
The Fundamentals of Markmaking
Drawing is at its simplest level, the act of putting marks on a page in order to communicate or convey something. Therefore, at its very core, the most basic concept we must learn is how to go about making a mark. There are many different marks you'll find yourself needing to draw, but at their very core, they follow one central rule:
Marks must flow continuously, smoothly, and maintain a consistent trajectory. This tells us a couple things - first off, if a line must stretch all the way from one side of the page to the other, it must be made up of a single continuous stroke. Secondly, a line should not wobble back and forth with an unsteady hand. Thirdly, if you are drawing some kind of detail that zigzags back and forth, following distinctly different directions (like a tuft of grass or fur), wherever the trajectory changes, the stroke should end and a fresh one should begin.
This may seem contradictory or unclear, so I'll provide some examples.