Does Your Grass Look Out of a Cartoon?

Tired of less important parts of your drawings spoiling the overall effect? Poorly drawn grass can often do this. This technique will give your lawn the cutting edge every time!
#drawingvideo #howtodraw #drawingtips #artist #drawing #stephentraversart

[@aroset]

These vids with specific detailing, like grass/gravel/rocks are super helpful!

[@stephentraversart]

I think I’m on a theme for a little while with them. 😀

[@eugenetswong]

Aroset, i completely agree. Stephen, another winner.

[@PH4RX]

I think it’s the mix between details in the foreground but then not overdoing it in the background. I know someone who is super into details but then I think the overall composition looks overloaded. It’s cool that you can find a detailed small bug in the grass over here and then a detailed flower over there but then you have a detailed rock in that corner and this and that somewhere and then you have the detailed main thing as well. Then I often feel like a lot gets lost as you can’t focus.

[@SolGladio]

Something that I really appreciate about Mr Travers' videos is that he will put the focus on subject matters that most others would simply disregard, but are still very important elements to get right in order to complete a scene. Thank you once again!

[@stephentraversart]

I’m glad you found this helpful Sol, and I appreciate your kind words. Thanks 😀

[@kat5266]

You are THE teacher when it comes to teaching how to apply basic perspective, even to something as simple as a grass field! It's basic understanding but it only now struck me that the grass in the foreground faces head-on while the grass a little farther away appears side-on.. as a beginner artist i never thot to 'see' it that way! Makes me realise that perspective is in EVERYTHING. Now i know what to do, thank you lots! 🤩

[@stephentraversart]

Sounds like you’ve really caught on to how this all works Vaish. Excellent work. Hope it really shows itself in your drawings. 😀

[@beninformato9040]

I like how you illustrated and explained perspective. As object move away from us their detail minimizes and spaces between get closer or often fade away into sprinklings or dots and you described! Great work! I can't wait to give this a go! - Cheers!

[@stephentraversart]

Hope you have fun with it Ben. All the best 😀

[@daniellewhisker7034]

Each time i draw a picture, I watch one of your videos to learn how to make just one aspect better and it works every time. I draw better trees, better gravel and now hopefully better grass because of you!

[@daniellewhisker7034]

Well look at that. It's not a bad lawn!

[@stephentraversart]

Wonderful to hear. Thanks for sharing 😀

[@lukmigindnuforhelved]

Great video :) Btw I find it very interesting how much easier it is to draw symbols instead of what you actually see.

[@stephentraversart]

I guess that’s why we do it. 😀

[@juntoringo]

You’re the best Stephen. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@stephentraversart]

I appreciate that!😀

[@jazzmusician46]

You are a fantastic teacher. Thanks so much for your guidance, experience and wisdom Stephen.

[@stephentraversart]

That’s kind of you up say. Much appreciated 😀

[@bitnewt]

You explained something I've never been satisfied with my approach to (yes, tufts everywhere) really brilliantly! For one of the few times after an art lesson, I feel empowered to draw well, not just having a pencil and paper thrust at me and being told to make art.

[@stephentraversart]

That’s brilliant to hear. Use your new power wisely!😁

[@verdedoodleduck]

Another excellent video answering many of my questions about how to approach a particular subject. I think I already do some of this to a degree but I'll be able to focus much better after having seen it implemented in a more disciplined manner. Many thanks!

[@stephentraversart]

That’s great to hear Scott. It’s such a great technique to refine and apply to many different subjects. All the best with it. 😀

[@verdedoodleduck]

@@stephentraversart Thank you. I would be interested in other related topics, if you ever are looking for topic votes...perhaps something similar with a herd of animals or crowds of people (e.g. concertgoers with arms raised), swarms of insects...?

[@mingyzhang]

Super cool instruction. Way to go!

[@stephentraversart]

Thanks. Hope it’s helpful for your drawing 😀

[@rifwann]

Loves the video.. but in this video in particular i couldnt see what you see in the reference that makes you draw that way..

[@stephentraversart]

I’m drawing the effect of what I see in the photo because we can’t draw what we actually see in the photo. The detail is too overwhelming. 😀

[@joniangelsrreal6262]

Always a pleasure to drop by…

[@stephentraversart]

And you’re always welcome 👏

[@FredwardDrawn]

thanks for this, i always struggle deeply with drawing environments and I'm going to try to do more studies focusing on this advice!!

