When I first picked up sketching seriously, I had no idea what my drawing style was supposed to look like. I thought maybe I'd just “know” one day, or that it would somehow magically appear after a few drawings. Spoiler: it doesn't work like that. Learning how to find your drawing style is more about steady exploration than sudden discovery. It’s about showing up, making a lot of drawings that feel awkward, and slowly noticing patterns in how you naturally work.
For me, my style started to take shape when I stopped obsessing over being “good” and started focusing on seeing. I draw what’s in front of me—whether it’s a tree, a crumpled jacket, or my cat sleeping on the couch. I always begin with the larger shapes first, like fitting puzzle pieces together, then I chip away at the smaller details. My lines are messy, layered, and imperfect, and honestly, I love that about them. That looseness gives the drawing a pulse, a kind of liveliness that polished work often loses.
If you're here wondering how to find your drawing style in a way that's grounded and expressive, you're definitely not alone. Let’s walk through it together.
Key Points
- Focus on drawing from observation and let imperfections become part of your style.
- Prioritize larger shapes before getting lost in details.
- Experiment loosely with materials and subjects to uncover your natural tendencies.
How to Find Your Drawing Style by Observing and Expressing
A big turning point for me came when I stopped trying to “design” a style and just focused on drawing every day. I took my sketchbook out on nature journaling walks, tried urban sketching sessions, and sketched at home from everyday scenes. Style emerges when you draw often enough that your habits, instincts, and even your mistakes start to repeat themselves.
Drawing loosely and expressively lets you naturally emphasize what you notice most. Maybe you exaggerate curves, or your shading is sketchy and raw. These small personal quirks aren't flaws—they are the seeds of style.
One thing that really helped me was focusing on drawing scenes instead of isolated objects. Practicing how to capture full moments, like I explain in how to draw a scene and sketching scenes, taught me to let the story of the drawing matter more than “correctness.”
Start with Big Shapes First
When I draw, I block in the larger shapes before getting into small details. This mindset helps me avoid stiff, overworked sketches. I used to start with the eye when drawing a bird, or the nose when drawing a face. Every time, the proportions would get weird. Learning to squint and capture the big, chunky shapes first saved me.
Why Big Shapes Matter
Drawing the big shapes first teaches you to see the structure of your subject. You can always add the smaller wrinkles, highlights, or textures later. If the main shapes feel good, the rest will naturally fit.
When I was going through my own personal drawing boot camp, I started each sketch by mentally asking: “What’s the biggest, simplest shape I see?” and drawing just that. It felt weird at first, but it made everything else easier. If you're struggling with proportions or balance in your drawings, this is probably the shift you need.
Embrace Imperfection and Messy Lines
For years, I thought “good” drawing meant “perfect” drawing. It doesn't. Expressive, imperfect lines often carry way more emotion and life.
Let Your Lines Be Alive
If you look closely at master artists like Leonardo da Vinci (something I dive into in draw like Leonardo da Vinci), you'll notice that their drawings aren't clean or mechanical. They have energy. Movement. Personality.
One of the best mindset shifts I made was embracing messy drawings instead of trying to “fix” them. When I let myself scribble and allow imperfect lines to happen, my drawings became more vibrant. Now, I deliberately leave in the ghost lines and “mistakes” because they show my thought process.
If you feel nervous about your lines, remember: messy does not mean sloppy. It means alive.
Draw a Lot of Different Subjects
Early on, I stayed stuck drawing the same things—faces, mostly—and it slowed me down. When I started sketching a variety of subjects, from flowers to architecture to wildlife, I grew way faster.
Mix It Up Without Pressure
It can be super easy to fall into a comfort zone. But your style grows through variety. I started challenging myself to draw anything I could see—trees, buildings, coffee mugs, birds.
A few resources that helped me brainstorm fresh ideas were easy ideas for drawing, things to fill your sketchbook with, and topics for drawing.
Drawing a mix of subjects pushes you to adapt and find solutions, which naturally reveals your preferences and quirks—and that’s your style coming through.
You can also dive into more focused exercises like wildlife sketching or drawing animals. You don't have to master every subject—just explore them with curiosity.
Use Different Materials Without Overthinking It
It doesn't matter what you draw with. Sometimes I use ballpoint pens, sometimes graphite, sometimes cheap colored pencils. The tool isn't what makes a drawing expressive—you do.
Practical Material Play
I used to obsess over buying “the right” pencils or sketchbooks. In reality, some of my favorite drawings were made with a half-dead ballpoint pen in a beat-up notebook.
If you're curious, you can explore drawing with ballpoint pen techniques or drawing on black paper. It's freeing to realize that the best material is the one that makes you want to draw.
Trying things like colored pencils on black paper opened up new textures and moods for me that I never would've found otherwise.
Don't wait for the “perfect” supply setup. Just start.
Stay Consistent, Not Perfect
Probably the biggest thing that helped me was committing to consistency over perfection. Regular practice, even short daily sketches, mattered way more than “epic” sessions.
Build Sketchbook Momentum
There were months where I could only manage quick five-minute sketches. And you know what? Those months were pivotal. They built habits. They took the pressure off.
If you want a bit of structure without pressure, my simple daily drawing prompts and drawing prompts for beginners might help.
I also loved following seasonal ideas like december drawing or september drawing. Having a small daily goal helped me feel part of a rhythm instead of feeling like every drawing had to “matter.”
The more you draw, the more your habits, instincts, and subconscious preferences shape your style.
Get Comfortable Drawing Imperfectly from Life
Drawing from life—not photos—taught me to see more honestly. It’s also way messier. Nothing stays still. Light changes. Your perspective shifts. But that's good.
When you sketch from observation, like in illustrative journaling or even just your backyard, you start capturing impressions rather than exact replicas. That's where the “you” comes into your style.
Drawing from life, messy as it is, trains your brain to find the essentials—a skill that's critical whether you're doing a quick urban sketching session or building a full scene from imagination.
Final Thoughts
Finding your drawing style isn’t about sitting down and designing it. It's about drawing, drawing, and drawing some more—and noticing the patterns that naturally emerge.
You don’t need fancy tools. You don't need perfect technique. You need curiosity, observation, and a willingness to embrace imperfection. Focus on big shapes. Let your lines be loose. Sketch everything you can, whether it’s a bird on a fence or a coffee cup on your desk.
If you're excited to dig even deeper, I recommend checking out my guide on how to find your style of drawing and browsing some online sketching courses designed to build your expressive voice.
Draw with honesty, not performance. That’s where your real style lives.