Drawing skills: digital drawing
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a digital drawing using layers, pressure sensitivity and tonal variation to produce a refined still-life image.
Key learning points
- Digital drawing software applications provide different techniques for artists and designers.
- Layers can be used to organise, edit and refine sections of a digital artwork.
- Brush settings and pressure sensitivity can affect mark-making capabilities.
- Artistic principles such as composition and proportion can be applied in a digital medium.
Keywords
Layer - a distinct section within a digital canvas used to organise elements of an artwork
Opacity - the degree to which a layer or brush stroke is see-through
Pressure sensitivity - how tablet pen pressure affects line thickness or opacity
Common misconception
Digital drawing doesn’t require the same skills as traditional drawing.
Core artistic skills like proportion, tone and composition still apply in digital artworks. Digital tools simply offer new ways to achieve them.
Teacher tip
Model your process slowly and narrate tool choices aloud. Keep pupils’ first drawings simple so they can focus on mastering the interface before tackling complex subjects.
Equipment
Graphics tablets or touchscreen devices. Stylus pens. Digital drawing software
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these is a main difference between digital and traditional drawing?
Q2.True or false? Digital drawing software still requires core skills like proportion, tone and composition.
Q3.Match the digital drawing term to its description:
A separate section of the canvas used to organise parts of an artwork
How transparent a brush stroke or layer appears
How hard you press with a stylus affects the thickness of a line
Q4.Why might an artist use layers in their digital drawing?
Q5.True or false? Digital drawing means artists no longer need to understand shading or light sources.
Q6.Which tool or feature is especially helpful in digital drawing but not in traditional drawing?
To help you plan your 11 art and design lesson on: Drawing skills: digital drawing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 art and design lesson on: Drawing skills: digital drawing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 art and design lessons from the Essential drawing skills for all unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.