[@stephentraversart]

Glad to have helped a bit Fred. 😀

[@Darthgipsyjoe]

Great video! Informative and the point. Personally I like to go a step further and play with the density of grass to imply shading. But this is how I'd draw when I want to save time.

[@stephentraversart]

I think it depends a bit how central the grass is to the overall scene and if greater value in it would increase or detract from the main focus. Certainly drawing this with pencil would have given more options. 😀

[@cimmicacocoa2370]

Wowow just discovered your channel and it’s a whole treasure trove of things I’ve always wanted to improve on. Thank you so much for this free info

[@stephentraversart]

So great to hear this. Have fun with it all. My playlists may help you find what you want more easily. And please tell your friends who draw about my channel. Thanks 😀

[@alliehartom5978]

Wow really well done!!! Love this, thank you!!!!!

[@stephentraversart]

Glad it resonated with you Allie

[@aarushikishore1417]

That was something I always did (drawing grass in the cartoonish way) and of course it didn't look real, as i never used to refer to anything. But that itself used to look good enough, so never thought I could actually make it better. When I saw the thumbnail, I was like "hey, thats the way I draw grass". So, this was really helpful!

[@stephentraversart]

I’m always glad to help. There’ll be no stopping your grass now. 😀

[@aarushikishore1417]

@@stephentraversart :D

[@kinklee]

Such a fundamental technique. Thank you in perpetuity

[@stephentraversart]

Have fun with it. 😀

[@JH-pe3ro]

There's a trick that helps me switch modes towards observation, which is to draw with a higher friction tool like the Multiliner being used here. The literal slowing down of the line also stops me from hurrying. It can be hard to find the "right one", though, once you start examining this quality. I like working with hard pencils, except that they cut grooves in the paper more easily, and once that happens, erasing them can be impossible. The smoother tools are good for getting a contour quickly but then they often overshoot and oversimplify the mark once you want to be technically accurate.

[@stephentraversart]

Thanks for sharing your experience here. 😀

[@PossumPityParty]

I’ve not laughed and learned in awhile. Great video!

[@stephentraversart]

Glad you enjoyed it!😀

[@l_artdeRien]

Thank you for this video. When you did the first drawing I thought "how can this be any better" now I see. Grass is long and short and entangled

[@stephentraversart]

Great! Have fun practicing 😀

[@borleyboo5613]

Amazing! So simple and so effective. Thank you.

[@stephentraversart]

Thanks Bodley. Simple can be best. 😀

[@EsseJD]

Wow yeah, what a difference. Observation. Awesome. Thanks ✅👍

[@stephentraversart]

Thanks. Have fun with it. 😀

[@genuineinterest]

Instant sub this is so useful and well explained and cool

[@stephentraversart]

Welcome aboard my channel. Hope it’s helpful for your drawing 😀

[@arkanoid77]

This video is amazing, because it exemplifies so well a fundamental technique we should all keep in mind to approach complexity! I'll try to apply this to my current fixation: drawing an alien creeper that arrived in our area called the bur cucumber which covers every other plant and kill em! I find it to be very hardcore to draw but I'll practice fading it in the background like a ninja.

[@stephentraversart]

Sounds like a great subject for this technique. Have fun with it 😀

[@DirtySmovePeace]

Thanks for learning 👍👍

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure😀

[@17...20]

Question: Would it "ruin" it if the detailing continued all the way into the distance? The foreground is very realistic, but it's a different feel than the original picture. If we wanted to include receding realistic grass, would it possible/ believable? Or too much?

[@stephentraversart]

I’m the end, everything is the choice of the artist. But I think I’m talking about choices which can be made with a technique if a certain level of realism is wanted. 😀

[@JohnTersa]

Hello Stephen. How do you draw clouds and skies? And can you make a video about it?

[@stephentraversart]

It’s on my planning list John. Stay tuned. 😀

[@masterklep]

Thank you! I needed this! ❤🙏🤓

[@stephentraversart]

Wonderful 😀

[@fromt_90]

It's a very informative and good video!

[@RadishTheFool]

I agree, this was such a helpful video. Thank you for taking the time to post a positive comment. People like you make the world a kinder place. ☘️

[@stephentraversart]

Appreciate that. Thanks 😀

[@dorisandrini-heller6335]

Thank you for sharing. This was very helpful to me

[@stephentraversart]

Great to hear Doris😀

[@Jay-ql4gp]

This was excellent, thank you!

