If you need inspo for your realistic drawings, this is the blog for you! We’ve got stacks of artwork from talented artists to get your creativity flowing. Read on and pick an idea that sparks your passion!
1. Realistic water drawing
Water is great subject matter for your next artwork, as it looks different depending on the lighting, time of day, conditions, and movement of your reference image. In this acrylic artwork, the water is reflecting a sunset, with ripples of dark shadows across the vibrant colours. Find a pic of water that uses colours and subject matter that makes you smile!
2. Nose drawing
Nail your next realistic sketch by practicing drawing anatomy. Change the angle, proportions, and scale of your references so you get used to capturing all kinds of features. There’s no such thing as perfect, but practicing definitely helps boost your confidence.
3. Drawing food
Next time you go out for a bite, snap a reference pic of your fave dish or draw it from life with the help of watercolour! Food and drink have a broad range of textures and colours to explore. From finely dusted cocoa powder to transparent liquids, there are endless techniques to try when sketching your diet.
4. Drawing movement
Drawing liquids can be a great chance to capture movement. In this handy lesson, we show you how to sketch in-motion wine, so you can savour the moment for longer! Check it out and stock up on our coloured pencils and graphic fineliners.
5. Metal drawing
Sketching a metallic reference is a great way to get used to drawing high-contrast, reflective surfaces. This artwork uses negative space to create bold highlights where light is reflected off the tap, with strong blocks of dark colour where light is not reflected. Markers are handy for capturing shadows, mid-tones, light-tones, and highlights, as they can layered for dimensional effects.
6. Realistic eye drawing
Grow your confidence when drawing portraits by following along with our how to draw an eye video. From composition to blending, we walk you through some handy techniques to make your eye realistic. Pick up some pencils and have a go with us!
7. Foreshortening
Image: @ran_art_blog | Website
Practice drawing your subject matter from different angles to explore techniques such as foreshortening. By shortening the length or breadth of elements in your reference, some parts can appear closer, and others further away. Shortened areas may seem further away, like the bottom of this fire hydrant, while larger areas appear closer to the viewer.
8. Realistic faces
Drawing a realistic portrait brings together loads of different sketching skills and usually requires a fair bit of practice. Smooth blending between highlights, mid-tones, and shadows can be used to portray silky skin, while sharp contrast might capture wrinkles and deep-set features such as nostrils. When using a reference image, take note of the camera focus, as some attributes might be clearer than others.
9. Seashell drawing
Grab a Watercolour Set, Watercolour Paper, and some Graphic Liners to sketch some realistic seashells. We’ve got an outline on our project page to get you started, just follow along with our tutorial to work out the colour placement and details!
10. Car sketch
Take inspiration from the world around you, or from the past! Cars come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colours, so find one that sparks your interest and have a crack at sketching it. Practicing the drop shadows, reflective highlights, and different textures is a great way to get used to realistic drawing.
11. Creative realistic drawings
Image: @ ran_art_blog | Website
Use your realism skills and experience to expand your creative horizons! Take realistic subject matter and place it into an unrealistic setting, making a statement with the content you’re capturing. This artwork shows marine life composed in the shape of an atom, leaving the viewer to derive meaning from the unique image!
Hopefully, this collection of realistic artworks has inspired you to grab some sketching materials and recreate a reference image accurately. Try adding some colour with watercolours, or bolden your outlines with some drawing pens.
If you try creating something at home, #montmarteart or tag us @montmarteart on Instagram or Facebook to show us what you make! If you need some realism pointers, check out our how-to video.
For more ideas, explore our Inspo collection or discover your next artwork by browsing our Projects and How-tos. Sign-up to Creative Connection by popping in your email down below to get stacks more free art projects sent straight to you. We’re here to keep you inspired ✨
