presentation drawing method

10 Benefits Of Live Drawing For Presentations- No Artistic Skills Required

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation

Drawing for presentations is more than just doodles on a page—it’s the art of transforming ideas into visuals that captivate and communicate. As Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” So, let’s unleash our inner Picasso and master the art of presentation drawing!

What Is Live Drawing for Presentations?

Live drawing in presentations, also known as real-time or interactive drawing, is a dynamic and engaging technique where an artist or presenter creates visuals on a digital or physical canvas during a live event. 

This approach adds an element of excitement and interactivity to presentations, making them more memorable and impactful. It can involve sketching, diagramming, or illustrating ideas on the spot, helping to clarify complex concepts and capture the audience’s attention in real-time.

 Live drawing can be a powerful tool for educators, speakers, and businesses looking to enhance their communication and storytelling abilities.

What Is The Art Of Presentation Skills? 

The art of presentation skills is a multifaceted craft that involves the ability to communicate, captivate, and persuade an audience effectively. It’s not just about conveying information; it’s about creating an experience that leaves a lasting impact. Effective presenters master the art of connecting with their audience, conveying their message clearly, and engaging their listeners on both intellectual and emotional levels.

Presentations, whether they’re in a business, educational, or public speaking context, require a delicate balance of several key elements. These elements include content organization, body language, vocal tone, and the use of visual aids. Presentation skills encompass the art of storytelling, the power of persuasion, and the ability to adapt to the needs and preferences of your audience.

Now, let’s introduce Drawing as one of the essential skills within the Art of Presentation:

Drawing, as an integral part of presentation skills , brings a unique dimension to the craft. It allows presenters to visually illustrate their ideas, clarify complex concepts, and create a stronger connection with the audience. Whether it’s through live drawing during the presentation or integrating pre-made visuals, drawing adds a creative and engaging element that can leave a lasting impression.

Drawing can be used to create diagrams, charts, and illustrations that simplify complex data, making it more accessible and relatable to the audience. Visual metaphors, sketches, and illustrations can be powerful tools to reinforce your message, evoke emotions, and enhance the overall storytelling experience.

Moreover, drawing doesn’t require advanced artistic skills. Even simple sketches can effectively convey ideas and make your presentation more engaging. Whether you’re presenting in a boardroom, classroom, or on a stage, the ability to incorporate drawing into your presentation skills toolkit can set you apart as a more dynamic and compelling communicator.

In the art of presentation skills, drawing is a creative tool that transforms presentations into Visual stories , making them more memorable and impactful. It’s a skill that, when mastered, can take your presentations to a whole new level, making your messages not only heard but also seen and felt by your audience.

10 Benefits Of Live Drawing For Presentations

Live drawing in presentations is not just about putting pen to paper; it’s a dynamic and captivating technique that can transform your communication. Let us explore ten compelling benefits of incorporating live drawing into your presentations: 

1. Drawing Improves Memory and Recall

 Drawing engages both the visual and motor cortex of the brain, which enhances memory retention. When you draw during a presentation, you create a visual memory for yourself and your audience, making the information more memorable.

 A study published in the “Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology” found that drawing information led to significantly better recall compared to writing or visualizing alone.

2. Greater Understanding and Clarity:

 Live drawing helps in breaking down complex concepts into simple, visually digestible elements. Visual representations can make abstract or intricate ideas more accessible, reducing cognitive load for the audience and increasing comprehension and clarity. This simplification aids in greater understanding and clarity, making it easier for the audience to grasp the content.

  “When information is presented pictorially, it is often easier to understand and recall than when it is presented verbally.” – Barbara Tversky, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University.

3. Picturization of Content:

By translating information into visual form, live drawing allows you to represent data and ideas as images, making them more relatable. It allows you to transform abstract ideas and data into tangible images. This approach aligns with the brain’s preference for processing information visually, with up to 90% of the information transmitted to the brain being visual. This makes the content more relatable and accessible for the audience, as they can connect with the visuals on a deeper level.

The brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text, and 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual.

4. Enhanced Engagement and Interactivity:

Live drawing is inherently engaging as the audience witnesses the creation of visuals in real-time. It adds an element of interactivity, as viewers can ask questions or provide input, fostering a more dynamic and participative environment.

 A study in “The Journal of Educational Psychology” showed that interactive learning methods, like live drawing, can lead to significantly improved learning outcomes and engagement.

5. Storytelling Amplification:

Visuals created through live drawing enhance storytelling by adding depth and emotional resonance to the narrative. Visual metaphors and illustrations can convey complex emotions and ideas more effectively. This is supported by research indicating that stories are far more memorable than facts alone, and visuals enhance the emotional impact of a narrative.

 “Stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone.” – Jennifer Aaker, Professor of Marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

6. Customization for Specific Audiences:

Live drawing enables presenters to adapt their visuals in real-time, catering to the specific needs and preferences of the audience. This customization fosters a more personalized and impactful presentation.

“Audience engagement increases by 18% when content is personalized.” – Demand Metric Research Corporation.

7. Improved Information Processing:

The combination of spoken words and live visuals creates dual coding, reinforcing the message in the audience’s memory. This leads to higher information processing rates.

The Cognitive Load Theory suggests that the use of visual aids, such as live drawing, can significantly reduce cognitive load, making it easier for the brain to process and retain information.

8. Overcoming Language Barriers:

Live drawing transcends language barriers, making it an effective tool for international or diverse audiences. Visuals can convey universal concepts, ensuring a broader reach and understanding.

“Visual language is a global medium for communication.” – Keith Williams, Professor of Visual Communication at Yale University.

9. Demonstration of Creative Thinking:

Live drawing showcases creativity and problem-solving skills, which can enhance the presenter’s credibility and engage the audience on a deeper level.

Studies have shown that creative demonstrations can lead to increased trust and positive perception of the presenter.

10. Enhanced Emotional Connection:

Visuals created through live drawing have the power to evoke emotions and create a stronger connection between the audience and the content, leaving a lasting impact.

“The more emotional the content, the more likely it is to be shared and remembered.” – Jonah Berger, Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Incorporating live drawing into presentations can yield numerous cognitive, emotional, and practical benefits, enhancing the overall impact and effectiveness of your communication.

How Drawing Helps You To Think Better?

Drawing is a powerful tool that can enhance your thinking processes, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and communication. This TEDxTalk offers valuable insights into how drawing can contribute to improved thinking. Let’s explore each of the five points that are mentioned:

1. Intuition

 Drawing can help tap into your intuition by allowing you to express ideas, feelings, and concepts that might be difficult to articulate with words alone. Through the act of drawing, you can access your inner thoughts and emotions, enabling a more intuitive understanding of complex issues.

In the video, the speaker discusses how drawing can help individuals connect with their inner selves and harness their intuition as a valuable source of insight.

Drawing, whether it’s creating art or diagrams, can elevate the aesthetics of your thoughts and ideas. Visualizing concepts in a visually appealing way can make them more attractive and engaging, enhancing the overall quality of your thinking.

The video emphasizes the importance of incorporating aesthetics into your work and how visual beauty can be a driving force in creative thinking.

3. Reflection:

Drawing provides an opportunity for reflection. When you put your thoughts on paper or canvas, it becomes easier to evaluate, analyze, and refine your ideas. You can step back and critically assess your work, facilitating deeper thinking and self-reflection.

The video highlights the role of drawing as a tool for self-reflection, helping individuals gain clarity and insight into their thoughts and emotions.

4. Imagination:

Drawing is a medium that encourages imagination and creativity. It allows you to explore possibilities, experiment with ideas, and push the boundaries of your thinking. By sketching and visualizing your imagination, you can discover new perspectives and solutions.

The video underscores the role of drawing in unlocking one’s imagination, enabling a free flow of creative ideas and solutions to problems.

5. Communication:

Drawing is a universal language that transcends barriers. It enables effective communication by simplifying complex concepts and making them accessible to a wide audience. Whether you’re explaining a complex scientific theory or a new product design, visuals created through drawing can convey your message with clarity.

The video emphasizes the role of drawing as a means of communication, highlighting its power in connecting with and compellingly engaging others.

In summary, drawing can be a transformative tool for thinking. It engages intuition, enhances beauty, promotes reflection, fuels imagination, and facilitates effective communication. The video offers further insights and inspiration on how drawing can be harnessed to improve your thinking processes.

What Are The Requirements Of Presentation Drawing?

Creating effective presentation drawings requires a combination of skills, tools, and considerations to ensure that your visuals are engaging and communicate your message effectively. Here are the 7 key requirements for presentation drawing:

1. Clear Message and Objective:

The foundation of a successful presentation drawing is a well-defined message and objective. Your drawing should align with the core message you want to convey. Before you begin drawing, clarify what you want your audience to take away from your visual.

2. Understanding Your Audience:

Understanding your audience is crucial to creating effective presentation drawings. Consider their knowledge level, interests, and preferences. Tailor your visuals to resonate with your specific audience, making the content more relatable and engaging for them.

3. Storyboard or Plan:

Planning your drawing in advance is essential. Create a rough outline or storyboard to map out the structure and sequence of your drawing. This helps ensure a logical flow and consistency in your visuals, allowing for a smooth and coherent narrative.

4. Basic Drawing Skills:

While you don’t need to be an expert artist, having basic drawing skills is important. This includes the ability to create simple shapes, lines, and symbols that effectively convey your ideas. Practice and hone your skills to become more confident in your drawing abilities.

5. Visual Hierarchy and Consistency:

Establish a visual hierarchy to emphasize key points in your drawing. This can be achieved through the size, color, or positioning of elements. Consistency in style and formatting across all your drawings within a presentation is crucial for creating a cohesive look and maintaining audience engagement.

6. Simplicity and Relevance:

Keep your drawings simple and relevant. Avoid clutter and unnecessary details that could distract from your message. Each element in your drawing should directly relate to the content you’re presenting. Simplicity enhances clarity and helps the audience focus on what’s important.

7. Choice of Medium:

Your choice of drawing medium, whether traditional or digital, depends on your comfort and available resources. Traditional tools, like markers and paper, offer a tactile experience, while digital tools provide flexibility and ease of editing. Choose the medium that suits your style and resources. 

A. Drawing In PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint allows for in-slide drawing, which is particularly useful for digital presentations. It offers basic drawing tools, shapes, and the ability to annotate slides directly. It’s an excellent option for enhancing visuals during virtual or in-person presentations.

Drawing in PowerPoint is effective for real-time, digital presentations. You can highlight key points, underline text, add arrows, or create simple illustrations on your slides. It’s a versatile tool that integrates seamlessly with your presentation, making it interactive and engaging.

Basic Guide:

     – Open your PowerPoint presentation.

     – Select the slide where you want to add a drawing.

     – Go to the “Insert” tab and choose “Shapes” or “Scribble” from the “Illustrations” group.

     – Use the drawing tools to create your visual elements.

     – Customize colors, line thickness, and style.

     – Annotate your slides as needed.

B. Drawing In Canva

Canva is a graphic design tool known for its user-friendly interface and extensive library of templates and elements. It offers a wide range of drawing and illustration options, making it ideal for creating visually stunning graphics, infographics, and presentations.

Canva’s design features are highly effective for creating professional and aesthetically pleasing visuals. You can choose from a wide variety of templates, graphics, and drawing tools to make your presentations visually compelling. Canva’s collaborative features also make it a great choice for team projects.

   Basic Guide:

     – Sign in to your Canva account or create one.

     – Start a new presentation project or select an existing one.

     – Use the “Elements” tab to access various drawing tools and shapes.

     – Drag and drop elements onto your canvas.

     – Customize colors, size, and position.

     – Save your work and download it for use in your presentation.

C. Live Drawing On Board

Live drawing on a board, whether physical or digital, provides a dynamic and engaging experience during presentations. It allows presenters to illustrate concepts in real time, fostering a direct connection with the audience.

 Live drawing on a board is highly effective for face-to-face presentations or virtual events with a shared whiteboard. It enables real-time interaction, allowing presenters to respond to audience questions and ideas immediately. This technique adds a personal touch and can make complex concepts more accessible.

D. White Chart Paper

Using white chart paper is a traditional, low-tech method for drawing and presenting. It’s often used in classrooms and brainstorming sessions. It’s unique for its simplicity and accessibility.

 White chart paper is effective for interactive group discussions and brainstorming sessions. It allows participants to collaborate and visualize their ideas collectively. It’s particularly useful in settings where technology is limited or when a tactile, hands-on approach is desired.

In summary, the choice of drawing tools and methods depends on the context and your specific presentation needs. PowerPoint and Canva offer digital options with various features and templates, while live drawing on a board and using white chart paper provide a more hands-on, interactive approach. Choose the method that best suits your presentation style and objectives.

Do I Need To Be Good At Drawing To Add It To My Presentations?

No, you don’t need to be exceptionally skilled at drawing to incorporate it into your presentations effectively. While having advanced drawing skills can be an asset, there are various ways to add drawing elements to your presentations, even if you consider yourself a novice artist. 

Let me give you an example, I very well remember some memories of my dad drawing funny figures on paper as he narrated captivating tales. It was all about the sheer joy of the moment, not the perfection of the artwork. I mean, the dog hardly ever resembled a real dog, and the human figure was nothing more than a basic stick figure, but those drawings added a touch of whimsy that made the stories unforgettable and incredibly engaging.

Drawing in presentations can be a lot like that. You don’t need to be a professional artist. Here’s why:

1. Expression over Perfection:

Presentations are about conveying ideas and engaging your audience, not showcasing your artistic skills. Simple drawings or sketches can effectively express your message, and sometimes, the authenticity of a less-than-perfect drawing can be endearing and relatable.

2. Digital Tools:

With modern presentation software and graphic design tools, you can leverage pre-made shapes, icons, and templates. These tools make it easy to create professional-looking visuals without needing advanced drawing skills.

3. Concept Clarity:

The primary goal of adding drawings to your presentation is to enhance conceptual clarity. Even basic illustrations can serve this purpose by simplifying complex ideas, making them more understandable to your audience.

4. Audience Engagement: 

Drawing can enhance audience engagement. It adds a personal touch to your presentation and can spark curiosity. When your audience sees that you’ve put effort into creating visuals, it can leave a positive impression.

5. Practice and Improvement: 

If you’re interested in enhancing your drawing skills, presentations are a perfect platform to practice. As you use drawing more frequently, you’ll likely see improvement over time.

6. Uniqueness: 

Hand-drawn visuals can set your presentations apart. They give your content a distinct, human touch that can make it more memorable and relatable.

In a nutshell, the key is not your artistic prowess but the effectiveness of your visuals in conveying your message. Simple drawings and graphics can work wonders in making your presentations engaging and memorable. So, go ahead and have some fun with your drawings in your presentations. Who knows, just like those funny stories stuck in my head that my dad used to tell, your presentation drawings might become unforgettable for your audience!

In conclusion, drawing for presentations is a versatile and powerful tool that doesn’t require advanced artistic skills. Whether you’re using basic shapes, templates, or digital tools, the goal is to enhance the clarity and impact of your message. The authenticity and simplicity of drawings often resonate with audiences, making your content more engaging and memorable. 

With a bit of practice and the right tools, you can unleash the creative potential of drawing and take your presentations to a whole new level. So, don’t hesitate to add a personal touch to your presentations through the art of drawing!

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Presentation Drawing

The importance of presentation drawing.

Presentation drawing, also known as a rendering, is a crucial aspect of the design process. It's a means of visually communicating ideas to clients, colleagues, and contractors. Presentation drawings can take many forms, from quick sketches to highly detailed, realistic illustrations. Regardless of the format, the goal of presentation drawing is to convey the essence of a design in a visually compelling way.

The Types of Presentation Drawing

There are several types of presentation drawing, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Here are four of the most common types of presentation drawing:

Sketches are quick, informal drawings that are used to explore ideas and communicate concepts. They are typically done by hand using pencil or pen and paper. Sketches are valuable because they allow designers to express their ideas quickly and without the need for expensive tools or software. That said, sketches are generally less polished than other forms of presentation drawing, so they may not be suitable for more formal presentations.

Concept Drawings

Concept drawings are more detailed than sketches and are intended to convey a more developed idea. They are still relatively informal, but they often incorporate color and shading to give the drawing depth and texture. Concept drawings can be done by hand or using digital tools like Photoshop or SketchUp.

Renderings are highly detailed, realistic illustrations of a design. They are typically created using 3D modeling software and are intended to give clients and colleagues a sense of what a finished project will look like. Renderings are often used in marketing materials and presentations because they are visually impressive and highly detailed.

Construction Documents

Construction documents are highly technical drawings that are used to communicate specific details about a project to contractors and builders. They include things like floor plans, elevations, and sections, and they are typically created using a combination of hand drawing and computer software.

Tips for Effective Presentation Drawing

Regardless of the type of presentation drawing you are creating, there are a few tips that can help ensure that your drawing is effective and communicates your ideas clearly.

Focus on Legibility

One of the most important aspects of presentation drawing is legibility. Your drawing should be easy to read and understand, even when viewed from a distance. Make sure that you use a font size and style that is easy to read, and avoid cluttering your drawing with unnecessary details that can distract from the main ideas you are trying to convey.

