bought at gumroad.

com/mitchleeuwe
ebook packed with
How
How to
to draw
draw tutorials about
how to draw different

props
by mitch leeuwe
kinds of objects
bought at gumroad.com/mitchleeuwe
Copyright © 2021 by Mitch Leeuwe
how to draw
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reselled, reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without the express written permission of
props
the publisher. For personal use only

mitchleeuwe.nl
by mitch leeuwe
Printed in the Netherlands
First Printing, 2021

Graphic design: Harmke Leeuwe

harmke.com

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 Hi there!
Let me introduce myself. I’m Mitch Leeuwe and am an illustrator from the Netherlands. I always drew a lot as a kid. I
even had the childhood dream to become an animator at Disney. During my teenage years, I lost that dream. Luckily, I
slowly started drawing more and more. When I was 19, I began to do some freelance work as a graphic designer, which
made me consider picking up drawing again. I attended several drawing programs at schools but I learned most from
online resources. Now, I’m a freelance artist working on visual development. This means I design characters, props
and backgrounds for games, animation and toys. However, you probably know me from my Instagram where I release
tutorials and more. My goal is to create a place where people can learn the things I wanted to learn when I started out.

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 learn more!
This ebook is specialized in drawing different props. To learn more about how to apply props, you might be
interested in one or more of the following ebooks: How to Create a Storyboard ebook, How to Draw in
Perspective ebook, or How to Draw Environments ebook.
about this ebook
Let’s draw some props! Look around yourself, can you was to create a digital library of all the objects. When they the tennis ball from different angles and even showed To learn the most from this ebook, I recommend
see some props? Props are all the objects a character had to make a new scene, they could search by keywords how it would bounce in the animation. They gave me following the tutorials step by step. This way, you’ll
interacts with. It could be a glass of water, a couch, a in the library to see if they already had that object and more props to design. learn to understand why I make these steps and train
desk, a computer, or something else. These props need (re-)use that. The most significant part of that library What I want to tell with this story: work hard and be your muscle memory to remember these steps the next
to be designed in a production like an animation movie, existed out of props! Meaning the most work for that show eager, even when you only have to draw a tennis ball. time you draw. By “copying” my drawings and the steps,
games, or commercials. was designing numerous props. It can be your foot between the door to get more design I hope you learn how to apply the drawing principles
jobs. yourself. I’ve also put some extra exercises on some
I hear and see many artists focusing on drawing As you probably can imagine, I wanted to draw instead of pages; follow these to practice even more.
characters. Drawing characters is a fantastic job! But working on that library! After a few weeks, they asked me You can decide for yourself how to study my tutorials
don’t underestimate the importance of and skill you need to design a prop: A tennis ball. I wanted to impress the art and breakdowns. The best way to learn how to draw Enough talking; let’s give it a go!
to design props. directors to get the chance to get more drawing work on is by learning ‘drawing principles’ and developing this
the show. So, I even spend many hours working on it in by practicing a lot. For this, it doesn’t matter whether
My very first internship was at a small animation studio. my free time. And with result! They had to laugh about the you use a pencil, a tablet, or a computer to draw. Use
When I got my first internship, the first task they gave me amount of work I had spent on that one tennis ball; I drew whatever works for you.

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Drawing props is excellent for learning
drawing with construction. I like to use basic
shapes like a sphere, cube, and cylinder
when I draw something. For everyone When I use the sphere, cube,
who starts drawing from scratch, I would and cylinder to draw, I don't mean
recommend that you practice drawing you can't alter these shapes.
these shapes in all kinds of angles. This is See in this example how I morph
something I’ll explain more about later. a sphere to create different
pumpkins. Throughout this book,
I'll show more ways to vary with
these shapes.

exercise
Try to ome up with different
When you look at this television, you can see it exists out of these three basic shapes. In this ebook, I will refer to them pumpkins by using a variety of
a lot. Follow the steps to get used to using these kinds of shapes. spheric shapes.

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How to use a sphere, cube, and cylinder to draw objects challenging, so I usually draw many circles and then finally Also, notice how the textures wrap around the object. See steps. But for all methods, it is important to know where
On the previous pages, I wanted to give a bit of an idea draw the final line on top of that (as you can see in the the skull, scratches, and the texture/pattern on the fuse on the light comes from to apply the colors and lighting. When
of what to expect. But let's start with practicing the basics second step). In the third image, I added perspective lines. top of the bomb. It all follows the shape. you're starting, I would encourage you to focus on the
and drawing this bomb. As you can see, I started with a These lines give the illusion of a sphere and will help you drawing and sketching part instead of diving into coloring
circle. In the first image, you can see a bunch of lines. draw the other shapes and textures on top of it. I painted the bomb digitally. When I would color something too. Coloring is fun; that's why I added those steps for
These are my sketch lines. Drawing a process can be like this with a marker and/or pencil, I would follow other when you get more experienced.

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 Could you have guessed we would
use a cylinder to draw a barrel? In
the second step, you can see how
I added volume on the sides. Think
of it as if you pump some air into it
and that the sides expand. See how
the sides curve. In the third step, you
can see I added lines going around
Another example of using one of the basic shapes. Let's use a cube to draw a crate! it, and I made a dent in the top. Try
In the first image, you can see how I would start. Notice how I drew through the shape (you can see the other side of the the think and draw three dimensions.
cube). I do that to make sure the crate looks and feels solid.

