How to Draw a Sad Picture

CONVEYING SADNESS THROUGH YOUR DRAWING

The ability to tell a story, to convey an emotion, is very important in drawing. A drawing that doesn't come alive is simply flat.

In this article, we will teach you how to add sadness to a drawing.

 

But before we start, we need to choose what we're going to do, as well as how and why.

There are several types of sadness. There is sadness related to physical pain, love, the loss of a loved one, failure, and so on. There are a thousand and one reasons to be sad.

For this drawing, I've decided to focus on a sadness related to love. I want to create a romantic and melancholic drawing, like the ones in manga with girls under a blooming cherry tree.

It's a cliché illustration, but it works well.

Before I start drawing, I will research some references to give me a starting point.

DRAWING A SAD GIRL

I want to draw a sad girl with a cherry blossom tree in the background, all in very soft pastel pink tones. I want to create an atmosphere that is both romantic and melancholic. I want it to be clear that her sadness is related to love.

 

 

So, I found reference pictures of cherry blossoms and a pink moodboard to help me choose the colors and atmosphere. I also found references with typical manga images for the drawing composition.

DRAWING THE SKETCH

 

I will start by sketching out my main elements, namely the tree and the girl.

I will start with the tree. I will crop it just above the top of the trunk so that it does not take up too much space and become the center of attention. I will draw it in such a way that it envelops the girl, as if it's protecting her. If you want more details on how to draw a tree, click the link here to read the article dedicated to it!

 

For the girl, I will make her look to the left. In the language of imagery, a character looking to the left represents someone who is turned toward the past, who has regrets, who refuses to move forward. Conversely, a character facing to the right is someone who is looking toward the future, who wants to move forward, overcome challenges, and is positive.

Given that our drawing is themed around sadness, it makes more sense for the girl to be facing left.

 

In terms of positioning, there is another rule: you should never center an element on the page. If you place the main element in the center, it will result in a static drawing, something flat and lifeless.

So, I will shift my character slightly to the right to make her off-center.

 

ADDING THE DETAILS

Once I have laid the foundations, I can refine my character.

I like drawing hair blowing in the wind, so I will draw a girl with long hair that has a gentle movement. For more information on how to draw hair, you can check out the article on our blog. :)

In my head, the scene takes place near the end of spring, and the temperature is pleasant, warm even, so I will put her in a dress and add some tears to show that she's sad.

ADDING COLOR TO THE DRAWING

Color will give our drawing atmosphere.

You must choose the shades carefully, as they will not all give the same impression.

To create softness, it's better to use so-called "pastel" shades. These are shades that are not saturated and are therefore rather muted and light.

As I mentioned earlier, I gathered quite a few reference images to have a good range of shades.

 

I will start by coloring in the different elements using a medium shade (neither too light nor too dark).

 

 

 

 

 

Once the base shades are laid down, I will begin to add shadows and highlights with various shades of light and dark to bring depth and life to the drawing.

I will do the same for the tree trunk, using a dark shade for the grooves and a lighter one for the ridges.

 

 

 

 

Then, I will move on to the sky to get a clearer idea of the drawing's atmosphere.

To give my drawing a romantic atmosphere, I decided to create a gradient that goes from light blue to orange.

I will start by applying my middle tone: yellow.

Then I will add my two other colors (blue and orange).

 

 

 

For the skin, I will add shadows and highlights to properly bring out the shapes of the body. Do not forget to add a slightly redder shade to the extremities (fingertips, nose and cheeks).

 

 

For hair, I will stick to pink tones and add contrast by incorporating darker and lighter pinks.

 

I will add a touch of yellow to evoke the color of the sun shining down on her.

 

Now I will move on to the dress, clearly marking the folds of the dress using a dark shade.

 

There are a few small details left to add and then we're done...

Don't forget to draw her eye and add touches of yellow on the tree trunk.

Slightly blur (or smudge, depending on your tool) the outline of the cherry tree and the petals to add depth.

 

 

And above all, don't forget to draw her tears...

Your drawing is now complete!

 

Before starting an illustration, remember to carefully consider the atmosphere you want to create, as well as how you will do it (what composition, which colors, etc.?).

Spend time searching for references, it's better to have too many than not enough!

Illustrator and writer: Coralie