No, it’s not a fancy type of coffee, it’s a black-and-white sketch of a coffee cup! This is like taking a value sketch to the extreme; no outlines and no middle values will be used to interpret the subject. Use this method to examine a subject’s most basic lights and darks.
Remember, this is just a study. Like a sketch, this is not intended to look like a finished drawing.
STEP 1 Start With the Most Obvious Darks
With a soft-lead pencil, sketch the most noticeable darks of the subject. In this case, the interior of the mug, along the rim, and down the right on the outside of the mug are the darkest areas. Keep your pencil strokes close together so areas will look black.
STEP 2 Add More Darks
Continue adding darks, using them to define the image.
STEP 3 Add a Background
Finish adding darks to complete the mug. Add a background and some shadows to further define the image.