ideas and messages to others. I still do a lot of these during any training sessions I do about drawing, but especially back then I added a lot to Instagram, and then made an e-book out of 100 of them, called Draw in 4<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Draw in 4<\/a> e-book, available anywhere you buy your e-books<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Extra plug: If black-and-white e-book doesn’t suit your style, you can also get the deluxe colour PDF version of Draw in 4 here<\/strong><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These 4-step drawings use a technique in Chapter\u00a06 of the\u00a0Presto Sketching book<\/a>, called\u00a0foundation lines<\/strong>\u00a0(or construction lines) as a way to increase ability and confidence in sketching. And it goes a bit like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n