In the second image, I added crosses. This is a little perspective trick to help me add the other shapes on top of it. You
can see this in images 3 and 4. It could look challenging when you are just getting started, but don't sweat it! The main
skill I wanted to teach you with this example is to use a cube to draw an objects.

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Drawing a present! A present is
excellent to practice drawing a prop
with a cube. Let's keep it basic
before we start on something more
complex. Again, start by drawing a
cube.

In the second step we are adding

the lines for the ribbons around the
object. After that I add the ribbon tie
on top of it. See how I start with basic
shapes before I drew all the details.

Tips. It can be challenging if you

haven't done this before. But try to
get that 3D look and feel in your
drawing. Those basic shapes, the Fill a sheet of paper with a bunch of cubes and cylinders from different angles. Now, try to make
cube in step 1 is an example of that.
exercise presents out of them by following the steps of the gift. You can use the examples I added on this
page too. It will train you in that sense for 3D that will help you draw all kinds of objects.

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 That piece of cake made me hungry;
let's draw a big cake! You can do this
by stacking cylinders on top of each
other. In the second step, you can
see how I added smaller shapes on
top of the big cylinders.

exercise
Go look up some reference
material for cakes (photo, real life,
But what about a triangle? A triangle is nothing more than Again, draw the lines through the object in the first and etc.) and try to draw those cakes
a cube that is cut through. Go ahead and practice drawing second steps. As if it's made of glass. I do this to get the following the same steps as I'm
this shape. Draw some sharp triangles and some wider shape right. Without doing it (or at least thinking about it), showing here. Cakes are great for
triangles in 3D. the shape could look wonky and not consistent. practicing drawing basic shapes.

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 Drawing circles can be challenging
but keep practicing it. It takes time
to get the hang of it. Also, don't get
Another prop based on a cube, frustrated when your result is not as
is this lantern. After practicing you would have liked it to be. It is no
this for a while, you'll recognize shame to move on to the next tutorial
cubes, spheres, and cylinders in and get back to it after a while.
many objects! See how I added Drawing has a lot to do with muscle
used a cylinder to add the candle memory. That's, for example, why
to the inside. I can only draw with my right hand.
As a kid, I learned how to draw (and
write) with my right hand and never
trained my left hand.

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Let's draw a treasure chest. These
days you see them in many mobile
games. That's another example of
how props are used.

See how the top is opened and has

a different angle than the base of the
chest. This is something that maybe
needs a bit of practice. That's where
practicing drawing shapes in different
angles come in handy!

For the coins, I would advise drawing

the overall shape of the pile first.
Then divide this shape into the coins.
To make this look dynamic give the Another more cleaned-up step-by-step drawing of the chest. I made this in Adobe Photoshop, but you can also do this in
coins some different angles. Procreate or any other digital drawing app. There are even techniques to do this without a computer or tablet.

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 When you have an idea of what
you want to draw, look up some
references on the internet. These
days it's so easy to find some
references. Look at the photo (or
maybe you're drawing from life), and
see if you can break the prop down
in basic shapes as I'm doing here. I For this wagon I started with a plane. You can see some slight perspective in this plane. I use this plane as a base to
started with four lines here, but you build the rest on top of.
can also begin by drawing the planes
of the shape. Try to find what works
out best for you. Try drawing this cart from a different angle if you are up for the challenge! Draw the plane at a
exercise different angle first and use that as a base to draw the rest.

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 I started with the first sketch, but
when I finished the first rough, I
found the angle a bit boring. So, I
decided to redraw it. When you are
Every object in a game, animation, or even in real life needs to be designed. Even the objects you wouldn’t think about not satisfied with your sketch, simply
in the first place, like this toaster. For all these small and bigger objects there are artists that design them. redraw it, and see if it improves.

Try to see how I made this design as playful as possible. For a cartoony style, I'm avoiding too parallel lines.

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I drew some maps for a pirate game. After you have tried these, maybe you can come up with some variations. First, try
to draw some other basic shapes, try to make them differently than my examples.

Shields are also fun to draw! They come in all shapes and sizes. Like with every prop I'm showing, try to come up with
some new designs for yourself. You can also analyze some games for inspiration. Don't copy the designs too much but
try to learn from them. Ancient shields are also perfect for inspiration.

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 Here I have drawn a well. Try to
see how I used all these different
basic shapes but how I made it still
look like one object. Look up some
You can see many objects in this environment. When you the world have a history; they have been through some pictures of other wells and draw
are drawing an environment, it's good to take some time stuff. There could be something broken, or maybe it's them following the steps I show
to design all these different objects. Spend time doing fixed. These kinds of little details can give it a lot of extra here. You can also use this one for
research and drawing them. Look up some photos from depth to the story of the environment. reference on how to make it look
the internet and try to add some story to them. Objects in more cartoony.