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure 😀

[@michaelmccrory2220]

I'm guilty as charged! Thanks for the tip and video showing another way. 👍

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure. Brand new day with your pen ahead. 😀

[@emmanuelpower2439]

Great demo. Thank you👍🌅👍

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure Emmanuel 😀

[@eugenetswong]

GOOD! Thanks, Stephen. By the way, I appreciated seeing the wrong way, also.

[@stephentraversart]

Sometimes that speeds up understanding of the right way. Thanks 😀

[@alfreascazuri6335]

thanks for this, i´ll try it next time

[@stephentraversart]

All the best with it😀

[@pintsizestories196]

This is so helpful. Thank you.

[@stephentraversart]

Great to hear. 😀

[@brucedavidson5400]

I’m definitely guilty of drawing grass the wrong way! Thanks again Steven.

[@stephentraversart]

Glad to have helped Bruce. Have fun with your drawing 😀

[@mars_7]

Me encantan tus videos ❤. Saludos

[@stephentraversart]

Gracias. Eres muy amable 😀

[@cramirez3855]

Depends on your environment. Out here on the west coast, we have grass thats only tufts like a cartoon. it doesnt all look like ireland my dude

[@stephentraversart]

I have a video on tufted grass which is our local Aussie bush variety. This video grass came from my back lawn that I could only dream looked like Irish grass!😆

[@luislopeztejeda5558]

Loved❤

[@stephentraversart]

😀

[@Cainmak]

What I'll remember for sure is the crisscross shading

[@stephentraversart]

All the best with it. 😀

[@ihadastrokereadingthis]

im a big fan of the method ‘leave it ill do it if i have energy’ then giving up.

[@stephentraversart]

A well trodden path that one. 🤣

[@ihadastrokereadingthis]

@@stephentraversart its a rather effective technique.

[@DG-LG]

Adore your videos, never fail to make me want to draw. Is there possibly a way you could mount your camera to something other than the desk to help get rid of the wobble when sped up? It would be so worthwhile for the production quality of your vids

[@stephentraversart]

Yes. Sorry about that. Actually the light in that stand broke yesterday so I’ll have to buy something else. I’ll pay attention to wobble when I choose! 😀

[@DG-LG]

@@stephentraversart look forward to it! :3

[@Lupinicus1664]

Very helpful. Excellent videos.

[@stephentraversart]

Great to hear 😀

[@triangularsphere]

I kinda love the clumps they’re cute

[@stephentraversart]

They’re all yours 😀

[@TheMightyPika]

You're the Bob Ross of line drawing. We'll see a crazy complex looking pic of textures or buildings and think, "There's no way I could draw that." An in under 10 minutes of explanation we're all, "........ huh."

[@stephentraversart]

That’s the idea. Make the complex simple. 😀

[@RubykonCubes3668]

This man had said "grass" so many times that i feel like i won't need to touch said grass for a while 👀🌿✨️

[@stephentraversart]

Said man is mystified 🤔

[@RubykonCubes3668]

@@stephentraversart oh no, i just realised how badly my joke landed there 😱 hope it didn't cause too much inconvénience 😆😅

[@rick72035]

Really helpful.

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure, Rick😀

[@deeppen8084]

Now i want more landscape element like grass,rock,water,tree etc and how to draw ice and snow

[@stephentraversart]

Don’t get much ice and snow practice in Australia!❄️🥶

[@recolletsmanoir]

It looks good, however it would have been nice to pay more attention to the shadows on the grass, a little more stippling there, especially on the upper right side.

[@stephentraversart]

I agree there was scope for working it over further😀

[@andreasmartins3075]

I really liked the moment when is said "blades of grass"

[@stephentraversart]

Excellent 😀

[@i_do_notconsent4968]

Guilty! 🤣 Thanks a lot.

[@stephentraversart]

🤣 Glad to help 😀

[@cospaws8810]

I went from thinking he was drawing scribbles to performing black magic. Jokes aside, great technique. Reminds me of reading Calvin and Hobbes as a kid.

[@stephentraversart]

For my next trick . . .😆 haha. Thanks. Hope you give it a go 😀

[@sonijam]

Great video

[@stephentraversart]

Thanks 😀

[@allensparks4734]

For me it's a lot like drawing fur find a few spots where there is lots of detail draw those then focus on the dark spots of shading to bring the details together.