Choose the Right Format

Different types of presentation drawing are better suited to different formats. Sketches, for example, are best presented on paper or on a whiteboard. Renderings, on the other hand, are best viewed on a large screen or printed out at a high resolution. Make sure that you choose the right format for your drawing to ensure that it is presented in the most effective way possible.

Use Color Wisely

Color can be a powerful tool in presentation drawing, but it must be used wisely. Too much color can be distracting, while too little color can make your drawing look flat and lifeless. Use color to highlight important details and to create depth and texture in your drawing, but be sure to use it sparingly.

Be Consistent

Consistency is key in presentation drawing. Make sure that your drawing is consistent in terms of scale, proportion, and style. This will ensure that it is easy to read and that your ideas are communicated clearly.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Finally, the best way to improve your presentation drawing skills is to practice. Take the time to practice drawing different types of illustrations, and experiment with different tools and techniques to find what works best for you. The more you practice, the better you will become at conveying your ideas visually.

The Bottom Line

Presentation drawing is an essential aspect of the design process. It allows designers to communicate their ideas in a clear and compelling way and is crucial for getting buy-in from clients, colleagues, and contractors. Whether you're creating quick sketches or detailed renderings, there are a few key principles to keep in mind that can help ensure that your presentation drawing is effective and communicates your ideas clearly.

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Exploring the most sophisticated spatial concepts from across the globe. Discover innovative building techniques and materials available, worldwide.

Architecture by Google Search

Architectural presentation and rendering, architectural presentation and rendering: learning the creative methods of rendering and presenting..

Architectural Presentation and Rendering! In this comprehensive course, you'll explore a variety of creative methods for presenting and rendering architectural designs. We'll start by covering the importance of visual communication skills and the fundamentals of architectural presentation. From there, we'll dive into topics such as digital rendering techniques, 3D modeling, and the use of software tools like Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, and Blender. Throughout the course, you'll learn how to effectively communicate your design ideas through compelling visual presentations, mastering techniques such as shading, texture mapping, and composition. By the end of the course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to create stunning architectural presentations that will impress clients and colleagues alike. 

Course Overview: Architectural Presentation and Rendering

• Importance of visual communication skills
• Fundamentals of architectural presentation
• Digital rendering techniques
• 3D modeling software: Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, Blender
• Shading, texture mapping, and composition techniques

Importance of Visual Communication Skills

Your skills as an architect in producing graphic documents or visual communication are crucial for effectively presenting architectural designs to clients.

Architectural Presentation & Rendering Curriculum Essentials

This course covers all essentials about visual communication and architectural presentation skills expected of new architects.

This course will be sufficient to teach all the essentials about visual communication and architectural presentation skills expected of new architects. The architectural presentation is a required course within the architectural education architectural education curriculum.

Goals of the Course

The primary goal is to develop visual communication skills required to present architectural projects effectively.

The most important goal of the course is develop, through extensive practice, the visual communication skills required to effectively present a graphic model of a final project or to highlight specific details of a project. Architectural presentation is also important as a way of studying architectural problems in order to produce solutions.

Architectural Presentation & Rendering Focus Areas

Emphasis is on digital presentation tools like 3D rendering, alongside the importance of freehand lettering.

The focus of this course is not on the use of monochrome media such as pencils, pens, and ink; instead, the focus is on digital architectural presentation tools such as 3D presentation. However, you should study and understand the importance of neat and legible freehand lettering before focusing on the development of 2-D and 3-D sketching skills.

Learning Objectives

Understanding drawing types.

Differentiate between Architectural/Engineering Presentation Drawings and Working Drawings.

Planning and Sketching

Learn the importance of planning, organizing, and sketching before starting computer-aided drafting.

By the time you finish studying this course, you should be able to: 

• Explain the difference between Architectural/Engineering Presentation Drawings and Architectural/Engineering Working Drawings.
• Understand the importance of planning, organizing, and sketching, prior to starting a computer aided drafting data input.

Digital Presentation Skills

Produce digital drawings that effectively communicate dimensions, materials, and textures.

• Produce architectural digital presentation drawings that effectively communicate the depth or 3rd dimension of an object, as well as material finishes and textures. 

Architectural Presentation & Rendering Techniques and Methods

Master shading, stippling, cross-hatching, and other methods to enhance object form and project impressions.

• Use the techniques of shading, stippling, and cross-hatching, as well as being able to provide value, tone and contrast, as well as shade and shadow to enhance the geometric form of an object and the overall sense or impression of a project.

Drawing Generation

Generate 2-D orthographic views and 3-D pictorial views of architectural structures.

• Generate the 2-D orthographic views such as floor plans, elevations, and cross sections, and generate 3-D pictorial views such as perspective, axonometric and oblique of a straightforward and simple architectural structure.
• Describe how and where to effectively place the representation of trees (and other vegetation), people and vehicles, and explain their role or value within an architectural presentation drawing.

Composition and Layout

Understand the importance of composition and consistency in architectural drawings.

• Describe the importance of composition within a drawing and the consistency and continuity of composition within a set of drawings.

Final Presentation

Produce a complete set of Architectural Presentation Drawings for a structure.

• Generate a final set of Architectural Presentation Drawings for a structure including floor plan with landscaping, elevations, and a 3-D view.

Graphical Concepts

Exploring tone and value.

Understanding and applying tone and value in architectural rendering.

The following graphical concepts will be explained mostly through extensive practice of 3D presentation and architectural rendering:

• Tone and value: 

Architectural Entourage

• Incorporating scale figures, vehicles, vegetation, and other elements to enhance architectural presentations.

Shade, Shadow, Texture, and Material

Mastering representation techniques for shade, shadow, texture, and materials in architectural rendering.

• Shade and shadow
• Texture and material representations

Software Usage

Architectural rendering software:, autodesk 3ds max:.

Autodesk 3ds Max is a powerful 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software widely used in the architecture industry. It offers a comprehensive set of tools for creating photorealistic architectural renderings, including advanced lighting, materials, and texture mapping features. Architects use 3ds Max to visualize and communicate their design concepts effectively.

Autodesk Maya:

Autodesk Maya is another popular 3D modeling and animation software commonly used in architectural rendering. It offers a wide range of tools for creating detailed 3D models, animations, and visual effects. Architects utilize Maya's advanced features to produce high-quality architectural renderings and walkthrough animations.

Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite that includes modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing capabilities. While initially developed for animation and filmmaking, Blender has gained popularity in the architecture industry due to its robust feature set and accessibility. Architects use Blender to create architectural models, renderings, and visualizations, leveraging its powerful tools and community-driven support.

Presentation Software:

Autodesk revit:.

Autodesk Revit is a Building Information Modeling (BIM) software widely used by architects for design, documentation, and collaboration. In addition to its modeling and drafting capabilities, Revit offers presentation tools for creating architectural drawings, diagrams, and visualizations. Architects use Revit to produce professional-looking presentation documents and project documentation.

SketchUp is a user-friendly 3D modeling software commonly used by architects for conceptual design and visualization. It offers intuitive tools for creating 3D models, including buildings, landscapes, and interior spaces. Architects use SketchUp to generate quick, sketch-like renderings and presentations, allowing them to communicate design ideas effectively to clients and stakeholders.

Adobe Creative Suite:

Adobe Creative Suite, including software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, is widely used by architects for graphic design and presentation purposes. Architects utilize Adobe software to enhance architectural renderings, create presentation boards, and produce marketing materials. With its extensive range of tools and capabilities, Adobe Creative Suite allows architects to create visually stunning presentations that showcase their design concepts effectively.

Course Conclusion

Upon completion of this course, students will possess a deeper understanding of architectural presentation requirements and software usage, better preparing them for the demands of the architecture industry. By exploring and utilizing software tools such as Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, Blender, Autodesk Revit, SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite, students will gain valuable skills for creating compelling architectural renderings and presentations. With this knowledge and expertise, students will be equipped to communicate their design ideas effectively and excel in their professional careers as architects.

Mastering 3D Architectural Rendering: The Ultimate Checklist for Stunning Results!

Mastering the art of 3D architectural rendering is essential for architects looking to showcase their designs in the most compelling and visually stunning way possible. Whether you're presenting to clients, collaborating with colleagues, or showcasing your portfolio, following a comprehensive checklist can ensure that your 3D renderings leave a lasting impression. Let's explore the ultimate checklist for achieving jaw-dropping 3D architectural rendering results:

Clear Design Brief : Begin by understanding the project requirements and objectives. Clarify the scope, style preferences, and desired outcomes with your clients or stakeholders to ensure alignment from the outset.

High-Quality 3D Models : Invest time in creating or obtaining high-quality 3D models of the architectural design. Pay attention to detail, accuracy, and scale to achieve realistic and lifelike renderings.

Optimized Geometry : Ensure that your 3D models have optimized geometry for efficient rendering. Minimize unnecessary complexity and polygon counts to improve rendering performance and reduce file sizes.

Texture Mapping : Apply high-resolution textures and materials to your 3D models to enhance realism and visual appeal. Use texture mapping techniques such as UV mapping and procedural textures to achieve realistic surface finishes.

Lighting Setup : Experiment with different lighting setups to achieve the desired mood and ambiance in your renderings. Consider natural lighting, artificial lighting, and environmental effects to create dynamic and immersive scenes.

Camera Composition : Pay attention to camera composition and framing to create visually engaging renderings. Experiment with different camera angles, perspectives, and focal lengths to highlight key design features and evoke emotion.

Attention to Detail : Add intricate details and embellishments to your 3D models to enrich the visual storytelling. Incorporate elements such as furniture, fixtures, landscaping, and decor to bring your renderings to life.

Realistic Materials : Use physically accurate materials and shaders to achieve realistic material effects in your renderings. Experiment with reflective surfaces, roughness values, and transparency settings to mimic real-world materials accurately.

Post-Processing Effects : Apply post-processing effects such as depth of field, motion blur, and color correction to enhance the final look of your renderings. Experiment with different effects to achieve the desired aesthetic and mood.

Feedback and Iteration : Seek feedback from colleagues, peers, or clients throughout the rendering process. Iterate on your renderings based on feedback to refine and improve the final results.

By following this comprehensive checklist, architects can ensure that their 3D architectural renderings stand out for their realism, visual impact, and ability to communicate design intent effectively. Whether you're aiming to impress clients, win competitions, or simply showcase your design prowess, mastering the art of 3D rendering is key to achieving jaw-dropping results.

Architectural Presentation and Rendering Questions and Answers

What is meant by architectural rendering.

Architectural rendering refers to the process of creating visual representations of architectural designs using computer software or traditional rendering techniques. These renderings are used to communicate the design intent and aesthetic qualities of a building or space to clients, stakeholders, and other interested parties. Architectural renderings can range from simple sketches to photorealistic images or animations, depending on the level of detail required and the intended purpose of the presentation.

Architectural rendering plays a crucial role in the design process by allowing architects to visualize and communicate their ideas effectively. It helps clients and stakeholders better understand the proposed design, enabling them to provide feedback and make informed decisions. Additionally, architectural renderings can be used for marketing and promotional purposes, helping to attract potential clients and investors.

What is architectural presentation?

Architectural presentation refers to the act of presenting architectural designs, concepts, and ideas to clients, stakeholders, or the public. It involves communicating the vision, functionality, and aesthetic qualities of a building or space through various means, such as drawings, renderings, models, and verbal explanations. Architectural presentations aim to convey the design intent, highlight key features, and address any concerns or questions raised by the audience.

Architectural presentations can take place at different stages of the design process, from initial concept presentations to final design reviews. They may be delivered in formal settings such as meetings or presentations, or informally through informal discussions or walkthroughs. Regardless of the format, effective architectural presentations require clear communication, visual clarity, and engaging storytelling to captivate the audience and convey the design vision effectively.

What do you say in an architectural presentation?

In an architectural presentation, it is essential to convey key information about the design, including its purpose, functionality, aesthetic qualities, and any unique features or innovations. Here are some key points to cover:

Introduction: Begin by introducing yourself, your role in the project, and the purpose of the presentation.

Project Overview: Provide a brief overview of the project, including its location, client, and scope.

Design Concept: Explain the underlying design concept or vision behind the project and how it addresses the client's needs and objectives.

Design Features: Highlight key design features, such as the building's form, layout, materials, and sustainability initiatives.

Visualization: Use architectural renderings, drawings, or models to illustrate the design concept and showcase the proposed building or space from different perspectives.

Functionality: Discuss how the design meets functional requirements, such as space planning, circulation, accessibility, and environmental comfort.

Innovation: If applicable, discuss any innovative or unique aspects of the design, such as new construction methods, sustainable technologies, or cultural considerations.

Conclusion: Summarize the key points of the presentation and invite feedback or questions from the audience.

How do you structure an architecture presentation?

Structuring an architectural presentation involves organizing the content in a logical and engaging manner to effectively communicate the design vision. Here's a suggested structure:

Introduction:

• Introduce yourself and your role in the project.
• Briefly explain the purpose and objectives of the presentation.

Project Overview:

• Provide background information about the project, including its location, client, and scope.
• Highlight any key challenges or constraints that influenced the design.

Design Concept:

• Explain the overarching design concept or vision behind the project.
• Discuss how the design concept addresses the client's needs, site context, and project goals.

Design Features:

• Present the key design features of the project, such as the building's form, materials, and spatial organization.
• Use visual aids such as renderings, drawings, or models to illustrate the design features.

Functionality:

• Discuss how the design meets functional requirements, such as programmatic needs, circulation, and accessibility.
• Highlight any innovative solutions or sustainable design strategies incorporated into the project.

Visualization:

• Showcase architectural renderings, drawings, or models to provide a visual representation of the proposed design.
• Use a combination of floor plans, elevations, sections, and perspectives to illustrate different aspects of the design.

Conclusion:

• Summarize the key points of the presentation.
• Invite feedback, questions, and discussion from the audience.
• Thank the audience for their time and participation.

How do you incorporate client feedback into an architectural presentation?

Incorporating client feedback into an architectural presentation is crucial for ensuring that the final design meets the client's expectations and requirements. Here's how you can do it:

Active Listening : Start by actively listening to the client's feedback during meetings, presentations, or design reviews. Take notes and ask clarifying questions to ensure that you fully understand their concerns and preferences.

Identify Key Points : Identify the key points of feedback raised by the client, focusing on both positive aspects of the design that they appreciate and areas that require improvement or revision.

Address Concerns : Address each of the client's concerns or suggestions in the presentation. Clearly explain how you have addressed or incorporated their feedback into the design, whether it's through revisions to the floor plan, material selection, or design details.

Visual Demonstrations : Use visual aids such as renderings, drawings, or models to demonstrate how specific changes or modifications will impact the design. Visual representations can help clients better understand proposed solutions and make informed decisions.

Provide Options : Present alternative design options or solutions based on the client's feedback, if applicable. Discuss the pros and cons of each option and guide the client in making informed decisions that align with their vision and project goals.

Iterative Process : Approach client feedback as part of an iterative design process. Be open to revising and refining the design based on ongoing feedback and collaboration with the client, ensuring that their needs and preferences are fully addressed.

Document Changes : Document any changes or revisions made to the design based on client feedback. Clearly communicate the rationale behind each change and ensure that the client is kept informed throughout the process.

By incorporating client feedback into the architectural presentation in a proactive and collaborative manner, you can build trust, foster positive relationships, and ultimately deliver a design solution that meets the client's expectations and exceeds their aspirations.

What role does storytelling play in an architecture presentation?

Storytelling plays a vital role in an architecture presentation as it helps to engage the audience, convey the design narrative, and create an emotional connection with the project. Here's how storytelling contributes to an architecture presentation:

Contextualization : Storytelling provides context for the project by explaining its background, inspirations, and objectives. It helps the audience understand the project's significance within its broader social, cultural, and environmental context.

Engagement : A well-crafted story captures the audience's attention and keeps them engaged throughout the presentation. By weaving together narrative elements such as anecdotes, personal experiences, or historical references, you can create a compelling narrative that resonates with the audience.

Emotional Connection : Storytelling creates an emotional connection with the audience by appealing to their emotions, values, and aspirations. By highlighting the human aspect of the project and its impact on people's lives, you can evoke empathy, curiosity, and excitement among the audience.

Visualization : Storytelling helps the audience visualize the design concept and imagine themselves experiencing the space. By describing the project in vivid detail and painting a picture with words, you can bring the design to life in the minds of the audience.

Memorability : A well-told story is memorable and leaves a lasting impression on the audience. By crafting a narrative that resonates with the audience's values and interests, you can ensure that the project is remembered long after the presentation is over.

In summary, storytelling is a powerful tool in an architecture presentation, helping to engage the audience, convey the design narrative, and create an emotional connection that enhances the overall impact and effectiveness of the presentation.

How do you ensure clarity and coherence in an architectural presentation?

Ensuring clarity and coherence in an architectural presentation is essential for effectively communicating the design vision and engaging the audience. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

Clear Structure : Organize the presentation in a logical and coherent manner, with clear sections and transitions between topics. Clearly define the purpose and objectives of the presentation at the outset.

