One of the questions I get asked the most often - both on YouTube and in my illustration course- is ‘How do I stop my lines from being so shaky?’ The short answer could simply be ‘practice more’, but that’s not very helpful, isn’t it?
So I present to you…
5 tips to make your drawings smooth as butter 🧈😎
Quick browse:
Tip 1: Position, Position, Position!
If you’re anything like me, then drawing is something you enjoy doing. And if you don’t enjoy drawing, I’m really curious to know how you ended up here 😅
That means you probably draw in your free time to relax, potentially curled up on the couch or in bed. And don’t get me wrong, that is totally fine BUT, unfortunately, it can contribute to the shakiness of your lines since a) your arm is not supported properly and b) you end up using different muscles and movements than you would if you were sitting properly.
The ideal drawing position is as follows:
Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet on the ground;
Rest your forearms on a table or desk in front of you, at a 90 angle. Your shoulders should not be pushed up (that would mean your desk is too high or your chair is too low);
Make sure your elbow has full range of motion—it shouldn't be stuck on or behind the table.
I know, I know. This isn’t the most natural way to sit. If it feels too weird, you can alternatively try to sit cross-legged on the chair. Physical Therapists might not agree with me, but I find that position to be a happy medium between sitting perfectly straight and becoming one with your living room couch… or floor if you’re anything like me!
How I like to sit:
Tip 2: Stop drawing the wrong way
Ok, so now you’re sitting properly-ish, which will free your arm to move well.
Because yes, there IS a right and a wrong way to draw, and I would argue that most of us naturally do it the wrong way, myself included. Oops!
When drawing, you should lock your wrist so it stays perfectly in line with the rest of your forearm. The movement should come exclusively from your elbow and shoulder*. Easy to say, harder to do!
Locking your wrist will automatically decrease the wobbliness of your lines by reducing the amount of micro-movement in your hand and arm.
It will also allow you to draw for longer, times two; longer today, and longer in your lifespan. You won’t get fatigued as quickly, and your risk of injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome, anyone?) will be greatly diminished.
As with every rule, there is one exception: when drawing tiny details and small textural elements, it is ok to move the wrist and hand muscles since it is practically impossible to make movement small and precise enough by moving the entire arm.
Tip 3: Draw BIG
If you’ve already tried Tip 2, then you might have noticed that it is really, really hard to draw small lines without moving the wrist. This means we have to learn to draw BIG! I don’t know if it’s because we’re scared of wasting paper or because we don’t want other people to see what we’re drawing, but a lot of artists seem to have a tendency to draw small sketches in the corner of the page.
The fix is easy: when drawing, make a point to fill the whole sheet. This will allow you to make bigger, bolder, and more confident movements, which, in turn, will help you create drawings with a nice flow and smooth lines.
Bonus tip: if you’re working digitally, try to zoom in so the line you are about to draw fills as much of the screen as possible.
Tip 4: The one time you should trace!
As silly as it may sound, drawing is an (extremely mild) physical activity. It is not in the same category as, say, weightlifting, jogging, or simply walking, but it still requires you to move parts of your body in a controlled way. In that sense, warming up is a crucial step to achieving good results and drawing smoother lines. Warming up helps your muscles loosen up and strengthens your hand-eye coordination—a crucial skill for drawing.
So, how should you warm up?
I have a couple of short routines on YouTube:
🔗 Watch here: https://youtu.be/uHOn3xB6h1g
🔗 Watch here: https://youtu.be/2sHP5aRuexc
Although these are only a few minutes long, they can help loosen your arm drastically and tighten that very-so-important hand-eye coordination mentioned earlier.
Warming up is also the one time you should trace. Whether you trace over a simple straight line or a more complex picture, this is a good way to test your hand-eye coordination. Can you stay ON the line? Can you stay on the line with your wrist locked? Can you stay on the line and draw smooth, nice-flowing strokes?
If not, it’s a good sign the wobbliness in your line comes, at least in part, from a lack of connection between your brain and your hand. Consider warming up for longer or more frequently, it will make a tremendous difference!
Tip 5: Try different tools
Ok, so you’re sitting straight, you’re moving your whole arm when drawing, you’re making big strokes, and you’re making sure to warm up before starting your drawing sessions. Still, your lines are a bit wobbly. Time and practice will take care of most of that remaining shakiness, but there is one more thing to consider: make sure you LOVE your drawing tools.
Whether you are drawing with traditional or digital tools, there are a lot of options to explore;
Tips for traditional artists:
There are endless options of mediums to use to create traditional art, so make it a point to try as many of them as possible to see if one clicks more than the others;
Even within one type of drawing tool, the different brands and styles offer a wide variety of user experiences. So once more, try as many as you can to see if one feels better to you;
The state of your drawing tools matters a lot too! Do you prefer a perfectly sharpened pencil or a dull one? Do you like brand new, long pencils, or ones that are shorter from being used for weeks on end?
Tips for digital artists:
If you are working on a tablet such as an iPad, consider trying different types of screen protectors. They will change how your stylus glides and grips on the surface. When I first tried Procreate, my gut reaction was to set the iPad down and never touch it again. The plastic stylus on the glass felt SO wrong. A few months later, I tried again, this time using an off-brand matte screen protector (this one: https://amzn.to/32ShIw8 *) It was life-changing! Since then, I’ve tried a bunch of protectors for a video that hasn’t seen the light of day yet (not sure it ever will, time will tell!), and in the process, I realized I now prefer working directly on the glass. Preferences change, so make sure to keep trying things even when you feel like you have the perfect setup.
The nib of your stylus matters! And I’m not just talking about which type you use, although that is important too (I personally have only liked the basic Apple ones, although there are a ton of options out there to explore). The amount of wear is mostly what I’m referring to here. Because yes, stylus tips do wear down just like regular pencils would, just muuuch slower. If you let it wear down too much, the metal rod in the middle will be exposed and the stylus will stop functioning as expected. Of course, you'll need to change the nib when it stops working completely. But don't wait that long! Even subtle changes in the nib's shape from regular wear can affect the quality of your lines. You can get replacement original Apple Pencil tips here: https://amzn.to/3WF36fW * Note: Nib wear down increases significantly with matte screen protectors as they act like an extremely fine sandpaper. If you use one, make sure to regularly check your stylus tip!
The brushes you use make a difference too! Some brushes are sensitive to pressure, making the stroke thicker or thinner depending on how hard you press on the screen. With these brushes, uneven pressure can make lines appear shaky by creating inconsistent line thickness. Some brushes include stabilizers meant to automatically reduce the shakiness of your lines. Although these stabilizers can be very useful (a wonderful accessibility feature and a welcome tool if you like to sketch during your morning commute, for example), they can also quickly become a crutch and shouldn’t be seen as a way to fix the shakiness of your lines long-term.
With that said, remember that art is ultimately more about the process than the result, so if any of these tips don’t feel right to you, take it at make it your own. As long as you are conscious of your posture, the way you move, how you interact with your tools, and the surface you create on, then you are bound to find what works for you.
Before I get off my soapbox, remember how I said that "just practice more" wasn't a very helpful answer? Well, it's still an important part of the process - but now you have these tips to make your precious practice time more effective! So keep drawing, be patient with yourself, and those buttery-smooth lines will come naturally with time 🧈✨