[@stephentraversart]

Yep. Another great subject for this technique. 😀

[@jordanmatthew6315]

Step 1. Touch grass Step 2. Now draw it. Perfect.

[@stephentraversart]

And the mow it, mow it, endlessly mow it!😆

[@wxckxd]

Did I just subscribe from a few seconds. Why, yes. :)

[@stephentraversart]

Welcome aboard!👏 Many more seconds await you!😆

[@GoodwillWright]

The one on the left is what my doctor's prescription notes look like.

[@stephentraversart]

Haha. Yes, I see it!😀

[@SoumyaGhosh-bu2vt]

Thanks sensei

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure Soumya 😀

[@sarahb.6475]

I did draw grass last week or I tried to. What I did was draw the grass blades up close (as the perspective of the photo was very close to the ground so the blades were big in the forefront - and because I was taking a picture of Slapshot as he was eating the grass - yes I wanted an unusual perspective). Slapshot is a quarter horse. So my idea was to first use ink and then watercolor the pic. I did sort of ok with the grass in the forefront + with the horse (remembering that I am pretty new to drawing so it doesnt look perfect) but I did get mighty confused as what to do with grass farther away! I ended up just leaving it as is (this was in a bullet journal so the page already had little dots on it) and painting a lighter green. But with doing watercolors I have been very confused how to draw grass farther away in a field! I actually think I did a better job with the close up grass than I did painting the horse! 😂 But I plan on drawing lots of horses in my bullet journal as I go to the ranch twice a month so I need to draw grass. The idea of the journal is to practice drawing + watercolors. Or that is why I am doing it anyway. Have other sketchbooks too. 😊 I have found this very helpful. I will try adding a few of the little lines in the distance. But I have not drawn the clumps of grass as in the first picture.

[@stephentraversart]

Colour becomes both lighter, and less bright as it moves further away, especially in the dirt of scene you describe. It will help create the sense of distance. 😀

[@Profanities.]

This is beautiful. Do you know of any tips to do this with graphite/pencil drawings? I'm trying to follow along, which i knew it would be different with a different medium, but ive realized just how difficult it is to get this amount of detail in a pencil drawing. It really likes to smudge and blend, but even when it's not literally blended together, it tends to look that way visually.

[@stephentraversart]

Anything drawn with an ink line can be replicated in pencil - if it is kept sharp, as in a mechanical pencil. But graphite does give other possibilities and smudging is one of them, so why not try and use it? Combine value and line closely together. But you still need to be aware of foreshortening and creating the effect of distance as it all moves further away. 😀

[@Profanities.]

@@stephentraversart alright, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks so much! :)

[@Alex_Short]

I think it was more like 3 areas where you need to apply different approaches. 1. First is bright area far away. You can articulate Grass there by drawing Shadows. Slight lines with thin pen. 2. Medium area where transition is happening from dark to the bright. You can see there mid basic tone and thick bright splashes of the grass. So here we need to draw from the negative space. We need to pinpoint shadow and leave the empty space for the grass splashes. And later we can make a tone for those grass splashes coreect. 3. Dark area. In which we see mid tone splashes of grass combined with the dark tones of shadow. Which is more like chess pattern irregular shapes. And within those larger shapes we can see lighter and brighter touches of thinner grass. In my opinion your drawings are too dark and messy. This is my opinion and my personal preferences. Because you draw almost always with a pen. You tend to draw bright object if a stroke of a pen the same goes with the darker object. And in my personal view I perceive less value and clearness in the pictures of the nature you draw and lack of volume. I want more clear picture with more values. And i shared my opinion how I could approach this. The same goes with the rocks stones trees. But your details effect with building and perspective are top-notch

[@stephentraversart]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Alex. We all develop our way of translating what we see into marks. This all sounds very effective.

[@wesleyashworth5061]

Can you repeat that in English please?

[@gordangraham]

How do you handle farm landscape of different fields in the background?

[@stephentraversart]

The same way I handle any landscape. I consider the effects I need to create from the reference and work out the marks that will create that effect both for individual components and the overall effect. The effect of distance is a large part of this. It’s the technique, not the subject matter that’s important. 😀

[@samankucher5117]

awesome thank you

[@stephentraversart]

Thanks Saman😀

[@silverblue73]

How would you add more contrast in the white space in between or is color the only option?