Consistent Visual Language : Maintain a consistent visual language throughout the presentation, including fonts, colors, and graphic styles. This helps to create a cohesive and professional-looking presentation that is easy to follow.

Visual Hierarchy : Use visual hierarchy to prioritize information and guide the audience's attention to key points. Highlight important information using visual cues such as bold text, color accents, or larger font sizes.

Succinct Messaging : Keep your messaging clear, concise, and to the point. Avoid jargon or technical language that may confuse or alienate the audience. Use plain language that is accessible to a non-expert audience.

Engaging Visuals : Use high-quality visuals such as renderings, drawings, or photographs to illustrate key points and concepts. Ensure that visuals are relevant, impactful, and support the narrative of the presentation.

Practice Delivery : Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery and confident communication. Practice pacing, tone of voice, and body language to engage the audience and maintain their interest throughout the presentation.

Feedback and Iteration : Seek feedback from colleagues or peers to identify areas for improvement and refine your presentation. Be open to constructive criticism and willing to make adjustments to enhance clarity and coherence.

By following these strategies, you can create an architectural presentation that is clear, coherent, and effectively communicates the design vision to the audience.

What are some common pitfalls to avoid in architectural presentations?

While conducting architectural presentations, several common pitfalls should be avoided to ensure their success:

Overcomplicated Language : Avoid using overly technical or complex language that may confuse or alienate the audience. Use clear and concise language that is accessible to all participants.

Lack of Preparation : Failure to adequately prepare for the presentation can lead to disorganization, stumbling over key points, or missing important details. Prepare thoroughly and rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery.

Poor Visuals : Low-quality or irrelevant visuals can detract from the presentation and fail to effectively convey the design concept. Use high-quality visuals that are relevant, impactful, and support the narrative of the presentation.

Ignoring Time Constraints : Going over the allotted time for the presentation can lead to frustration among the audience and may result in important points being rushed or overlooked. Practice pacing and time management to ensure that your presentation fits within the allocated time frame.

Lack of Audience Engagement : Failure to engage the audience can result in disinterest or distraction during the presentation. Use storytelling, interactive elements, and opportunities for audience participation to keep the audience engaged and invested in the presentation.

Ignoring Feedback : Disregarding feedback from clients, stakeholders, or colleagues can lead to missed opportunities for improvement and may result in misunderstandings or misaligned expectations. Actively listen to feedback and be willing to make adjustments to enhance the presentation.

Failure to Follow Up : Neglecting to follow up with the audience after the presentation can result in missed opportunities for further discussion, clarification, or action. Follow up with attendees to address any lingering questions or concerns and to reinforce key points from the presentation.

By avoiding these common pitfalls and implementing best practices, you can deliver an effective and engaging architectural presentation that effectively communicates the design vision and resonates with the audience.

Explore Further

Learn more about architecture with these additional topics:

3D Architecture Presentation Techniques

Utilizing 3D architecture presentation techniques enhances the visual communication of architectural designs. By employing 3D modeling software, architects can create immersive and realistic representations of their projects. These techniques allow for dynamic visualization of spatial relationships, material finishes, and lighting effects, providing clients and stakeholders with a clearer understanding of the proposed design.

Architectural Rendering Examples

Architectural rendering examples showcase the application of rendering techniques to depict architectural designs. These examples encompass a variety of styles, from photorealistic renderings to conceptual sketches. By studying architectural rendering examples, architects can gain inspiration and insight into different rendering approaches and styles. Analyzing these examples also helps architects understand how to effectively convey design concepts and narratives through visual representation.

Architectural Rendering Drawing

Architectural rendering drawing involves the creation of detailed illustrations or visualizations of architectural designs. These drawings can range from hand-drawn sketches to digital renderings produced using specialized software. Architectural rendering drawings serve as valuable tools for communicating design intent, capturing spatial qualities, and conveying the aesthetic vision of a project. Architects use rendering drawings to present their ideas to clients, collaborators, and regulatory authorities, facilitating discussions and decision-making throughout the design process.

Architectural Rendering Services

Architectural rendering services offer specialized expertise in creating high-quality renderings for architectural projects. These services may include 3D modeling, rendering, animation, and visualization capabilities. Architects often collaborate with rendering services to produce photorealistic renderings and visualizations that effectively communicate design concepts to clients and stakeholders. Rendering services employ advanced software and rendering techniques to create compelling visual representations of architectural designs, helping architects bring their ideas to life.

Early Renaissance Architecture

Early Renaissance architecture refers to the architectural style that emerged in Italy during the 15th century. Characterized by a revival of classical elements and a focus on symmetry, proportion, and harmony, early Renaissance architecture marked a departure from the Gothic style that preceded it. Architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi and Leon Battista Alberti played key roles in shaping the early Renaissance architectural aesthetic, which laid the foundation for the Renaissance architecture that followed.

History of Islamic Architecture

The history of Islamic architecture spans centuries and encompasses a diverse range of architectural styles and traditions. Influenced by Islamic principles and cultural practices, Islamic architecture is characterized by elements such as geometric patterns, arabesques, and ornate decoration. From the grand mosques of Andalusia to the intricate palaces of Persia, Islamic architecture reflects the rich cultural heritage and architectural achievements of Islamic civilizations throughout history.

Gothic vs Renaissance Architecture

Gothic and Renaissance architecture represent two distinct architectural styles that emerged during different periods in history. Gothic architecture, which flourished in Europe during the Middle Ages, is characterized by its pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and soaring cathedrals. In contrast, Renaissance architecture, which emerged in Italy during the 15th century, is characterized by a return to classical forms and a focus on symmetry, proportion, and humanism. While Gothic architecture evokes a sense of grandeur and verticality, Renaissance architecture embodies ideals of balance, harmony, and classical beauty.

Architecture Search by Google

Concepts  is an infinite, flexible creative tool for all your good ideas. Available on iOS, Windows and Android.

Visually Minded: Drawing and Presenting Ideas as Sketchnotes

Visual thinker and Sketchnoter Jonny Daenen shares techniques for drawing and organizing graphic presentations and sketchnotes for ideas you are passionate about.

"Pouring your information into a visual representation has the benefit of making ideas tangible. It motivates people to have a conversation or discussion about it. It's also a lot easier to spread information this way, as pictures have the power to create a lasting impression within an instant."

Jonny Daenen - My background lies in Big Data. I got my Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2016, after focusing on big data systems for several years. Currently, I am a Cloud data engineer at a marketing automation company. It's incredible to think about the vast amounts of data we generate daily and all the things we can do with it. I see myself as someone who designs and builds solutions for creating value from this enormous pool of data.

I love learning about technology and then applying   or spreading   the knowledge. The latter is something I've picked up during my time as a teaching assistant. It's a great feeling when you are able to teach new concepts to people who are eager to learn. At the same time, when you explain an idea to someone else, you'd better make sure you understand it thoroughly first! During my career, I've discovered that visualizations are a key component in teaching, discussing, and pitching ideas. It helps me to understand what's going on and transfer information to someone else.  

How did you get into visual thinking and sketchnoting?

Great question! I've been fond of doodling for a long time, and I think this is where my urge to draw comes from. I remember a history course in high school, where we had to memorize quite some information, for example, about agriculture in historical times. As I was not keen on learning by heart, I decided to draw logical pictures containing all the elements. A doodle with cows and crops made it so much easier to understand and remember. 

Fast forward to my Ph.D., and I'm still drawing and doodling. Only this time, I'm using the blackboard to pass on ideas to students. At some point, during a TEDx event, I also saw people making sketchnotes live on stage and followed an introduction to sketchnoting. Packed with quite some ideas, I gradually started to adopt them into my daily routines.

During my career, I noticed that I liked capturing information, and started leveraging these visual techniques more and more. Today, I am applying them to create presentations, technical diagrams, and summaries of Apple product presentations. I've also decided to go fully digital.

One of my first attempts to draw a high level diagram, created in Papers.

Can you please share what visual thinking and sketchnoting are? How does visualization help you to remember and share ideas?

In my mind, visual thinking is about capturing the essence of "things" - systems, products, technologies, ideas, etc. - in a visual image. It helps us to understand problems, enabling a zooming out to abstract concepts, and a zooming in on all the nitty-gritty details when needed.

Sketchnoting is the art of visual note taking. A keynote, presentation, event, manual, technology, etc. can all be summarized visually. This helps to make topics more approachable and digestible.

My main purposes for sketchnoting are to capture information for later reference, evangelize ideas, and learn more about a topic. While I draw, my mind focuses on the matter at hand, helping me understand things better and allowing me to easily remember them. People have responded quite well when I share my sketchnote summaries or when they see drawings appear in a slide deck. It seems to be a very powerful method to get a message across.

One of the first drawings I did in Concepts that shows the basic components in marketing. This was used in multiple presentations.

Pouring your information into a visual representation has the benefit of making ideas tangible. It motivates people to have a conversation or discussion about it. It's also a lot easier to spread information this way, as pictures have the power to create a lasting impression within an instant. 

In software engineering, for example, I find it really helpful to have a diagram of what I'm working on. It helps me navigate code and allows easy communication with other people. It is vital to have a bird's eye view of what you are working on while still understanding the details of the code in front of you. Especially when you get confronted with bugs, visual thinking is helpful and allows you to more quickly approach the problems at hand in a structural fashion.

And whether it helps me remember things? Well, yes and no. On the contrary, it helps me free my mind. While I draw, I think about the structure and properties of what I'm drawing. I'm comparing similar technologies, zooming in and out in my mind while I pinch on the screen, and discovering logical concepts as I progress. This process helps me better understand whatever I'm sketchnoting about. 

Still, at the same time, my brain will also know that all the details are in my sketchnote for reference, and it seems it will forget about unnecessary details and instead store a pointer to the sketchnote. Next time I need to recall the price of the iPad Pro in 2020? Or the technology that Spotify talked about to manage their data quality? My brain will know that I noted that down in a specific sketchnote and present me with a vague layout of what my drawing looked like.  

You have very informative sketchnotes with a clear presentation style. How do you go about visualizing ideas and data? What creates a clear presentation?

Thank you! Visual representations should capture the essence of an idea, product, technology, etc. as much as possible. When sketchnoting an event, I start from the bottom up: starting with the details, clustering them into bigger ideas, and attaching these to a bigger topic. It's a hierarchical approach, which should help viewers quickly identify relevant information while also allowing for fast zooming from specific details to the more abstract topic.

For slide decks, this is a bit different. Here I start working around the main takeaway, outline a structure in a mindmap and translate individual slides into drawings during the process.

Presentations or sketchnotes should provide a logical flow of information; they should guide the viewer. In presentations, you get a linear flow, which can sometimes feel quite restrictive but at the same time also more reassuring. In sketchnotes, you get a lot more freedom, but the challenging part is in the overall flow of your drawing to make sure people can find their way in it.

One big difference between presentations and sketchnotes: in presentations, the visuals support the story; in sketchnotes, the visuals are the story.

A sketchnote for a live show of the Dutch-Belgian podcast Tech45 , to celebrate their 10 year anniversary.

Once you have your key ideas down, how do you organize your information on the page?  

I try to group information into clusters that belong together. If I'm making a sketchnote of an Apple keynote about a new iPhone, Apple Watch, and health services, I will cluster the information accordingly. Many presentations and events already have an implicit or explicit structure that is quite usable as a guiding structure.

When you are creating larger sketchnotes that span multiple presentations or many topics, I'd recommend collecting information first and then choosing what your focus will be. This is a lot more challenging but can be even more rewarding as you will learn a lot by creating this structure yourself.  Whenever I'm stuck, I always resort to creating a mindmap of the structure. This will be my guide and help me make decisions about what content goes where.

My latest Apple sketchnote: WWDC 2021. Heaps of new products and features were announced, I tried to combine it all in this gigantic sketchnote.

What are your favorite tools and apps for sketchnoting? 

Concepts, of course! I do have some real-world Copic markers that I use for decorating Christmas or birthday cards, but in the digital world, Concepts is my tool of choice. My current setup consists of:

• Apple iPad Pro 10.5"
• Apple Pencil (1st gen)
• Concepts App

When my girlfriend introduced me to Concepts, I was immediately sold. The gesture system and the fact that the app is vector-based were ideal for me. I've never considered myself great at drawing, as I always had difficulties getting what's in my head on paper. And even when I did, I managed to add that one final detail that messed it all up. By using Concepts, those limitations in my drawing process were immediately removed. I can now draw joyfully, use quick gestures to rearrange my drawing, and perform the "undo" gesture whenever I need to.

A mindmap of all aspects I use Concepts for.

How does Concepts fit into your visual thinking workflow?

My workflow is a bit different depending on when I'm creating a presentation with hand-drawn slides or when I'm making a sketchnote.

In the case of a presentation, I start out with a mindmap. I use the MindNode app to brainstorm, group, and structure my story. When roughly 70% of my story and content ideas are there, I pour this mindmap into slides with textual content. Next, the most essential and complex slides get their own drawing (drawn in Concepts); the text is reduced to a minimum, as I will talk over it anyway, but the essence remains. Finally, I start doing dry-runs, and I iterate over the slides and drawings until it feels good. 

For this process, I love working with the combination of an iPad and a Mac: I simply copy-paste a part of my drawing from Concepts on my iPad directly into Keynote on my Mac (using Universal Clipboard).

When I create a new sketchnote of a presentation or event, I always follow it live. It forces me to stay focused and capture essential information fast. I will note down text and make some quick doodles; the result looks a bit like a messy shopping list. The big thing here is that Concepts allows me to quickly switch tools and make fast adjustments (select, rearrange, zoom, scale) without interfering with my flow of thought. 

At first, this is where I stopped. While sketchnoting often focuses on getting your drawing done at the moment (especially when it's on paper, you cannot edit easily), I noticed that I needed a bit more freedom and time. 

0.1 Apple Spring Loaded Event - first rough version after the live event. 0.2 I added core elements of the most important announcements. 0.3 More visual elements are added to guide the viewer. 0.4 All sections now have a heading to make them stand out, basic highlights were added in orange and spacing has been improved.

So, after the initial rough phase, I start grouping related information together and drawing larger images showing a central topic. For example, I capture all details from a new iPhone camera system live, then I group this together; this is then grouped again with other topics around the iPhone, which is then grouped with maybe another iPhone Model. This is how a specific section in the sketchnote comes to life. 

In my sketchnotes, I try to follow a hierarchical format so that people can quickly get the information they want. Compared to a presentation, which is linear, sketchnotes allow you to create your own flow. When people want information only on that iPhone camera system, they are attracted by the iPhone illustration and can then zoom in on the camera cluster right next to it.

After capturing the overall structure, I fix weird-looking icons and redo some unreadable handwriting. It turns out I still need to work on my 1's, apparently, there seems to be quite a difference across continents on how to write the ideal number one. Next, larger illustrations are added to clusters to make them stand out.

Whenever possible, I try to fit into the event theme. Apple, for example, always has a specific theme in their events, which I try to adopt and mix with my own style. 

Now that I've got all the content, I can focus on the overall layout to end up with a balanced image. I move the bigger groups around and try to create an implicit flow in the picture. Then, I let some key terms stand out using colors, and I add shadows to bring the illustrations alive. Finally, some things I've been dragging along since the beginning get cut. When they just don't fit, they need to go, even if I thought it was a great idea. Kill your darlings, I guess...

When it's done, I export my work at different DPI settings and publish it online. As you can see, as opposed to presentations, all of the work on the sketchnotes happens within Concepts itself.

Final version of Apple's Spring Loaded Event.

You mentioned you do a lot of visual communication work with clients. What is your workflow like with them?

When communicating with clients, it's crucial to have a common understanding. Visuals can help a lot; whether you're using a whiteboard, a presentation, or a diagram, it will almost always make conversations easier and more to the point. 

For live discussions, I prefer to use a whiteboard whenever possible; it encourages people to think together and to be part of new ideas from the start.

When I'm preparing a slide deck, my goal is to tell a story that supports the main idea of the presentation. When I explain a technical solution, I try to avoid bombarding the client with too many specifics and instead focus on the value the solution will create for them. This can often be expressed using simple images and icons. In contrast to text, these will often emphasize your point and support your story to a greater extent. Of course, my backup slides will have some more detailed diagrams for the Q&A part.

After meetings with clients or stakeholders, I do not go as far as creating a summary sketchnote for that meeting, but instead, I make a summary mindmap. Again, a very powerful visual tool that allows people to quickly find what they are looking for. I've even found these mindmaps to be a potential replacement for slide decks in some instances: it takes way less time to put them together and immediately shows structure and content in a digestible form when done right.  

Do you have any tips or techniques you can share about visualizing information?

The sketchnotes I create have changed over time. I learned a lot by starting with the Concepts sketchnote tutorial and still using some of the presets today. I've also been inspired by seeing other people create illustrations on my iPad and borrowed some of their techniques. 

I recommend experimenting with colors, quick shadows, smoothing, and nudging. Also, just trying out different tools in the app really helps! But the technique that works best for me is iterating. The sketchnotes I create are refined over several days (sometimes weeks) until I get them into a presentable form.

Sketchnote I created when I got certified for Google Cloud, to indicate all important parts included in the certification.

