How to Make a Pencil Sketch

Learn how to make a pencil sketch, the easy way! No art skills are required for this simple little art project, and it makes such a wonderful gift.

A couple weeks ago, Chris and I went to see Counting Crows and Rob Thomas. Over the years, we have been to see Counting Crows more times than I can count, but there was something different about this concert.

I remember seeing them on my 21st birthday, opting for an intimate concert at a tiny venue over a traditional celebration. The first time I met Chris he was walking across a parking lot on campus and started talking to a mutual friend of ours.

We offered him a ride to his car. As he was got into the back seat, he started flipping through my CD’s, which included a collection of Counting Crows albums. He said that’s the moment he knew.

Art with Meaning

Fast forward 15 years – we were sitting just a few rows back toward the side of the stage at an angle and Rob Thomas was singing his heart out. Sitting on the floor to the side of the stage, so was Adam Duritz.

He watched the entire show from the sidelines, humbly supporting a friend. That’s the kind of friend, wife and sister that I want to be and it’s a side of Adam Duritz, one of my favorite artists, that I have never seen.

Our love for music has continued to grow over the years and in 2007, we married at the 1904 World’s Fair Pavilion, where we sang and danced our hearts out.

As I decorate our home, I’ve been trying to incorporate pieces of art with meaning, rather than just selecting something to fill the space. I decided to take a photo that I once took of the World’s Fair Pavilion and turn it into a piece of art to hang above Chris’ chest of drawers.

How to Make a Pencil Sketch

1. I’m not an artist, but I’m more than happy to fake it. To create a pencil sketch, I uploaded my image to a free website, which converts any photograph to a sketch. This photo is nothing fancy, it was taken with my phone.
   
   
2. Print your new sketch onto high quality paper with a little texture. 
3. Now it’s your turn to be the artist. Select the details you want to outline and shade. I chose to outline the lamp posts and the building and shaded the windows. Highlighting some features makes the picture less flat and more like a true pencil sketch. Don’t feel obligated to sketch it all. 
4. Frame your art – proper framing is the best way to ensure your diy pencil sketch feels like a true piece of art. 

Easy, right? I’d love to see what you create, just tag me on Instagram!