[@stephentraversart]

No, more hatching of more subtle variation would work, but it would be very time consuming 😀

[@Slotzzzz]

Thanks STA

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure 😀

[@videogamecin]

Who else thinks the ‘wrong’ version looks better.

[@stephentraversart]

Guess it depends what effect you’re wanting. 😀

[@Abelhawk]

What type of pen do you use?

[@stephentraversart]

I use Copic Multiliners for the line work, and Copic Sketchmarkers for the tone, using the brush end, not the chisel end. I use Neutral Grey colour for the tone, usually 4-6 tones each drawing. The markers are refillable and the pens can have their ink cartridges and nibs replaced. I mostly desaturate the colour when I post to make the tone look more even.

[@someuser4166]

Painting foliage and vegetation is very easy, drawing it however not so much...

[@stephentraversart]

Yes, a pen is more confronting for some subjects than a brush!🫣

[@Renegade_2023]

Something that should be obvious , but isn’t. Thanks so much !

[@stephentraversart]

A bit like life in general, really! (My life, at any rate). 😆

[@sunnyscott4876]

Cartoon version for me please.

[@stephentraversart]

It’s all yours Scott!😀

[@sunnyscott4876]

@@stephentraversart Thanks 😊

[@snowstrobe]

It's so hard to not fall back on using symbols...

[@stephentraversart]

Being aware is the first step. It will be easier than the think now. All the best with it. 😀

[@george-stefanleoca1319]

What if i want my grass to look like it's from a cartoon?

[@stephentraversart]

Then ignore everything I said🤣

[@george-stefanleoca1319]

@@stephentraversart Fakts xD you actually made me interested in getting a mechanical pen and having a go at it, ty.

[@maryamkhan7953]

So, don't draw the grass, draw the shadows.

[@stephentraversart]

That’s part of it 😀

[@lambdacoreZX9]

What pens/drawing utensils do you use most often for work like this?

[@stephentraversart]

COPIC fine liners 0.5, 0.3, 0.1 mm pens, and COPIC Neutral Grey Sketch Markers for the tone. These are draw directly in pen, so there’s no pencil. 😀

[@opart]

but... do anything you like really, as long as it fits your purpose. (disclaimer: this video works only for beginners, to help them see)

[@stephentraversart]

There are no rules, it’s all about the results we want. 😀

[@OkieSketcher1949]

Good explanation. Good demonstration. Thank you for the lesson. -OkieSketcher1949😊

[@stephentraversart]

My pleasure Okie. Have fun. 😀

[@OkieSketcher1949]

@@stephentraversart - I’m trying. Sometimes I am very trying. Enjoy the weekend.

[@IWDSoon]

I like your accent!

[@stephentraversart]

Haha. What accent?!😀

[@ajlacostewm]

My inks are cartoon related so my grass has to be cartoonish .

[@stephentraversart]

Haha. Of course, in that case. 😀

[@crisfield4364]

Draw what you see, not what you think you're looking at.

[@stephentraversart]

Generally yes, but in this case we are drawing the effect of what we see, rather than an exactness of it. 😀

[@Qulrky]

Usually when i see people drawing grass they just draw a bunch of Ms 👁👄👁

[@stephentraversart]

Or Ws!🤣

[@jagdish.chandgoyal6112]

Grass skeching is ok but its colour is 🖤 not 💚۔ why so !! 💚💚💚💚💚

[@stephentraversart]

Clearly, I'll have to buy a green fine liner!

[@yourpersonaleditor0]

the insult "go touch some grass" wont work on this guy.

[@stephentraversart]

🤔🤔🤔

[@4everseekingwisdom690]

I just like to smoke the grass personally

[@stephentraversart]

I just get to endlessly mow it!😆

[@4everseekingwisdom690]

@@stephentraversart lmao

[@cloud-ox5012]

Me: wait the way i draw grass looks like it came out from a cartoon? ... Great!.- Message made from me, who wants to draw cartoons

[@stephentraversart]

Haha. You’re all set then!😀

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

Hey you also drew a close up of a woman!

[@stephentraversart]

I missed that. Although I did see a face at one stage but I tried to hide it. 😀

[@Ezra4216]

Drawing: 30% GRASS: 70%

[@stephentraversart]

😀

[@Exsecrabilis]

-07/02/2023 @ 0941- 🤔🤨🤔

[@billbixby977]

The one on the right looks like a downs kid did it, how are you an artist