When choosing what to draw, I try to utilize simple illustrations. A battery gets a power icon, performance gets a rocket, and so on. The key is to find something recognizable for most people and keep it clean and simple. When you don't know what could represent an idea, try to think of a few emoji that would capture it.

Sometimes it's tempting to let the visuals distract the viewer too much, hence I believe it is important to try and keep information central to your visual. A good example on how to use a minimalistic approach to emphasize your point visually can be found here: https://www.darkhorseanalytics.com/blog/data-looks-better-naked/  

What are some best practices you can recommend for getting into a visual workflow and improving your skillset?

The first step is finding something you're passionate about. I am passionate about technology, I've been following Apple keynotes for quite some time before I started sketchnoting. The same holds for my new, more technical Google Cloud sketchnotes. After seeing Google's keynotes, I always want to make sure other people have a low-friction way to accessing this content I find so interesting myself.

Google Cloud's Data Cloud Summit: summary from a series of presentations, which introduced the latest advancements in Google Cloud Platform w.r.t. data technology.

That is the second step: finding your motivation. Why should you draw? As I said, I love to capture information for later reference, evangelize ideas, and learn more about a topic; drawing helps me achieve these goals. If you can find the thing to motivate you - which can be anything - you're all set!

Once you've found the right topic and motivation, I'd recommend doing the Concepts sketchnoting tutorial . Whether it is for a full sketchnote, a slide in your presentation, or a technical diagram, you'll be ready to go in no time! And remember, when you're not happy with your first result, this is all digital: just iterate over it tomorrow!  

Jonny Daenen is a computer scientist specialized in Big Data. He is interested in understanding the inner workings of both existing and new technologies, and loves to make them accessible to a broad audience. He's passionate about data engineering and data science, Cloud computing, visual thinking, and Apple products.

• Twitter: @JonnyDaenen
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnydaenen/
• Website: https://connectingdots.xyz

Cover photos by Michelle Gybels Interview by Erica Christensen

Recommended

The Concepts Sketchnoting Toolbox - Learn sketchnoting tips so you can sketch ideas and take notes visually, and use this guide to set up your infinite canvas and pens in Concepts.

5 Tools for Visual Thinking on Your iPad - Five great tools to help you take notes, think visually and communicate on your iPad with Concepts.

Sketchnoting Tools and Techniques - Graphic Recorder Tobey Busch shares tips for creating simple visual images and sketchnotes.

Teaching Strategic Thinking Skills to Airforce Pilots - Major John Webb of the U.S. Air Force teaches strategic thinking to pilot students with Concepts and his iPad.

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How to Draw Using PowerPoint

Last Updated: September 20, 2021 Tested

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 374,826 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to use your touchscreen, mouse, trackpad, or digital tablet to draw on PowerPoint slides. If you're using PowerPoint 2019 or later, you have a variety of drawing tools you can use while creating the slides, as well as during your presentation.

Drawing While Presenting (PowerPoint 2019 and Later)

• If you're using Windows, make sure the box next to "Use Presenter View" in the toolbar is checked. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source

• If you'd rather use a translucent drawing tool, go for Highlighter instead.

• You'll be asked if you want to save your markings after the slide show is finished.

Drawing While Creating (PowerPoint 2019 and Later)

• Click the File menu at the top-left and choose Options .
• Click Customize Ribbon .
• Click Draw .

• If you're using a trackpad on a Mac, you may find it helpful to turn on the "Draw with Trackpad" feature, which allows you to draw without having to hold down the mouse button at the same time. Click its switch on the Draw tab to toggle the feature on or off.
• You can switch between tools, colors, and sizes as you continue working on your illustration.
• If something didn't come out as you intended, click the down-arrow next to the eraser on the toolbar to find a variety of eraser tools.
• You can also use the Undo keyboard shortcut to undo your last stroke—just press Cmd + Z (Mac) or Ctrl + Z (Windows) to do so.

Drawing While Creating (PowerPoint 2016 and 2013)

• If your PC doesn't have a touchscreen or a compatible drawing tablet connected to the system, these tools will not work.

• If the optioned is grayed-out, this won't work on your computer.

• You can use your touchscreen, touchpad, digital tablet, or mouse to draw with any of these tools.

• Click the down arrow on the “Eraser” icon in the toolbar to select an eraser thickness.

• You can also select color/thickness presets from the menu to the left of the “Color” and “Thickness” dropdowns.

• The feature will also approximate a shape based on the number of lines drawn (square, hexagon, etc.). [4] X Research source

Community Q&A

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• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/draw-on-slides-during-a-presentation-80a78a11-cb5d-4dfc-a1ad-a26e877da770#OfficeVersion=Windows
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/draw-and-write-with-ink-in-office-6d76c674-7f4b-414d-b67f-b3ffef6ccf53#OfficeVersion=Windows
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Use-a-pen-to-draw-write-or-highlight-text-on-a-Windows-tablet-6d76c674-7f4b-414d-b67f-b3ffef6ccf53

About This Article

PowerPoint's freehand drawing tools allow you to draw shapes on a slide as though you were using a pen or pencil. First, open your presentation in PowerPoint and select the slide you want to draw on. Click the "Insert" tab and select "Shapes" on the toolbar. To start drawing, you'll want to select the Freehand Scribble tool, which is the squiggly line in the "Lines" section of the menu. This expands the Format toolbar, which is where you'll find your drawing tools. To change the color and size of your drawing tool, scroll through the Shape Styles menu and select an option. Now you're ready to draw. Click and drag the mouse to draw the image. When you lift your finger from the mouse button, the object will be selected—you can adjust the size of the drawing by dragging any of the edges inward or outward. To fill in the drawn area, click the "Shape Fill" menu in the toolbar—you can fill it with a solid color, picture, gradient, or texture. You can also adjust the outline of your drawing using the "Shape Outline" menu—this lets you choose a custom color and line thickness, as well as change your line to one that's dotted, dashed, or arrowed. The Shape Effects menu contains 3D and other effects to add depth to your illustration—these effects look especially good when you're drawing solid, filled-in shapes. To draw another shape, click back to the "Insert" tab, return to the Shapes menu, and select the Freehand Scribble tool once more. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Color Blocking – Using colors for dominance

A very elegant example of how colors can be used in architectural presentation styles to make elements stand out. Mostly used to denote massing in a 2d drawing, the color blocking technique is very obvious, but very attractive. Designers can chose colors depending on the number of elements, or based on the heirarchy of masses. So, the colors can be a variation of shades, for eg. one color used in different hues, or the same color tone, for eg. neutral or earthy shades, or bright colors used in the background with the drawing in plain white in the foreground etc. etc. There are n number of permutations and combinations which can be tried in this style and each would give an interesting result. 

Axonometric Style – All in one drawing style

One of my favourite techniques for presentation, the axonometric or simply axo style is according to me the easiest to read. Using an axo view, the designer can very well explain the concept and the inter-relationship between various stories, the play of levels or heights, as well as function of every space of the project. An all in one technique, this one diagram is enough to explain the plan, the facade, the inner details, sections and view of a single building. The axo can also be drawn in a variety of ways like sectional axo or floor plan axo etc. to explain further details. This technique is especially useful when the floor plate needs to be explained in minute detail, whereas the facade is a continuous element on all sides. It also conveys the process of design, for instance the steps in the making of the building. What’s more is, this style is the easiest to achieve on software, making it a go-to for students and small firms.

Perspective Drawing – 3D visualization

A 3D render is the best way to express what a designer has in his/her mind. The client understands the atmosphere of a space more than a 2D drawing. The sense of scale, colors, textures and feel of a space is best conveyed in this technique. There are a lot of ways to achieve 3D renders, especially with the tools available nowadays. It can be a photo-realistic render or a photoshop collage or a wireframe or white render. However a perspective drawing, where one has the sense of actually being in the space is my top pick. The angle or the camera placed is the most important thing in this style. Where the view gets cut and the kind of textures and colors one uses, with the correct light and shadow setting is also very essential. 

Info-graphic – Minimalist drawing style

The single line drawing presentation styles is used extensively these days, where the presentation appears to be more an info-graphic than an architectural drawing. This style is used mostly when the 3D view expresses the major portion of the design and the elevation and section drawings are merely present for further understanding. Often, drawings are not even part of the scheme, only a few details or plans are expressed, in single line for conveying the volumes. This style is perfect for architectural portfolios, where one project is to be displayed on one sheet, where there isn’t much scope for a lot of drawings.

Geometric Style – Clean lines and shapes

Sometimes, the drawing or the main focus of the project is lost in context with too many shapes on the sheet. The geometric style expresses everything in sharp straight lines. The absense of organic drawings in the form of trees, cars, etc. or expressing them in lines makes it more interesting to look at and doesn’t distract from the main project. This style is very eye-catching and extremely easy to achieve. Another way to add to this style, is by playing with the opacity of elements. For example, elements which have a more complex shape, like humans or trees, can have a very low opacity as opposed to the main components of the sheet like the facade etc. In this way, the project is highlighted and other elements, while present, do not overpower the sheet. 

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Drawing From Observation

10 tips for better presentation slides.

Credit: http://blog.ted.com/10-tips-for-better-slide-decks/

Aaron Weyenberg is the master of slide decks. Our UX Lead creates Keynote presentations that are both slick and charming—the kind that pull you in and keep you captivated, but in an understated way that helps you focus on what’s actually being said. He does this for his own presentations and for lots of other folks in the office. Yes, his coworkers ask him to design their slides, because he’s just that good.

We asked Aaron to bottle his Keynote mojo so that others could benefit from it. Here, 10 tips for making an effective slide deck, split into two parts: the big, overarching goals, and the little tips and tricks that make your presentation sing.

The big picture…

• Think about your slides last . Building your slides should be the tail end of developing your presentation. Think about your main message, structure its supporting points, practice it and time it—and then start thinking about your slides. The presentation needs to stand on its own; the slides are just something you layer over it to enhance the listener experience. Too often, I see slide decks that feel more like presenter notes, but I think it’s far more effective when the slides are for the audience to give them a visual experience that adds to the words. .
• Create a consistent look and feel . In a good slide deck, each slide feels like part of the same story. That means using the same or related typography, colors and imagery across all your slides. Using pre-built master slides can be a good way to do that, but it can feel restrictive and lead to me-too decks. I like to create a few slides to hold sample graphic elements and type, then copy what I need from those slides as I go. .
• Think about topic transitions . It can be easy to go too far in the direction of consistency, though. You don’t want each slide to look exactly the same. I like to create one style for the slides that are the meat of what I’m saying, and then another style for the transitions between topics. For example, if my general slides have a dark background with light text, I’ll try transition slides that have a light background with dark text. That way they feel like part of the same family, but the presentation has texture—and the audience gets a visual cue that we’re moving onto a new topic. .
• With text, less is almost always more . One thing to avoid—slides with a lot of text, especially if it’s a repeat of what you’re saying out loud. It’s like if you give a paper handout in a meeting—everyone’s head goes down and they read, rather than staying heads-up and listening. If there are a lot of words on your slide, you’re asking your audience to split their attention between what they’re reading and what they’re hearing. That’s really hard for a brain to do, and it compromises the effectiveness of both your slide text and your spoken words. If you can’t avoid having text-y slides, try to progressively reveal text (like unveiling bullet points one by one) as you need it. .
• Use photos that enhance meaning . I love using simple, punchy photos in presentations, because they help what you’re saying resonate in your audience’s mind without pulling their attention from your spoken words. Look for photos that (1) speak strongly to the concept you’re talking about and (2) aren’t compositionally complex. Your photo could be a metaphor or something more literal, but it should be clear why the audience is looking at it, and why it’s paired with what you’re saying. For example, I recently used the image above—a photo of a container ship about to tip over (it eventually sank)—to lead off a co-worker’s deck about failure preparation. And below is another example of a photo I used in a deck to talk about the launch of the new TED.com . The point I was making was that a launch isn’t the end of a project—it’s the beginning of something new. We’ll learn, adapt, change and grow.

And now some tactical tips…

• Go easy on the effects and transitions . Keynote and Powerpoint come with a lot of effects and transitions. In my opinion, most of these don’t do much to enhance the audience experience. At worst, they subtly suggest that the content of your slides is so uninteresting that a page flip or droplet transition will snap the audience out of their lethargy. If you must use them, use the most subtle ones, and keep it consistent. .
• Try panning large images . Often, I want to show screen shot of an entire web page in my presentations. There’s a great Chrome extension to capture these—but these images are oftentimes much longer than the canvas size of the presentation. Rather than scaling the image to an illegible size, or cropping it, you can pan it vertically as you talk about it. In Keynote, this is done with a Move effect, which you can apply from an object’s action panel. .
• For video, don’t use autoplay . It’s super easy to insert video in Keynote and Powerpoint—you just drag a Quicktime file onto the slide. And when you advance the deck to the slide with the video that autoplays, sometimes it can take a moment for the machine to actually start playing it. So often I’ve seen presenters click again in an attempt to start the video during this delay, causing the deck to go to the next slide. Instead, set the video to click to play. That way you have more predictable control over the video start time, and even select a poster frame to show before starting. .

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Presentation Design: A Step-by-Step Guide

Nailing your presentation structure can have a big impact on your target audiences, whether they are investors, coworkers, partners, or potential customers. It helps get your ideas across and persuade others. 

For a presentation to work, its contents must be paired with great design. In fact, 91% of presenters feel more confident with a well-designed slide deck.

Now, design may not be something that interests you or something you’re good at. But like it or not, the moment you fire up Powerpoint, or Keynote you are a designer. And there is no escape. 

So instead of designing a poor presentation with lousy templates, why not learn the essentials of designing a beautiful presentation?

In this guide, we’ll discuss how to design a captivating presentation, and break down the whole process into small chunks so you can tackle each step easily. 

If you’re eager to put these principles into practice, create a Piktochart account and start creating beautiful presentations in minutes.

What makes a presentation well designed?

A bad presentation can give the impression that you lack preparation, care, and credibility. A well-designed presentation, on the other hand, makes you look professional and trustworthy. Here’s what it means: 

Less text and more visuals

Humans are visual beings. Our comprehension of visual elements is way more than just plain text. And we retain any information much better when it’s paired with imagery. 

If you want your message to connect with your audience, remove the extra text in your slides and replace it with visual content .

There are many ways to add photos , one of which is visualizing your data into timelines , flowcharts, graphs , and other frameworks. For example, this presentation by Trinh Tu uses data visualization really well to convey key stats and details.

However, adding visuals doesn’t mean just throwing some fancy pictures and icons onto your slides. Your icons and photos need to be relevant.

Before you add a visual element, always check if it contributes to the message you are trying to communicate. 

Well-placed pictures can go a long way in helping the audience connect with your presentation. So use them cautiously and strategically. 

Summarize points instead of writing them all out

According to a survey by David Paradi , the three things that annoy audiences most about presentations are:  

• Speakers reading their slides 
• Slides that include full sentences of text 
• Text that is too small to read 

Notice what’s common to all these annoyances? The text. People have extremely short attention spans, especially when it comes to reading heaps of text. 

So the text in your presentation slides should be just enough to complement the speaker, no more. It should not compete with what’s being said. 

For example, this simple presentation does a great job of summarizing the message of each slide in just a few words and breaking up the text nicely into multiple slides. 

Crowding your slides with all the information you have makes you unnecessary. You don’t want people to be distracted by reading when they’re trying to listen to you. 

Instead, the slides should only be considered as a visual aid. So keep them simple. Focus on the message, not the slides themselves. 

One takeaway per slide

As we discussed, people find it hard to absorb too much information from a single slide. So don’t overwhelm your audience, and remember that less is more. Make sure not to have more than one key point in each presentation slide.  

For example, this presentation about startup weekend has minimalistic slides walking viewers through one message at a time. It also shows that you don’t need a ton of fancy elements to make your presentation visually appealing.

Limit each of your slides to a simple statement, and you’ll easily be able to direct your audience’s focus to the main topic and subtopics. 

Arranging your text this way is one of the best ways to make a powerful impact on your presentation design.  

Clear hierarchy in design

Visual hierarchy is easily one of the most important yet most overlooked design principles. Simply put, it means the color, size, contrast, alignment, and other factors related to each element of your slide should be based on its importance. 

The most important elements should capture the attention of your audience first, followed by the second most important elements, and so on. 

Needless to say, you must know the whole narrative and outline before you start planning the visual hierarchy. It’s all about the message you want each slide and your whole presentation to get across. 

For example, in this presentation about building a good team, see how the header text, the description text, and the button text are different from each other. The header font is the largest and placed at the top, catching immediate attention. 

Then your eyes go to the button text because it captures attention with a red background. And finally, you see the description, the illustration, and other elements. 

So as you design your presentation, consider the narrative and plan the visual hierarchy needed to justify the story. This will ensure that your audience will not miss out on the key points you want to emphasize. 

Design consistency across slides

People are quick to identify inconsistencies in a presentation design, and these inconsistencies prevent them from having a fully engaging experience. So keep your presentation design consistent with a single theme.

Consistency creates a better flow and shows that each slide in your presentation belongs to the same story. To understand this better, see the below slide from this presentation . 

