Sketching vs drawing
Sketching and drawing are closely related. Lots of people use the terms interchangeably. But there are differences between the two.
Understanding the difference can help you appreciate the creative process, and help you improve your own skills.
Drawing is the foundation of all visual arts. Well… Not photography! But, you know what I mean. It’s the fundamental act of making marks on a surface to create shapes, lines, and forms. Drawing is a bit like a skeleton: The essential structure that supports everything else. It’s the basic skill of translating what you see or imagine onto paper.
Drawing can be meticulously detailed, and time-consuming. You might spend hours perfecting a single drawing carefully rendering every shadow, texture, and proportion.
Sketching, on the other hand, is a specific type of drawing that emphasizes speed, spontaneity, and exploration. A sketch is typically rough, loose, and created quickly to capture an idea, composition, or moment.
Many artists use sketches to brainstorm concepts, study subjects, or work out problems before committing to a final piece. I take a different approach. For me, and so many others (ref Urban sketchers), the sketch is the purpose - it’s not just an intermediary step on the way to a “finished” piece.
All sketches are drawings. But not all drawings are sketches! Each sketch involves the act of drawing. But drawing can be a lot more than “just” sketching. A detailed portrait that took 10 or 20 hours to complete is a drawing. But you’re not likely to call it a sketch!
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Published on November 2, 2025