Still life
Still Life Sketching: Light, Shape, and Everyday Objects
Still life sketching is controlled practice: you choose the light, the angle, and the difficulty. It builds the same eye you need for figures and scenes.
Set up a simple still life
Three related objects, one window or lamp, plain background. Overlap two items so depth reads clearly.
Change eye level often — bird’s-eye and worm’s-eye views retrain stale habits.
Shape breakdown before shading
Name sphere, cylinder, cube for each item. Draw construction lines through centers. Only after proportion is stable add cast shadows.
Light and shadow exercise
Use one light source so shapes stay consistent.
- Map the terminator on a sphere and apple
- Cast shadow direction vs. light direction check
- Five-step value strip, then apply to a cup
- Negative shape between two bottles
Timed still life sketching sessions
Two-minute shape studies, then one eight-minute rendering. Rotate subjects weekly: kitchen tools, fruit, crumpled cloth, chairs.
Practice still life online
The still life and object drawing categories give instant subjects when your desk is empty. Treat each auto-advance frame like a studio setup.
Put it into practice
Read less, sketch more. Open a timed session and apply one idea from this guide immediately.