Notice how the slide primarily uses only two colors (white and red) for all the elements. And the image dimensions, fonts, and styling for each team member are exactly the same. 

You’ll notice the same thing in other slides of this presentation too. The same colors, the same font family , and similar backgrounds have been used in the overall design . This is what we mean by consistency. 

If the presentation you’re making is part of a company, the company may already have a style guide that dictates how to keep your presentation consistent with the company’s branding. If not, it’s never too late to create one . 

Call to action

A presentation is not complete without a call to action (CTA). If there is no CTA, your audience will think, “Is that it?” and you’ll leave them wondering what they’re supposed to do next with the information you provided.

The best CTAs are simple and easy. For example, you can ask the audience to contact you, connect on social media, sign up for a product or webinar. 

Also, make sure to highlight the incentive. Your audience should be clear on the main benefits they will get by following through with your call to action. 

The bottom line is: Make it a no-brainer and make it easy for people to take action right away. 

Designing a great presentation

Now that you know the ingredients of appealing presentation design, let’s see how to design a presentation that wows your audience, and also drives your key points home at the same time. Follow the below presentation, ideas, steps, and best practices to create a stunning presentation.

Prepare slide backgrounds and images

Backgrounds and pictures go a long way in setting the right mood and feel for your presentation. And there is no one right way to do this. Your options are limited only by your creativity.

For example, this presentation from Zuora makes masterful use of background images. Almost every slide has a beautiful background photo, along with a color overlay above the background to make the text easy to read. 

Pay attention to the following best practices as you work on your backgrounds and photos:

• Make sure your images have enough contrast with your words. 
• Use simple images that are closely relevant to your messages. You can use multiple free and paid stock photo sites to find photos that resonate with what you want to convey. These include Picography , Unsplash , Freepik , and Gratisography .
• Don’t pick common, generic stock images that people have already seen hundreds of times elsewhere. Also, avoid clipart for the same reasons. 
• Don’t crowd too many pictures into a single slide.
• Ensure that your images are of high quality, with a resolution that allows a comfortable viewing experience. They should come off as clear and crisp on both small and large screens. 

Zero in on your slide layouts

Contrary to what you may believe, great presentation design is not about being very artistic or creating complex layouts. Instead, your focus should be on communicating information in a nice, user-friendly way.

For example, this presentation has many slides that emphasize a great alternative to the conventional approach of putting text over an image. It leverages a split-screen layout for each slide, resulting in clean and elegant quotes paired with stunning visuals. 

Pay attention to the following best practices as you work on slide layouts:

• Make sure you have a reason for aligning elements in a certain way for each slide. If possible, use frames or grids to align your images and text appropriately. 
• When used too often, center alignment makes your design look amateurish. Use it only as a last resort.  
• Don’t keep using the same layout for consecutive slides. It makes your presentation dull and repetitive. Mix up the layouts to keep your audience engaged. 
• Have enough white space around each element. Don’t feel like you have to fill vacant spaces with more objects. Giving each visual room to breathe makes your whole design easier on the eyes, while a cluttered composition is hard to make sense of. 

Pick your colors wisely

Colors influence emotions and contribute to the identity of your brand. They also lift the audience’s overall sense of enthusiasm and move people to action. So you must use colors strategically to pull the audience into your presentation. 

For example, this colorful presentation for Adidas was designed to show how its deck could give a combination of fun and luxurious vibes. 

Notice the colors used in the above slide. There is a lot of white, purple, and blue, with some variations used sparingly around the illustrations. Only three main colors are doing most of the heavy lifting. That’s why the overall design still works even with some extra colors thrown in. 

Pay attention to the following best practices as you work on your presentation colors:

• If your company already has a color palette in place, stick to it. If not, pick a strong color scheme with no more than five colors to serve as a base for your presentation design. Too many colors can make your audience frantic. 
• Use tools such as Adobe Color CC , Kuler , Piknik , and 0to255 to play around with different colors and color schemes and see what works with what. 
• Make sure your color scheme has colors that can contrast and complement each other. Colors that don’t clash will make your presentation look clean and polished. 

Select the right fonts

Typography is another factor that can make or break your presentation. Fonts have a subtle but powerful impact on how the audience views both your presentation and your brand. 

But choosing fonts is a major challenge for those without any form of design education or experience. They mistakenly think that simple and basic fonts are too dull and boring. So they try to look for some fancy fonts to make their presentation exciting, eventually ending up with some hideous or outdated font such as Comic Sans.

Instead, you should consider the readability of the message you want to convey. For example, this presentation by With Company makes great use of modern typography . 

Since many of the slides have lengthy quotes, they are split in ways to make the message easy to digest. In addition, see how all the text is super clean and concise. 

Pay attention to the following best practices as you work on your presentation fonts: 

• Just like with your color scheme, use the same set of fonts and the same font sizes in all the slides of your presentation. For example, if your slide heading is Verdana 40pt, then each slide heading should be Verdana 40pt. In fact, you don’t need more than three fonts that work well together. 
• If you feel like using some animated text that bounces, soars, or glitters, just don’t. Curb the temptation. Hyperactive words and phrases are annoying and distracting. 
• If you already have standard font pairs based on your company’s brand identity, use those. If not, choose fonts that convey the voice and tone you’re aiming for. 
• The best fonts for presentations are simple, professional, modern, and readable. Pick a font such that there is a significant difference between its regular and bold font faces.
• Don’t shy away from using standard fonts. Avoid using some rare font that’s unlikely to be available on all computers and mobile devices.
• Pair fonts that work well with each other. Granted, this can be tricky and hard for an untrained eye to pull off. But there are many collections known to be effective. So you can pick from those. Resources like FontPair and FontJoy make it easy to find great font combinations.
• As discussed before, size the fonts based on visual hierarchy. For example, headlines should be larger than body text. But even the least significant texts should be large enough to read, with appropriate line and letter spacing. 

Wrapping up

We know this may be a lot to take in. It’s not easy to design a mesmerizing presentation. But the final result is worth all the trouble. A great presentation can open doors that you may have never thought to be possible. 

A clean design is much easier to take in. It makes you and your brand look more credible and professional. So use the above steps to push your design skills as far as you can. 

Start improving one thing at a time, and your efforts will add up to a point where you’ll design stunning presentations without thinking. You can also accelerate the process with a tool like Piktochart that comes with hundreds of ready-made templates and intuitive features. So get started today.

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Deciding the Presentation Method

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There is much to consider in deciding on an appropriate presentation method.

This page assumes that you have already prepared your presentation , or at least decided on the key messages that you wish to get across to your audience, and given at least some thought to how to organise your material .

On this page, then, we focus on the mechanics of your presentation method: how you will present.

This includes using sound systems, how to manage visual aids, how you stand, and how much interaction you want with your audience.

What Helps you to Decide your Presentation Method?

In making a decision about your presentation method, you have to take into account several key aspects. These include:

The facilities available to you by way of visual aids, sound systems, and lights. Obviously you cannot use facilities that are not available. If you are told that you will need to present without a projector, you’re going to need to decide on a method that works without slides.

The occasion. A formal conference of 200 people will require a very different approach from a presentation to your six-person team. And a speech at a wedding is totally different again. Consider the norms of the occasion. For example, at a wedding, you are not expected to use slides or other visual aids.

The audience, in terms of both size and familiarity with you, and the topic. If it’s a small, informal event, you will be able to use a less formal method. You might, for example, choose to give your audience a one-page handout, perhaps an infographic that summarises your key points, and talk them through it. A more formal event is likely to need slides.

Your experience in giving presentations. More experienced presenters will be more familiar with their own weak points, and able to tailor their preparation and style to suit. However, few people are able to give a presentation without notes. Even the most experienced speakers will usually have at least some form of notes to jog their memory and aid their presentation.

Your familiarity with the topic. As a general rule, the more you know about it, the less you will need to prepare in detail, and the more you can simply have an outline of what you want to say, with some brief reminders.

Your personal preferences. Some people prefer to ‘busk it’ (or ‘wing it’) and make up their presentation on the day, while others prefer detailed notes and outlines. You will need to know your own abilities and decide how best to make the presentation.  When you first start giving presentations you may feel more confident with more detailed notes. As you become more experienced you may find that you can deliver effectively with less.

Some Different Methods of Presentation

Presentation methods vary from the very formal to the very informal.

What method you choose is largely dictated by the occasion and its formality: very formal tends to go with a larger audience, whose members you do not know well. Your role is likely to be much more providing information, and much less about having a discussion about the information.

Form Follows Function

It’s not going to be possible, for instance, to present to 200 people from a chair as part of the group, because most of your audience will not see or hear you. You need to apply common sense to your choice of presentation method.

Audience Participation

While much of your presentation method will be dictated by the event, there is one area where you have pretty much free rein: audience interaction with you and with each other.

It is perfectly feasible, even in a large conference, to get your audience talking to each other, and then feeding back to you.

In fact, this can work very well, especially in a low-energy session such as the one immediately after lunch, because it gets everyone chatting and wakes them up. It works particularly well in a room set out ‘café-style’, with round tables, but it can also work in a conference hall.

The key is to decide on one or two key questions on which you’d welcome audience views, or on which audience views could improve your session. These questions will depend on your session, but it’s always more helpful to invite views on:

• Something that you haven’t yet decided; or
• Something that the audience is going to do themselves.

For example, you might ask people to talk to their neighbour and identify one thing that they could do to put your speech into action when they return to work and/or home. You can then ask four or five people to tell you about their action points.

Handling your Notes

You also have a choice over how you manage your text, in terms of notes. For more about this, see our page on Managing Your Notes in a Presentation .

The Importance of Iteration

You will probably find that deciding on the presentation method means that you need to change or amend your presentation.

For example, if you want to include some audience participation, you will need to include that in your slides, otherwise, you might well forget in the heat of the moment.

Fortunately, revisiting your presentation in light of decisions about how you will present is probably a good idea anyway. It will enable you to be confident that it will work in practice.

Continue to: Managing your Presentation Notes Working with Visual Aids

See also: Preparing for a Presentation Organising the Presentation Material Dealing with Questions

Four Choices in Architectural Presentation Drawings

Winning a project bid requires architectural presentation drawings that demonstrate to the potential client the merits of the structure’s design concept and is a direct indication of an architectural firm’s skill in creativity and technical ability. Poorly drafted presentation drawings can result in losing great projects to other firms. We offer four different avenues to presenting your architectural concept which are highly illustrative and demonstrate professionalism to your clients:

2D Elevations and Sections Simple projects such as warehouses and small office complexes may only require 2D elevations of the building facade and cross-sections that illustrate interior area functions. Overall dimensions and floor heights of the building are detailed along with the proper tones and hatching applied to the exterior surfaces to emphasize different materials can supply ample information and clearly illustrate simpler structures. These drawings are best printed in high resolution color on heavy board surfaces to enhance the presentation.

Isometric and Perspectives Drawings A better visual solution for non-technical clients is given with an isometric or perspective view of the structure which emulates a three-dimensional view and shows the relationship between multiple sides of the building. Color and texture rendering of these drawings along with landscaping features will offer clients a greater representation of the proposed structure. The ability to alter view orientation in real-time can help create an exciting presentation as the building is tilted and rotated to different angles.

3D Wire Frame Models As the pre-cursor to rendered models, wire frame 3D models are often employed to allow simultaneous viewing of underlying facets of the structure, such as beams, floors and walls. When the structural solution to a project outweighs the building appearance, wire frame models are the perfect solution. With the application of automatic hidden line removal, the model easily converts to a vector line exterior view of the structure.

3D Rendered Models Fully rendered 3D models of the proposed structure is an optimum solution and well worth the investment for projects that are high-end or have great public interest. Surface textures can nearly replicate real world materials and give your clients a glimpse of what the new building will look like in the real world. The ability to simulate an actual building walk-through is an added benefit to solids models.

Contact us to learn more details on the process and pricing of each of these architectural presentation drawing options.

Related links: Creative 3D Interior Modeling Design, Plan and Construct Using Building Information Modeling Give Clients a Virtual Tour Using Architectural Walkthroughs Curtain Wall Shop Drawings – Add Creativity, Beauty, and Function to Any Building Design Improve Your Presentations with Photorealistic Architectural Rendering BIM Advantages for HVAC Drafting Businesses Advanced Technology for 3D Architectural Design Three Business Development Strategies with Architectural CAD Drafting Services Choosing the Right Architectural Rendering Firm Can Make All the Difference BIM for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services

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Using 3d modeling to ensure rights to light compliance, why cad utility mapping services are crucial to civil engineering, realistic landscape cad drawings bring life to architectural concepts.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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Home » Features » How to draw on-screen during a presentation

How to draw on-screen during a presentation

• August 7, 2014
• Features , Microsoft 365

This is not a new feature as such. But due to easy availability of touch and stylus based devices, it is more useful and relevant than ever. Read on to find out how you can draw on-screen to make your presentations more engaging and interactive…

Estimated Reading Time 10 min

Are you in a hurry?

Here is the quick answer. Press CTRL P and draw. E to erase. CTRL E for stroke eraser. CTRL M to hide saved ink. This approach is called Tips and Tricks.

I don’t like it because it trivializes the technology and does not impart KNOWLEDGE. It gives you FALSE SENSE of KNOWLEDGE.

Try reading further. You will understand the the difference between knowing some shortcuts and knowing the subject!

Why should we draw during a presentation?

Here are the common reasons or needs…

Attract attention a specific thing while explaining it

This could be done in two ways. Transient or Residual.

Transient can be done using Mouse pointer – which is what many of us do. But the mouse pointer is not easily visible.

A laser pointer pen is also commonly used, which offers high contrast and has better impact.

Since PowerPoint 2010, there is a built-in, software laser pointer in PowerPoint – in case you have not noticed it. Press CTRL key and drag the mouse to see the pointer. It is so useful that I will write another article on it.

All these option are transient. There is nothing left. We can only point to a POINT. We cannot underline, encircle or do anything of that sort.

Residual pointing means there should be something drawn around the object of interest which remains on screen till you remove it. This basically means you draw an underline, encircle something and so on.

Use it as a checklist marker

Sometimes we have an agenda or a list of bullets or steps in a process to explain. When each one is covered and understood, we can just strike it out by drawing a tick mark of some other thing on top of each object.

Explain using diagrams or text drawn live

This is useful when the slide contains only key concepts and you want to evolve it DURING the presentation. Here you need to draw shapes, write text, connect ideas using arrows or direction indicators, show iteration, highlight state (on / off) and so on.

Brainstorming

You may start with a clean slate.. and during the discussion evolve something. If you want a whiteboard to work on, just press the W key during a presentation and then draw on it.

Alternatively you may have some existing content on the slide and fill in the blanks. For example we have the current state and the desired state shown. During the brainstorming, various approaches to reach the desired state are evolved and documented.

The solution: How to draw?

Now that you know WHY you need it, finding out HOW to do it is not only simpler, it is exciting!

During PowerPoint, the mouse cursor is not visible by default. Why so? Because it interferes with the presentation. During a regular presentation, the cursor is not required.

However, if you need it, just move the mouse (or move on the track-pad) a little and the regular cursor will appear.

Now we want to have a pen instead of an arrow. So press Ctrl P

By default, read pen will be available and cursor will become a small red dot. Now you have to draw using this pen.

Using mouse – drag it to draw (Press left mouse button and move the mouse). Drawing precisely is difficult with mouse.

Using touch – just move your finger on the slide surface to draw. You do get better precision with fingers.

The most precise method is to use a stylus. Surface Pro stylus is excellent for this purpose. Intricate and controlled annotation, drawing, pointing, sketching and highlighting can be done using a stylus.

Drawing options

You get a pen or a highlighter.

Right clicking anywhere on a slide shows the Pointer Options menu. You can choose the type of pointer and the color.

When you move the mouse cursor, Office 2010 and 2013 show a light colored menu at the left bottom corner. Pointer options are also available here.

If you don’t have keyboard, mouse or stylus, you can just touch any area of the presentation for few seconds.  A similar menu appears.

However, it is smart enough to understand that you touched using a finger. Therefore, the buttons, menu items and color options are automatically separated out. This makes it very easy to select things using a think and not-so-precise finger!

This is called finesse in user interface design.

Why did we draw these things?

There are two distinct scenarios under which we draw on the screen during presentations.

The first scenario (which is more common) is to explain something to the audience. Obviously, you know that topic already – audience does not know. You are making it easier for them to understand the topic by using drawing and annotation in an interactive manner.

The second scenario is that neither the presenter nor the audience knows anything. They are brainstorming, discussing, debating, evaluating options, fighting, whatever … and coming up with the items which are being drawn.

What to do with the drawn stuff?

We have drawn things on top of the presentation slide. What happens afterwards?

If you draw on one slide and move to the next one, the drawing remains. You can come back to it later.

But if you end the presentation, PowerPoint does not know whether the annotation you have done is scenario ONE or scenario TWO. That is why, PowerPoint asks you what to do. It asks you if you want to Keep or Discard the annotation which is currently there on top of one or more slides.

In case of scenario ONE, we erase it – because you already know the subject. The annotation was temporary.

