Drawing Warm-up Tutorial: Draw Your Breakfast

Master simple techniques to enhance your sketching practice and bring your creativity to life

When it comes to drawing, preparation is key! Whether you’re sketching for fashion design, illustration, or personal projects, warming up helps you loosen your hand and get into a creative flow. In this tutorial, illustrator Josefina Fernández shares her go-to method for starting a drawing session, from choosing the right tools to layering color for depth and vibrancy.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

A great warm-up starts with having the right tools. Josefina uses her tiny Muji sketchbook, perfect for sketching on the go, along with a 3H lead for light guidelines and an HB graphite pencil for defining shapes.

Having a physical object to observe—like a cup of tea or a croissant—adds realism and helps train your eyes to capture details. If you don’t have an object nearby, a photo reference works just as well.

Step 2: Define Shapes & Add Depth

Start with light strokes to outline your subject, then gradually build up shading. Josefina adds depth to the left side of the sketch, making the composition feel more dynamic. Layering pencil strokes before applying color helps create a natural flow in the drawing.

Step 3: Bring Your Sketch to Life with Color

Adding color is where the magic happens! Josefina uses a 320 blush marker for soft tones, a gold pen for intricate floral details, and an E34 toast-colored marker to add warmth to her sketch.

Want a great alternative to Copic markers? Winsor & Newton markers are a fantastic choice, offering blendable, rich hues perfect for fashion sketches and character illustrations.

inal Touches & Experimentation

To make her illustration pop, Josefina layers additional colors, experimenting with tones and shading. The key to a successful drawing session is to relax, enjoy the process, and let creativity flow naturally.

Feeling inspired? Join Josefina Fernández’s course on Domestika to dive deeper into sketching for fashion design and refine your technique!