Alternative to Expensive Whiteboards

For Scenario 2, you need that drawing because it evolved during the presentation.

Now that drawing becomes a part of your slide.

Read that sentence again. Try it out. Appreciate how powerful this is.

Now the presentation CONTAINS the annotation.

What does that mean? You can just copy this slide and send it to everyone (or better still post it in SharePoint and share it).

If you did not know this feature, you would have used a whiteboard or a flip-board. At the end of the session everyone is trying to redraw the diagram / text manually into their notepads, some people are taking photos, some things get erased by mistake… some people use permanent marker instead of whiteboard marker… you know the feeling!

Some of you may have those stylish and costly smart boards where you can draw and then a printout or soft copy can be produced. Now you know how PowerPoint could have saved some cost since 18 years.

In case of scenario 2 we keep it.

How to erase the drawing?

I am sure you would expect there to be an eraser. But do you really want to go and erase items one by one?

If you were only explaining things, once the explanation is finished, we don’t need ANY of the annotation. Therefore you should be able to erase ALL the drawn items (strokes) in a single action.

Otherwise, your audience (those who are awake) will surely fall asleep while they watch you remove each stroke manually and painstakingly.

To erase everything choose the Erase all ink on the slide option. Or would you rather use the simple keyboard shortcut – E

Before someone asks, why is it not CTRL E? Two reasons…

One is that DURING PowerPoint presentations, you are on stage or in front of people. The stress level is high. You have to be calm and composed. During this time, PowerPoint does not want to clutter your brain with too many operational things. Therefore, many keys which work during the presentation are single digit keys.

Do you want to know more about these shortcuts? No problem. Run any presentation and then press the F1 or Help key. Now you can see a short, crisp dialog showing you all the shortcuts for things available during the presentation.

I will cover some of these options in future articles. But in the mean time, try to understand each option and use it.

Erasing Specific Items

The letter E is used to erase ALL ink on the slide. CTRL E gives you an eraser. Cursor changes to an eraser and you can choose which ink you want to erase.

Why do you need this? Many reasons.

For example, we had four approaches which evolved during the brainstorming session. We eliminate them one by one till the most appropriate one remains.

You have drawn a process diagram showing alternative flows and you want to alter them by changing the flow structure by erasing existing connections and building new connections – sort of a visual what-if analysis.

Good idea. But we have another problem. Have you ever tried to erase something in a drawing application like Paintbrush?

Erasing takes too much time. It is also imprecise because you may overdo it or erase adjacent items by mistake.

Now consider that this cumbersome erasure skill display is being done in front of an already sleepy and tired audience, amplified 40 times on a large projection screen.

That is why, thoughtfully, what you get is not just ANY eraser.

You get a STROKE ERASER.

Take the eraser cursor to any item you want to erase and click and drag. Any drawn item the cursor drag path touches or intersects is erased.

It is difficult to describe it… Try it out now and then you will appreciate the sense of control you get in this process.

One last problem to handle

All this sounds very nice. But there is one loose end left.

Consider a situation where you have a presentation, where you have done lot of annotation as a part of a brainstorming session. You saved the annotation (it is called ink ) with the presentation. So now all the drawings are part of your slides.

After a few days, you start delivering the same presentation and then suddenly, the annotation is also shown. You are in front of everyone, presentation shown on a large screen and unwanted drawings are overlapping your nice slides.

Very trick situation. But don’t worry. That has also been thought of.

Just press CTRL M

This is the shortcut for Show / Hide Ink Markup .

This method also works for annotations done while Editing the presentations. When is this used? We will cover it in another article about using Stylus for reviewing documents.

Now you can present with more interactivity and explain things with interactive annotation. You know when to keep it and when (and how to erase it). You also know which method to use for annotation – finger, mouse or stylus. Finally, you know how to hide unwanted markup which was saved earlier.

• PowerPoint , Presentation control , Presentations

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15 Essential Presentation Techniques for Winning Over Any Audience

• The Speaker Lab
• April 13, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever found yourself standing before an audience, your heart racing? That’s the moment when knowing effective presentation techniques can prove to be your unwavering ally. But what are presentation techniques? And what makes them so powerful? In this article, we’re going to answer those questions.

Before we can talk about presentation techniques, though, we first have to talk about good communication. The power of effective communication isn’t just in what you say. It’s how you say it; it’s in those deep breaths that steady nerves, and in maintaining eye contact. It’s about turning a room full of strangers into an engaged audience hanging onto your every word. When it comes to public speaking, real success comes from mastering non-verbal cues to punctuate our words and using visual aids not as crutches but as tools for engagement.

As you hone your communication skills, you will begin to form effective presentation techniques. Expect rough patches as you get the hang of things, but view them as mere footholds propelling you towards your ultimate triumph. Keep pushing forward.

Mastering Presentation Techniques for Impactful Delivery

Presentation techniques are more than just standing in front of a crowd and talking. They’re about making connections, telling stories that resonate, and leaving your audience with something to remember you by.

Elements of an Effective Presentation

For your presentation to resonate, ensure the visuals are straightforward and supportive, rather than distracting. Your message should be concise yet powerful enough to stick. And let’s not forget engagement; keeping your audience on their toes is key.

• Visuals: Keep them simple but impactful.
• Message: Make every word count.
• Engagement: Interact with your audience, ask questions, make them think.

We’ve all seen those slides crammed with text or charts. When you make your slides, don’t cram information, because nobody wants to squint at tiny fonts or decipher complex graphs while trying to listen to you speak. This resource suggests focusing on clarity and simplicity when designing slides—advice worth taking.

Strategies for Delivering a Successful Presentation

To deliver a knockout presentation, start strong. Grab attention from the get-go with an intriguing fact or story related directly back into the topic at hand. Maintain eye contact across the room so everyone feels included in the conversation. Finally, end on a memorable note, either with a call to action or insight gained during the time together. Leave them wanting more information and eager to learn about the subject matter discussed today.

• The opener: Hook your audience with a relevant fact or anecdote.
• Maintain connection: Eyes up, engage everyone around.
• Closing remarks : Last chance for impact–what’s your mic drop?

As author Lilly Walters once said, “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” This quote reminds us that the true goal of any speech is the understanding achieved between the speaker and the listeners.

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Engaging Your Audience with Nonverbal Communication

As the name implies, nonverbal communication denotes all of the ways you communicate without using words. This includes eye contact, body language , and facial expressions. Although nonverbal communication might not be the first presentation technique that comes to mind, it’s nevertheless a very powerful tool to have in your arsenal. Let’s take a look.

The Power of Eye Contact, Body Language, and Facial Expressions

Making eye contact isn’t just about looking someone in the eye; it’s about forging a connection. Aim for brief moments of eye contact across different sections of your audience throughout your presentation. Establishing fleeting eye connections across diverse audience segments fosters a sense of trust and keeps them hooked, all while ensuring no one feels on edge.

Body language is similarly important. Stand tall with good posture; it exudes confidence even when you feel nervous. As you grow more confident, mix up standing still with moving around subtly. This dynamic shift holds attention better than being rooted to one spot or nervous pacing. Use your hands to gesture naturally as you speak—it adds emphasis and keeps things lively.

If there’s one thing people can spot from miles away, it’s insincerity. So let those facial expressions match your words. Smile when you share something amusing, and furrow your brow when diving into serious stuff. After all, it’s not just what you say but how visually engaged and passionate you appear while saying it that counts.

Tying these elements together helps you deliver impactful, memorable talks. When done right, folks will leave feeling more connected, understood, and fired up by your presentation, all thanks to your techniques.

Designing Compelling Presentation Materials

Knowing how to design engaging presentation materials is one technique you can’t do without. Far from mere embellishments, these implements are crafted to hammer your message home. Hence, it’s vital to select these aids with great care and discernment.

Tips for Creating Effective Slides

When it comes to crafting slides, think of each as a billboard advertisement for your idea. You want it clear, impactful, and memorable.

• Keep it simple : One idea per slide keeps confusion at bay and attention locked in.
• Use bullet points : Break down your points so your audience can track.
• Pick a font size : Generally speaking, bigger is better.
• Use color : Harness colors that pop without blinding anyone; contrast is key.
• Use images with purpose : A good picture or chart can help illustrate your point, but keep it relevant and don’t overdo it.

With a few helpful visuals, your presentation can go from good to great. For more on creating slides, check out this link here .

Handling Questions and Interactions Professionally

For some speakers, it’s not the presentation itself that makes them nervous—it’s the Q&A session that follows. This is the moment where you get to shine or stumble based on how well you handle those curveballs from your audience. If you want to round off your presentation well, you’re going to want to learn a few techniques for fielding these questions. Let’s look at a few ways of doing this.

Preparing for Audience Questions and How to Address Them Effectively

Below are six techniques that will help you address audience questions effectively.

• Listen Up : The first rule of thumb is to listen like it’s a superpower. When someone throws a question at you, don’t just hear them out—really listen. Demonstrating this level of attentiveness not only conveys your respect but also affords you a brief moment to collect your ideas.
• Stay Calm : You’ve got this. Even if a question catches you off guard, take a deep breath before diving into your answer. No one expects perfection, but showing confidence matters.
• Practice Beforehand : Before presentation day arrives, think about potential questions folks might ask and prep some responses in advance. Practice makes perfect, after all.
• Vary Your Techniques : Not every question needs an essay as an answer; sometimes short and sweet does the trick. Mix up how detailed or brief your answers are depending on what’s asked.
• Show You Care : If you ever get a question that leaves you stumped, say so honestly—but add that magical line: “Let me find out more and I’ll get back to you.” Then actually do it.
• Appreciate Audience Curiosity : Remember that the reason you audience is asking questions is because they’re interested. So no matter what questions you get, keep engaging with enthusiasm.

Go forth with confidence, knowing not only can these moments boost credibility—they make connections too. So next time when facing down those queries remember to listen hard, stay calm & always engage warmly. With these techniques under your belt, answering audience questions after your presentation will feel much less daunting.

Techniques for a Memorable and Effective Presentation

No matter what topic you cover in your presentation, you can easily add in a story, and more likely than not you can add a little humor too. Together, these two presentation techniques are perfect for making your speech memorable.

Incorporating Storytelling into Your Presentation

One great technique for making your presentation stick is telling stories. Stories have the power to touch people profoundly, especially when they depict relatable experiences. So, when you’re up there presenting, kick things off with a story that ties into your main message. It could be personal, something from history, or even an anecdote that gets your point across. Stories are not just fluff; they’re the glue of your presentation. They make complex ideas digestible and memorable.

Using Humor to Connect with the Audience

Another great way of engaging your audience is by using humor. But here’s the deal—use humor wisely. Keep it tasteful and tied closely to the content at hand so it enhances rather than detracts from your message.

• Pick universal themes everyone can relate to.
• Avoid anything potentially offensive.
• Tie jokes back to your key points to make them relevant.

If humor isn’t your thing, or you’re worried about your comedic timing, it’s perfectly okay to skip the jokes. Especially if you’re new to public speaking, humor can be hard to nail immediately. But as you grow and hone your presentation techniques, consider stretching yourself a bit. By starting small, you can practice using humor to connect with your audience. That is your goal, after all—to leave a positive, memorable impression on your audience.

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Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

For some speakers, stepping in front of a crowd to speak causes immediate anxiety. But fear not! Conquering public speaking anxiety is entirely within your grasp.

Techniques to Manage Stage Fright and Boost Confidence

First off, feeling nervous before taking the stage is completely normal. Even Mark Twain admitted, “There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” So take that flutter in your stomach as a sign you care deeply about delivering value to your audience. In addition, consider the following tips as you prepare to hit the stage.

• Breathe Deep: Before stepping up, take some deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Feel every muscle relax with each exhale.
• Mind Over Matter: Visualization is key. Picture yourself nailing that presentation, because if you can see it, you can achieve it.
• Keep It Simple: Stick to what you know best; this isn’t the time for surprises or untested waters.
• Pace Yourself: Speak slowly but surely—there’s no rush here.

Believe it or not, acting relaxed often leads to actually being relaxed. Remember when we said mind over matter? Well, it applies here big time. The power pose backstage might just be what turns those nerves into excitement.

So next time you feel stage fright coming on, fight back with these techniques. With these tricks up your sleeve, you’re more than ready. So go ahead, breathe deep, and step onto that stage. You’ve got this.

Using Different Presentation Methods to Engage Your Audience

While learning styles is “ little more than urban myth ,” presenting your material in a variety of ways is a great technique for engaging your audience. By switching it up, you increase your chances of explaining something in a way that clicks with individual audience members. This is especially helpful for more complex topics that might be hard to grasp.

There are three main ways of presenting your material to your audience: through visuals, audio, and hands-on activities.

• Visuals: Use slides packed with images, graphs, and bullet points.
• Audio: Tell stories, play audio clips or engage in discussions.
• Hands-on Activities: Include activities or demonstrations that allow audience members to participate physically.

Making sure everyone gets something from your presentation means considering these techniques when planning content. Not only can incorporating various methods increase audience engagement, but it can also elevate your presentation from decent to memorable.

Essential Tips for First-Time Presenters

Stepping onto the stage or logging into that webinar platform as a first-time presenter can feel nerve-wracking. But fear not! With these tips on how to dress appropriately, arrive early, and make your presentation shine, you’ll be ready to confidently nail that presentation.

Dress Appropriately

Your outfit is your armor. Choose something professional yet comfortable. Whether it’s in-person or online, dressing one notch above what you expect your audience to wear usually hits the sweet spot. Aim for solid colors that won’t distract your audience.

Arriving Early

If possible, arrive at the venue before your audience does. This gives you time to settle in, test any tech gear like microphones or projectors, and take those deep breaths. This extra time also lets you chat with early birds. By connecting with people before taking center stage, you can ease nerves significantly.

Making Presentation Time Count

You only have the audience’s attention for so long. Keep an eye on the clock as you present, but avoid rushing through content. It especially helps to pause after key points, letting information sink in. Your end goal? Leave you’re audience wanting more. You’ll know if you succeeded based on the number of questions you get during the Q&A.

So there you have it—the techniques you need to deliver an engaging presentation. By honing nonverbal communication, like eye contact and posture, you can captivate your audience with your energy. And visual aids? They’re not just ornamental; they help bolster your point and drive it home.

We also learned that tackling audience questions is not an art reserved for the eloquent few but a skill sharpened by preparation and presence. While it takes a little work to nail good storytelling and well-timed humor, the ultimate outcome is worth it.

So while standing before an audience may set your heart racing, know that arming yourself with knowledge and technique can transform not just your presentation, but you yourself. So don’t be afraid to try your hand at these skills; in doing so, you build your own confidence and become a better speaker in the process.

• Last Updated: April 11, 2024

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• Presenting techniques

Presenting is a craft that requires a thoughtful approach. There’s a lot of stuff to include in the good presentation. From quality visuals to a compelling speech, everything matters. Doing a presentation on your own may be quite a challenge especially if it’s your first time experience with the presentations. What can really help though, are the effective presentation techniques. In essence, they are the blueprint for your presentation, that helps you to hit all the right spots. Let’s look into some of those techniques.

Presentation Methods

Before you start thinking of a technique, let’s first understand the presentation methods and how they relate to the audience and the content of your presentation. Among the different presentation methods, the main ones are formal and formal. Their difference is mainly in the style of your delivery and the data presentation methods. The formal presentation is best suited for the business meetings or college level, scientific presentations. The informal methods of presentation can best be used during the smaller meetings with your team to discuss business subjects or, for example, at a Ted-like speech event.

Method 1: Keeping Everything Simple

This is a rather basic technique. Just strip your presentation of all the unnecessary information, leaving only the core statements that you want to address. Simplicity not only helps your audience to understand your points better but even more, this data presentation method lowers the risk of making a mistake, forgetting — and saves you and your audience quite a lot of time! There are different definitions of simplicity — sometimes just a few words are enough, while in other cases several bullet points on the slide may be sufficient. Choose what suits your topic best.

Method 2: Good Start 

This method of presentation is all about attention-grabbing. Starting your presentation with a powerful statement, unusual fact or an interesting question will make the audience engage in your presentation instantly. Another great way to start is a joke, though humor can be quite a landmine, especially when you’re presenting in front of strangers, and you are not sure whether your joke would be fun or actually offensive.  So, try to think of something neutral, yet funny.

Method 3: Use  Visuals in your Presentation

Visuals are a must for any presentation and are able not only to support your speech but also to tell and contribute to the stuff you’re telling about. The pictures, graphs, infographics, and even short videos especially when done by presentation design services are what truly make the presentation, and help you to connect with your audience. A carefully selected visual connects both with your speech and the slide content, making your presentation methods work in complete harmony. What is more, visuals can serve as a great way to help you recall your speech in case you suddenly forgot some of it during the presentation.

Method 4:   Rehearse

Don’t rush to tell your presentation just once you’ve made it. Instead, try to first rehearse your presentation in front of a mirror. This presentation technique allows you to spot the mistakes and downfalls in your speech and visual part and improve powerpoint presentation . What is more, it can also make you more confident, as with each time you rehearse you’ll memorize your stuff better and better. Bonus points for starting rehearsing from the random spots in your presentation — using this presentation technique will allow you to become completely familiar with your information.

Method 5:   10/20/30 Presentation Rule

While it may not be applied to all of the presentations, the ones that you are usually dealing with can really benefit from it. 10 20 30 rule is about the time and size of your presentation: 

• Your presentation should have no more than 10 slides
• The time needed for the presentation should be no more than 20 minutes
• The font you are using for presentation text (if there is any on slides) is no less than 30 point

Method 6:  Storytelling

Telling a story is a powerful presentation technique for keeping the audience interested. In general, people get bored from being fed just straight-up facts and numbers for a long time. However, an interesting story, connected to the subject of your presentation gives that personal touch to it, engaging the audience into what you are talking about. What is more, a good story in the context of the presentation will actually resonate with the audience, causing more approval to you as an expert.

• Tell a personal  story .
• Create suspense.
• Bring characters to life.
• Build up to S.T.A.R moment.

Method 7:   Presentate with your Voice

Speech is the most common method of presentation . When you are presenting, it’s important not only WHAT you say, but also HOW do you say it. Creating a proper voice for presentations is actually one of the things you need rehearsal for. Your goal is to sound confident and interested in the subject you are telling about. What is more, it is important to not make unnecessary pauses and avoid the “ummm”, “oh” and other similar stuff that slows down your presentation and may put off the audience.

Method 8:   Know your Audience

Make sure that the data presentation methods you are using make your data  relevant to your audience. The research of your audience is needed to craft a relatable story, as well as to understand what approach in presenting you may want to take. After you’ve done the research, you can just tell the audience what it wants and expects to hear. Such an approach would result in the satisfied and interested audience enjoying your presentation. And in this case your presentation would surely and up being a huge success!

Method 9:   Back up plan

Even though you may plan everything in advance, something can always go wrong. The strange ability of the hardware to malfunction right in the middle of your presentation is probably one of the most known presentation-related memes. So, plan at least some of the bad scenarios. For example, have a printed set of slides with you during your presentation. Check everything right before you’ll start presenting. A good idea also is to have your script written out so that in case you have completely forgotten some of its parts, you can easily and quickly look into it and goon with the presentation.

Method 10:   Relax

This one is not only a presentation technique , but a great life technique as well. Actually, the most common reason for the mistakes during presentations are the nerves and fear a lot of people feel while presenting. It’s absolutely normal to be a little worried about the presentation, but you have to instill confidence in your knowledge and expertise with the subject among the audience, and it’s hard to do if you feel fear. Try to reason with yourself — you have rehearsed, prepared great visuals, learned about the audience and even have a plan B in case the situation gets worse. There’s nothing to worry about — you have all the right presentation techniques !

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• 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
• Present financial information visually in PowerPoint to drive results
• Keynote VS PowerPoint
• Types of presentations

How to make a presentation interactive

8 rules of effective presentation

How to select and use fonts in PPT

How to Prepare For an Art Presentation – From First Draft to Presentation Day

By Paul Ruiz in Art Business Advice   >   General Art Advice

When was the last time you really had a chance to open up about your art?

Even though you may never have had the privilege of being asked to be a guest speaker or visiting artist, you may want to consider preparing for that day, as there are benefits to be gained professionally.

Not sure where to start? Here’s a path you could follow:

1. Include a “capture system” in your creative process

By this I mean find some way of documenting the progress and development of your work. Aside from frequent journaling about your work, take digital photos or digitally scan pages from your visual art journal and store them on a computer.

2. Review and reflect

If you don’t already keep some kind of journal about your work, then have a go at writing down your own working process—mull it over, from your first idea to final execution. Where did you source the image, concept or technique from? What motivates you to make the kinds of changes you make?

It may not read like poetry and that’s ok—the main thing is to remain focussed, practical and sincere. You might be surprised at the level of insight you will gain into your own work by taking time to reflect and talk with friends, artists or colleagues.

For those who struggle with preparing an artist statement or biography, this candid method of introspection may be a way of finding a statement that is genuine for you.

3. Compile and organise

Decide how much you want to share with others and make that information available either in physical form (sketchbooks, scrapbooks) or in the case of large groups, in a slideshow using the presentation software of your choice (powerpoint, keynote etc).

A slide show makes it easy to control what is being discussed, however it is not absolutely necessary. A workable substitute would be photocopies of scanned images with your speaking notes attached—although in this case I would recommend having at least one completed work available as a talking point.

4. Cut a first draft of your presentation

With the raw material from step 3, begin piecing together your presentation. Constrain yourself to a speaking time of 45-60 minutes and start placing your material into broad categories like the following:

1. Background

2. Recent exhibitions and the focus of current work

3. Inspirations—historical, personal, social

4. Materials and process (some of your process shots would be great here)

5. Future projects, goals and exhibitions

If you are using Powerpoint or similar, remember just a few key works for each slide is all that’s required. No one wants to read slabs of text on a slide or be forced to squint.

Also, bear in mind that the content of your talk should be somewhat malleable, depending on your audience. Be prepared to modify the content as required to keep it focussed and relevant to your audience.

5. Practice and Refine

Now with the above complete, it should be much easier to talk about your work to anyone who may have previously caught you off guard. And though most of us hate the idea of public speaking, when it’s something as personal and intimate as your art practice at least you won’t have to worry about not knowing your subject.

Practice with friends or a partner so that you can hear yourself, and watch how they respond—they’re likely give you visual cues as to whether or not you are engaging them (body language can speak volumes). Ask for feedback at this stage, take mental notes and then adjust your presentation accordingly.

6. Engage Potential Audiences

Let schools or art colleges know that you are a practicing artist and are seeking an opportunity to share about your work. Find local prospects and email or mail them a sample of your presentation—this will show them that you are committed and ready.

You can also put out the call through art community and social networks online etc. They may not respond straight away, but the opportunity may come eventually.

And if no one contacts you for some time, don’t let it phase you. The process will have helped you gather your thoughts and to re-focus on the fundamentals of your art practice—it may be the impetus you needed to push through that next project or exhibition, and it will certainly be a confidence-booster when speaking with an art dealer or prospective buyer who is curious to know more about you and you work.

7. Delivery Day

When you are (hopefully) one day engaged to speak about your work, half the success is really a matter of logistics. The more prepared you are, the less room there is for being nervous, especially about trivial technical or equipment issues. You can use the following list as a guide/checklist for that day:

1. Slideshow on CD/DVD and on USB stick (both handy in case one has issues)

2. A hardcopy of your speaker notes in case all technology fails

3. Venue Address and Name /Number of your Contact at the venue

4. Your Laptop (optional, assuming you have one)

5. A DVI/SERIAL adaptor cable—some venues may not have all the cables or be rigged up for your machine, so its best to cater for old and new technologies if you can

6. Extension Cable and Power Adaptor—The venue might provide these but if they don’t you could be left without a presentation even after all that effort you went to

7. An Invoice—If it is a paid presentation, be professional and be ready with a printed invoice to hand over at the close of your presentation

8. Aim to arrive 30 minutes early to set-up and compose yourself. And in case you thought it might be fine to show up late, you may end up looking the fool if no one hangs around to find out.

8. Final considerations

I understand that this is not an exhaustive guide, and it certainly needs to be tailored for your own situation, skills sets and objectives. However, I do believe that it could be a used by anyone as a prompter for developing and finally presenting your work to a broader audience.

You never know when you might be required to speak to or with agents, gallery directors or potential buyers about your work.

As artists, our work does not always speak for itself—sometimes it needs a real voice, your voice, to help project and provoke meaning.

For more articles by Paul Ruiz, please visit his blog at artcatalyst.wordpress.com .

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Pencil drawing techniques: Pro tips to sharpen your skills

Sharpen your skills with these pencil drawing techniques, for both graphite and coloured pencils.

Pencil drawing techniques

Use the right tools, advanced tips.

These pencil drawing techniques from top artists will help you take your drawing skills to the next level, whether you're using graphite pencil or coloured pencils. 

For many artists, pencil drawing is the skill that introduced them to the art world, and even if you've moved on to a different medium, understanding how to draw with a pencil can help you improve your skills elsewhere. These pencil drawing techniques cover everything from the basics of mark-making to advanced processes to push you out of your comfort zone. 

We'll also offer advice on the tools and materials you need to know, such as blending stumps, paper options, and different erasers. For some extra inspiration, check out the most unbelievably realistic pencil drawings we've ever seen.

Short on time? The video above, from character designer Bobby Chiu , runs through some pencil drawing techniques in action. For more in-depth advice on composition to how to capture light and shadow, take a look at our art techniques article, for practical buying advice see our guides to the best pencils and best pencil sharpeners . Or, for inspiration, take a look at this roundup of unbelievably realistic pencil drawings .

01. Use the right grip 

The first step is to master how to hold a pencil correctly . Chiu recommends holding the pencil like you could a piece of charcoal, and using the side of the lead to draw, rather than the point. This helps keep the pencil sharper for longer.

"When covering large areas, I shade with my pencil perpendicular to the line I'm drawing to get wide, soft lines," he adds. "For details, I hold my pencil parallel to my lines to get sharp, narrow marks. The only time I use the point is when I'm working on intricate details."

"It is important to consider where you are making your mark from – fingers, wrist or shoulder," adds artist Jake Spicer .

02. Consider your lines

The kind of marks you're making will shape the feel and look of your pencil drawing. Things like how fast you draw a line and the weight you put into a stroke will change the look of the line. "A heavy line 
is dark and definite; a lightly drawn line is pale and exploratory," says Spicer. "When you are starting out, try to avoid uncertain, feathery marks."

03. Start with an underdrawing

Many artists prefer to start their pencil drawing by laying out the scene with a rough, light underdrawing – this can be especially useful if the end game is a precise line drawing. "Having a more fluid foundation helps you see the end result without the intimidating commitment of getting everything perfect," says artist Timothy von Reuden . 

For a pencil underdrawing, make sure you use a hard lead (around 2H) to ensure the lines are light and easy to erase. Alternatively, you could use a digital underdrawing, printed at 1 per cent Opacity. Either way, make sure this acts as a foundation rather than a strict guide. "I strongly believe in letting intuition take over in the creation process, so I work with the underdrawing more as a guideline," continues Von Reuden.

04. Work left-to-right

Pencils are prone to smudging, and the softer they are, the more difficult it is to keep things clean. However, planning which area of the composition you work on first can help. Essentially you don't want to be resting your hand on areas you've already drawn, which means that unless you have an unusual pencil grip, you want to be working top to bottom. Then right-handers should work left to right, and lefties move right to left.

05. Try a blind contour drawing

One common exercise to start out with is blind contour drawing. "Set up a subject in front of you and fix your eye on the top of it, placing your pencil on your paper. Without looking down at the paper, trace your eye around your subject, following its edges and contours, and as you do so, let your pencil follow the same journey on the paper," explains Spicer. "Draw in a single, unbroken line and don’t look back at the drawing until you are finished."

The result will look odd and incorrect, but that's not a problem. The aim of this is to help you draw confidently and unselfconsciously, and it's a great way to overcome a fear of staring at a blank page. "Repeat the exercise regularly as a warm up to get your hand working together with your eye," suggests Spicer.

You can adapt the exercise by flicking your eye down to the page at regular intervals, and trying to adjust your line style and weight to accurately describe what you see (you're still using one, unbroken line). "Don’t aim for precisely accurate proportion, instead aim for an honest process of looking and mark making, without overthinking the drawing," he concludes.

06. Vary line thickness

Varying the thickness of the line you use help guide your viewer through your drawing, explains Von Reuden. Thicker lines can help indicate importance, or tell the viewer that something is in the foreground of the scene. They can also be used to distinguish between two separate, overlapping objects – a thicker line on the outside of an object an help differentiate the outside lines of the subject matter from the lines that represent the details within. 

In the example above, you can see how different line weights can be combined to make a form appear more three-dimensional.

07. Mix up shading techniques

There are lots of different pencil drawing techniques relating to shading. Chiu uses two main approaches. The first is with all the lines going in the same direction. "This makes my shading appear more cohesive, and helps my details pop out from the lines I'm using for shading," he explains.

The second method involves working in patches of shading, to help define shape. "Patches of lines go around the form, which help keep things in perspective," he says. This technique is also great for backgrounds and creating texture.

08. With detail work, control your lines

If you're working on a detailed area, be wary of your pencil line. "When it comes to creating cleaner and tighter line work, staying consistent is key," says Von Reuden. "Not only should you be aware of the look of your line but also the pressure you’re applying to the pencil and on the paper. Be actively aware at this stage and don’t rush it." He suggests regularly stepping back to check the overall effect of your work, and ensure you're keeping your line steady throughout.

09. Master blending

US-based artist Jennifer Healy has a specific process for blending her coloured pencil work. She starts with an outline, to check the form is correct before committing to coloured pencil (it's much harder to erase coloured-in areas than an outline). It also helps her plan where the highlights and shadows will fall. 

She then builds up colour using subtle layers. "I like to start out with soft gentle layers to gain a better idea of lighting placement, shadows and the colour palette," she says. After each layer she blends gently using the blending stump.

Once she has reached a stage she's happy with, she moves on to the final step: adding an outline. For this final layer, Healy uses coloured pencils alone, and does not blend with a stump.

10. Start lightly and build from there

"When I start drawing, I plan and explore using loose lines, and avoid committing too early with hard, dark lines," says Chiu. "As I progress my lines will change, so checking and rechecking my work is vital. I darken my lines and add details at the end. I don't focus on one area for too long to prevent overdrawing."

11. Clean up after yourself

Your eraser can be just as important as the pencil itself. There are a few different types (see the Tools section for more on this), but whichever you choose you want to make sure it's close to hand whenever you're working. "Whenever a line gets too thick, I either erase the entire line or try to line up the eraser edge to slim down the existing line," says Von Reuden. "I like to clean up during the entire process and at the end do a final sweep to make sure I didn’t miss an area before calling it done."

12. Check and recheck

Before you move on to stronger lines and detail work, it's essential to make sure you have the correct form down. Chiu's advice is to check and check again. "I have to nail down my drawing's underpinnings before I can add details. I really avoid guessing at the details; I want to make sure things are symmetrical and look right before putting down stronger and harder lines." 

He also suggests looking at your work in a mirror or through a camera. Considering different vantage points is a great way to highlight if anything is off. "I constantly ask myself, does this feel right? If anything seems off – even if I can't immediately put my finger on what it is – I trust my gut and troubleshoot my drawing before continuing."

13. Know when to stop

The majority of artists have a tendency to tinker with their work – even after they've signed their name. "I can always find something to change if I look hard enough, so it can be difficult to tell when a piece is truly finished," says Chiu. 

However, be wary of overworking your piece. "Eventually, I make a conscious decision to put my drawing away and start something new," he continues. "That's when I consider my drawing done. Well, maybe..."

14. Pick the right pencil

The pencil you choose will have a big impact on both the techniques you can use and the look of your find artwork. Different pencil types are better for different styles of artwork, and you also need to consider the hardness of your lead.

Traditional graphite pencils are available in a scale of hardness from 9H (hard, pale) to 9B (soft, dark), with HB and F sitting the middle of the range. "Typically, the H grades are suited to technical drawing, while B grades are ideal sketching pencils," explains Spicer. He suggests a 2B or 3B pencil is a good place to start with general pencil drawings.

Then you need to pick the type of pencil. Traditional graphite pencils tend to round out quickly, and so need regular sharpening to produce a consistent-sized tip. The softer your pencil, the more sharpening you'll need to do. Traditional pencils are great for shading, especially larger areas.

The other main option is a mechanical pencil (see our guide to the best mechanical pencils for drawing ). These offer clean, crisp edges, and are better at maintaining a consistent line. You don't need to sharpen them, either. If you're creating a large artwork, bear in mind that a mechanical pencil can slow the drawing process. For a more in-depth look at your options, take a look at our guide to the best pencils .

15. Sharpen correctly

"Some drawings require a fine, sharp point for pinning down a crisp line, others a broad, flat side to the pencil lead for blocking in tone. Sometimes, a blunt point can serve your purposes," says Spicer. "Whatever your preference, ensure you always have a sharpener on hand."

Again, there are a few options here. Choose between a regular handheld sharpener (portable, easy to use), a desk-mounted helical sharpener (typically longer-lasting, and will grind the pencil to a longer point) or a craft knife (get the point you want, but there's some danger of slicing your fingers off). 

16. Protect your paper

This is a valuable pencil drawing technique for beginners: put a piece of paper under my hand to avoid smudging your drawing while you're working. It seems obvious, but it can be the downfall of a great piece of work!

Healy also prefers to mount her paper on a board, attaching it using a layer of matte medium . This helps keep things neat, and provides a solid surface to work on.

17. Explore different paper textures

The surface texture you're working on will make a big difference to the effects you can create. This is referred to as the grain or 'tooth' of the paper. A rough tooth is more visible, and the ridges will grip the colour from your pencils.

With a smooth tooth, the ridges are very fine, and there's less grip. Healy finds this kind of paper provides an easier surface for blending coloured pencils, although she warns that it's also easy to run the colour off the surface.

18. Invest in a putty eraser

There are a few different types of eraser, and each is suited to different things. Many pencils have a small eraser head, which is ideal for thinning out lines that get too thick. However, don't rely on this alone: you'll also want to invest in a kneaded eraser. This has a putty-like consistency (it's sometimes called a putty eraser), and you knead it before and after use. 

"A kneaded eraser is best for lightly picking up the coloured pencil binding off the paper. This works wonders when correcting mistakes, or if you’re deliberately lifting colour from an area such as the eyes," says Healy. A gum eraser has a more solid consistency, and is better if you're trying to fully erase a coloured-in area.

19. Try a stump for soft blending

How you blend your work can have a big impact on the final result. For a soft blended effect, try a blending stump. 

"After each light layer, I very gently blend the coloured pencils with the stump," says Healy. "Don’t push too hard or the colour will stick, making it more difficult to softly blend. I repeat this process as often as I need. After many layers it produces a very soft and delicate look."

This technique requires a little trial and error, though. Healy warns that if you blend too softly, the stump can pick up colour that you've already layered on the paper.

20. Unify your colours

Having a uniform approach to colour will help bring cohesiveness to your work. "It’s a good idea to make sure that your artwork has unifying colours," says Healy. "This consists of a particular colour palette, mood and a way of spreading these across the entire art piece."

She also suggests creating a harmonious base by using tinted paper or adding a background wash of colour (in paint). "This will show through whatever you lay down on top of it, thus giving it an appearance of cohesion. When I use coloured pencils, I’m fond of using tinted paper produced by Kraft."

21. Try different approaches to outlines

The next drawing technique concerns line weight. As well as demarcating different objects, lines can help emphasise shadows. "Thicker lines can fade and disappear into the shadows, which can help convey the 3D form," explains Chiu.

Beyond that, different artists have different approaches to lines – you need to find the style that's right for you. "I prefer to use a distinct outline in my artwork, whether it’s using thin outlines or bold outlines," says Healy. "It can help pinpoint the viewer’s eye to a certain area. It also gives a stylised look, if that’s what you are hoping to achieve."

Chiu, however, prefers a different approach. "I try to avoid outlining my drawings because this tends to make things look flat and deadens the 3D effect. Breaks and spaces in my lines show form in the lights and shadows."

22. Draw on your own experiences

"Dip into your experiences to add a special layer of authenticity to your piece," suggests Healy. "This means using something like a memory, feeling or scent when creating your work. For example, the special feeling you experienced when sitting down with a friend at a coffee shop, or a memory of a childhood experience. You can be abstract or use hyperrealism. Whatever you choose makes the piece unique to you. I’ve found that people resonate with these pieces the most."

23. Use contrasting concepts

One drawing technique Healy uses in her work is to use contrasting concepts within a piece of work, for example, juxtaposing beauty and ugliness. "I’ll use the beauty of colours, flowers, the softness of skin or hair, and the female form. I’ll also tend to use something that’s the opposite to all of that, such as bones, insects, sharp teeth, or anything that may provide discomfort to the viewer," she elaborates. "Somehow this provides an interesting concept to a piece. Especially when the ‘ugly’ parts are harder to spot at first. To me this is a very stark representation of what life is like."

24. Try combining pencils with watercolour

While pencils on their own can be used to create a wealth of different effects, it can be interesting to combine them with other media. For example, in her work, Healy likes to combine watercolour and coloured pencils. It's important to start with watercolour and then layer coloured pencils on top, she explains, because pencils can create a waxy surface that repels liquid, and prevents the watercolour from soaking into the paper. 

"This is a fun technique to test out," she says. "Both mediums have unique qualities and textures. Combining the two elements creates a medium all of its own."

Also read: The best watercolour pencils you can buy right now

25. Break out of your comfort zone

While these pencil drawing techniques should help you understand the essentials of the medium, sometimes you need to throw the rules out of the window and find what works for you. "There’s nothing wrong with stepping outside of the box if it means achieving the effect you want," says Healy. "Trial and error will occur when you step outside of that box. But don’t be intimidated! The process is entirely fun."

26. Create fabric

Fabric can range from sleek and shiny to matte and dull. How you shade it will help sell the idea of the fabric you’re trying to depict. For this sketch, von Reuden is trying to capture the golden folds of material found in the original image. He began by outlining the shapes and blocking out areas of shadow.

27. Categorise your fabric

Von Reuden explains how you can add value and shading to create further layers of depth and weight. He says, "when drawing and recreating fabric, the types of wrinkles created can all be placed under three separate categories: hanging/relaxed, stretched/tension, and scrunched/compressed." 

"Hanging fabric tends to be loose and have a flowing appearance. Stretched fabric creates long lines, usually with a point of support. Compressed fabrics bunch into each other, creating scrunched-looking areas."

Some of this advice comes from ImagineFX , the world's best-selling magazine for digital artists. Subscribe here .

Related articles:

• How to master colour theory
• Get started with ink drawing
• How to draw a rose

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17 Drawing Techniques to Draw and Sketch like a Pro

Art is best learned by doing, so feel free to grab a piece of paper and follow along with these 17 drawing techniques. Add depth, contrast and your own unique style to your drawings by combining your favourite techniques.

All you need is a pencil, piece of paper or sketchbook, eraser and pencil sharpener. If you’re not sure about which are the best pencil supplies, skip to the last section .

By learning and improving your pencil drawing techniques, you can be more precise when rendering values in your artworks. Get creative with the marks you make and try out some new approaches to drawing.

Disclaimer: Fine Art Tutorials is a reader supported site. When you make purchases through links on this site, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Layering pencil marks isn’t the same as layering paint. Graphite isn’t a transparent medium, so you can create a finished looking piece all in one layer. 

The concept of layering in drawing, refers to the process of starting with a light sketch then slowly building in the dark areas to create shadow. Most artists will use this process to plan out where the elements fit before committing to dark lines which are more difficult to erase. 

Underdrawing 

The underdrawing acts as the first layer of an artwork, it can form the first stage of the drawing process. This is especially true for pieces that require more accuracy or time investment. 

Draw a fine, light line to outline the main features of your subject. Then build on this layer afterwards with layers of shading. 

To improve the accuracy of your drawing , you could create a sketch on another piece of paper first, then transfer it with tracing paper or with the grid method .

One constructive method of drawing that head that can act as an accurate portrait underdrawing is the Loomis Method . Start with basic shapes to measure proportions, then use these guides to fill in the features of the face.

Shading techniques

The following methods of hatching, stippling and tonal sketching are all types of shading techniques . These techniques will allow you to create values in your artwork. In art, a value is the relative lightness or darkness of a colour. So by using these different shading techniques, you can create highlights, shadows and give your drawing depth and form. 

Hatching 

Hatching is the technique of creating parallel lines to give the illusion of light and shadow. Draw lines closer together to create dark values, lines further from one another create highlights and mid tones in a drawing. Apply more pressure to the pencil for the darkest areas.

To be successful at the hatching technique, hold the pencil in a loose fashion. This means instead of pressing hard on the lead and using your wrist to draw, try and draw by keeping your wrist straight and moving your elbow. This will create longer, lighter, more sweeping strokes for the hatched lines. For extra long hatch lines, try keeping your elbow in one position and moving your shoulder to create pencil lines. It may seem basic to reassess how you hold a pencil, but especially if you’re a self taught artist, basics are easy to miss out on.

Cross hatching

Cross hatching is a type of hatching, whereby parallel lines are drawn next to one another to create light and dark values. Perpendicular lines are then drawn over the top of the first lines in a similar hatching style. Rembrandt used this drawing technique in his etchings, ink drawings and silver point pieces. This is a versatile technique as you can use it with pen, graphite, charcoal or pen. Use this technique in conjunction with others on the list to create a variety of effects. Cross hatching creates a wonderful texture when you look at the drawing up close, but when you step away, it will appear as smoother shading.

Similar to hatching, stippling is a technique of creating a repeat pattern on the paper to convey areas of light and dark in a drawing. Use a dotting action to render values. Create dots closer together to show darker areas and further apart for the highlights and light tones.

Bear in mind that if you use an unsharpened pencil, the dots will be thicker. A softer pencil 8B to B will give darker marks, whereas a hard lead pencil (F, H o r HB) will give lighter marks. Mechanical pencils are great for this technique.

Get a good quality pencil, like these from Caran D’ache , as cheaper pencil leads are more likely to break. 

To do this technique yourself, hold the pencil vertically and close to the paper, then drop your hand to make the repeat dotting action. Go slower at first to keep it neat, but once you have the knack, it’s an easy technique to carry out. You’ll soon feel like you can create a drawing at some speed.

Tonal sketching

This shading technique is pretty simple and the most intuitive of all the drawing techniques. Apply pressure on the pencil where you want to place the shadows in the artwork. 

To create an even shaded appearance, hold your pencil slightly at an angle and lightly move it backwards and forwards. Unsharpened pencils create softer lines, it’s also essential to use a soft pencil. Anything between 2B and 8B would work perfectly, depending on how dark you want the shading to be. 

Scumbling is another shading technique, where small circular marks are layered on top of one another to create a textured appearance. The circles don’t have to be neat, apply more pressure to the pencil for darker areas of the drawing. If you’re drawing with coloured pencil , you can layer different colours on top of one another to alter the tones and hues.

Loose sketching

This is an approach to sketching which will give the effect of a more relaxed and effortless style. It’s a useful technique to try, especially if you’re a beginner and only used to trying to achieve precise fine lines. 

By sketching loosely, you can plan compositions and practice drawing accurately without worrying about making mistakes. Create a loose sketch before you start drawing your final outlines, then you can erase parts of lines that don’t fit with your drawing afterwards. 

With this approach, the aim is to focus on the big picture—the composition and interplay of different elements. You could optionally erase messy lines and add in details afterwards, or you could leave the drawing as a sketch. 

To create a looser drawing, hold the pencil further up the casing and sketch with sweeping strokes moving your elbow instead of your wrist or fingers. You don’t need to press too hard on the paper when trying this technique.

Gesture drawing

This is similar to creating a loose sketch, but the purpose is to capture the movement of your subject in an expressive way. Gesture drawing mainly applies to drawing the human form and capturing the action and pose of the figure.

Time yourself when using this technique, as the purpose is to be quick and not overthink the placement of lines. Aim for around one minute per drawing. Don’t think about the details, like the facial expressions or hands, just focus on the form of the figure. This can form part of the first stage of figure drawing. It’s especially useful to practise this technique if you plan to do some life drawing. Gesture drawing is a great drawing exercise for portrait artists.

Blending drawing techniques

Graphite , charcoal and oil pencil can all be blended pretty easily. The softer the pencil, the easier it will be to blend. 

For optimum blending, use 4B to 8B pencils. The blending technique goes hand in hand with creating a tonal sketch. Artists use blending to create realistic effects. 

First create your tonal sketch. Make sure you create a good level of contrast by applying pressure for the darker areas of the drawing. Then, to blend, get a paper stump and rub into the pencil. You should see the pencil marks disappear, leaving smooth blended tonal gradations. If you don’t have a paper stump, you could use your finger to blend, although that can get messy.

A great trick to get the smoothest blends with graphite, is to brush some graphite powder onto the paper. Cover large areas of shadow. Areas that you have applied the powder will appear smooth, seamless and free of pencil marks.

Erase lines

Use the technique of lifting pencil marks from the paper, to reveal white highlights. To create precise highlights, get a Tombow Mono Zero erase r . You can use this to erase ultra slim lines, or use it for delicate details, like highlighting strands of hair in a portrait. 

Another type of eraser that works great for this technique is a kneaded gum eraser . This type of eraser is soft and mouldable. Mould it into a point to erase small areas, or roll it across the paper to lift large areas of pencil. Kneadable erasers are soft, so they won’t completely lift dark pencil marks unless you press it into the paper with some pressure. Get some graphite powder and scatter across the paper, then draw on top with the erasers.

Use this technique on textured paper. Hold your pencil at an angle, so that the lead is completely sideways and flat on the paper. Then drag the pencil backwards and forwards. When drawing on cold-pressed watercolour paper , the paper’s texture will shine through. 

Optionally, you could place an object underneath a sheet of paper, then use the frottage technique to pick up the details of the object.

The indenting technique involves drawing lines on the paper to make indents rather than coloured marks. Then draw over the dents in the paper, by shading with the side of the pencil. The pencil marks will avoid the dent, leaving the white of the paper to show through.

There are two ways of creating a dent in the paper. Either get some tracing paper and draw with a pencil over your paper in places you want to show white highlights. Or use a stylus to create a dent in the paper.

Contour line drawing techniques

A contour drawing shows the outline of a subject. Contour lines show the outlines of edges and details. Use line weight to show the three dimensional form of the subject. Darker lines indicate areas of the subject that appear closer and lighter lines represent areas further away from view. 

Cross contour line drawing techniques

This is similar to a contour drawing, but instead line weight and the spacing between lines represent the volume of a subject. Parallel lines are drawn across the form of the subject or object. Practice this technique by observing, the contour lines won’t be visible on the subject, but move the direction of your pencil with the form and mass of your reference. 

Continuous line drawing techniques

To practise the continuous line drawing technique, draw a single line to create your image without removing the pencil from the paper. The line should be completely unbroken. This is a great tactic for developing observational skills, as it will force you to analyse your reference for longer before starting the drawing. You may find yourself creating cross contour lines to represent the volume of your subject, all without removing your pencil from the paper.

Detail work

Details add depth and realism to a drawing. For detail work, make sure your pencil is sharpened to a fine point. Use a quality pencil sharpener like this one . It will sharpen pencils to a long point, preserving more of the pencil lead. 

Hold the pencil fairly close to the tip for extra precision. Drawing highly detailed work requires careful consideration and it takes time. You’ll find that you get into the flow of drawing details pretty quickly—it’s an enjoyable process.

Extra drawing techniques

Vary pressure applied to the pencil.

By applying more pressure, you can create darker, thicker lines. To create the darkest lines, get a softer graphite pencil . 8B pencils will give you the darkest lines, whereas a harder lead pencil like H or F will give you lighter lines.

It feels quite intuitive to shade in this way, by increasing the pressure on the pencil for darker areas. By varying pressure, you can create anything from light sketches, to highly contrasted drawings.

Vary line thickness and style

With a softer pencil you will have more flexibility in creating variation in line thickness. Choose an unsharpened, soft pencil to create thick lines. A harder lead pencil that has been sharpened will give you the sharpest lines for the finest details. 

Vary line thickness within a drawing to create a pleasing composition. Make elements stand out by emphasising them with thick lines.

Drawing precise lines will make an artwork feel neat and precise. To create ultra neat lines, try drawing with a harder pencil first, as the lines are light and easy to erase. Then you can go over these lines with a softer pencil. Alternatively, you could create a sketchy appearance by going over a line several times.

What supplies do I need for drawing?

• Pencils: Quality graphite pencils from H-8B are a great choice for artists. Caran d’Ache and Faber-Castell pencils feel smooth to draw with. Experiment with charcoal and coloured pencils if you want to execute a variety of effects with your drawing techniques. Find a review of the best pencils for drawing in our guide.
• Sharpener : a decent sharpener will preserve the pencil lead, prevent breakage and sharpen pencils to a swordfish-like point. 
• Eraser: The Tombow Mono Zero eraser allows artists to erase ultra fine details. Kneaded erasers are softer and gentler on paper fibres. They are also really effective at erasing graphite. With a light touch you can lift some of the graphite, revealing mid tone highlights. With more pressure you can completely erase pencil marks.
• Paper: Drawing paper comes in a range of textures and thicknesses. Bristol Board is smooth and thick, which makes it an excellent choice for detail work and smooth shading.
• Sketchbook: this sketchbook by Etchr has thick, quality cotton pages.
• Paper blending stump: Tortillions are sharper and better for blending smaller details, sharpen the stump with sandpaper to remove graphite marks.

For a more comprehensive list of drawing supplies for artists, check out our guide!

Further reading

1. Artist’s Drawing Techniques: Discover How to Draw Landscapes, People, Still Lifes and More, in Pencil, Charcoal, Pen and Pastel 

Discover 80 drawing techniques and step-by-step tutorials for beginner to advanced level artists.

2. Drawing Dimension – Shading Techniques: A Shading Guide for Teachers and Students

Learn to shade effectively and add dimension to your work. Accurately render light, shadows and mid tones with a look at different techniques and the possible applications.

3. This tutorial by Arteza gives some wonderful examples of mark making techniques you can make with pencil.

4. The Virtual Instructor gives some in depth examples of how to put different drawing techniques to practice.

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10 thoughts on “17 Drawing Techniques to Draw and Sketch like a Pro”

מהמם הסברים ברורים ומפורטים עם הגיון מאחרוי הדברים תודה ננ\הניתי ולמדיתי

Drawing is good,i like it

I can’t wait to try out some of these techniques. I’m bubbling with excitement already.

I love art 🎨🎭 art is life

I love this post! It’s so helpful and I can’t wait to try out some of the techniques!

Very useful! Thanks!

Well presented and stimulating. Makes one excited and eager to get “stuck in”.

I enjoyed very much and I’ve learnd a lot. Thanks

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