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Do you see the "line of action" in the the overall shape more, like the it, so I used the details of the signs Sometimes I like to start with the shading. For the text, I simply put layer or change the individual layers
first image? See how all the signs arrows, and give them some depth to strengthen that flow. See how the values first. This way, I get the it flat on the signs, and after that, to different colors.
follow the 'flow' of that middle line. after that. details follow the shape of the signs. contrast right first. I try to balance it so change it a little bit with the transform
Once I get that energy right, I start It's common losing that energy when that nothing claims all the attention. tool, or maybe just the brush. In the
working on the shapes. First, I define I didn't want to lose that energy in cleaning up, so watch out! After that, you can start adding the last step, I add colors with a color

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Another way to get a flow in your
drawing start with a cube. It will really
help with getting the construction
right as well. You can start cutting it
into parts to get this arcade design.
Think of it as if you are a sculptor,
cutting off pieces of a big block of
stone.

Finally, adding the textures on top of

the design, make sure the surfaces
follow the object's perspective. I use Let's draw a candle, look for some more photos of candles and try to cartoonify them as I did here. You can vary with the
the transform tool to get it right. candle holder too.

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 To draw a bed, I start with a box! See how I used the arrows to indicate the flow. I exaggerated those lines a bit, so it
gets this cartoony look. Once I have these main shapes, I start adding the other shapes, but I still try to maintain the
energy of those arrows' power. Try drawing your own bed!

Interiors can have many props! Look around you and check out all the different props in your room.

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Another example of using the "box."
Try drawing this chair from different
angles. Just like you did with the
present the boxes, it will help to draw
the boxes from different angles first.
Once you have drawn those boxes,
you can start drawing the organic
shapes inside them. Try to draw
some more chairs! The best way to Here I used a cylinder to draw a fire extinguisher. See how I broke it down into basic shapes. Try to learn to see objects
learn to draw is to jump right into it. in these shapes, which will help you draw them.

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Another fun example of multiple basic shapes combined to create this water gun.

The main shape of this space gun looks like a balloon! See how I added the other shapes on top of it. The tricky part is
to add the shapes and maintain that overall feeling. A good construction also helps with shading the object.

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When I want to focus on
the design, I usually draw a Here is a sword in perspective.
front view first. That makes Even when the sword is flat, it does
it easier because you don't have some depth in it. Try to use
need to think about the this sword as a guide to draw the
perspective. previous evil sword in perspective.
Use the same steps I used to create
this sword.

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I was drawing this drink and thought it would be fun to add a giant plume of fume on top of it. See how I used basic
shapes to draw the fume on top.

To stay in the magical theme, I drew

a cauldron! In the first step, you
can see I merged a cylinder and a
sphere. Follow the steps to draw
your own magic cauldron.

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Before you come up with a final Here you can see some of the sketch
drawing, try making a bunch of steps I made. This sketch is quite
sketches first. You use this to explore clean, and you don't have to sketch
different possibilities. Can you come as clean as I did here. It doesn't
up with some more potions? matter how it looks at that stage; you
clean it up later. Can you draw this
potion from another angle?

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 Let's draw a magical book! Of
course, the book is a box with a
half-cylinder at the side. All the
details follow the shape and flow
of the book. I always like to draw
through my shapes to get the proper
perspective.

Here I am adding color and shading. I start with blocking in all the base colors. These are pretty traditional colors for a
spell book: brown and the blue for the magic. Maybe you can come up with some other spell books, like one from fairies
or perhaps a dark overlord. What would these look like?

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Let's go over all the steps. I started by drawing the cylinder in a cone shape. Compared to a realistic one, I pushed it to And here, you can see the clean-up to the final-colored version. I started with cleaning up the sketch, adding some
a more extreme/cartoony shape. So, when you try to use photo reference, really try to exaggerate things! values, adding the colors, and finally adding some shading and light!

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Let's draw some pancakes! Because the pancakes are stacked, we can start by drawing a cylinder. It's an excellent
example of how to think when I must draw something detailed. First, draw the big shape and then break it down into
smaller shapes. And finally adding the details on the top of it Here you can see step by step how
I colored these pancakes. In step
6, you can see I started adding the
colors. In step 5, I first added the
values and shadows. Focusing first on
values helps to make the process a bit
easier. You don't have to think about
too many things at the same time. In
step 7, I started to tweak the colors
a bit. Because not everything goes
perfectly right after adding colors. In 8,
I added some colors to the lines. In the
final image, I added some details and
highlights to finish it.

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 Try drawing some for yourself! Look up your favorite snack and draw them in this style. It's all about
exercise simplifying the details. Try to learn what details to leave out and which ones to leave in. I also try to
avoid too many thin shapes. I keep everything nice and chunky!

Let's draw some more food. Surprisingly, you can do this with the same steps as all the props. It's amusing to see how
everything can be broken down into just a couple of shapes. Go ahead and follow these steps. In my opinion, the colors
aren't that important when you are starting. Try to focus on the drawing part. When you color it, try to understand the
shapes and how the shadow goes around it.

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 And since we are drawing sweets,
let's draw a cup of ice cream! What
is your favorite dessert? Look up
some photos and draw your favorite
dessert!

Look at this tasty donut! First, I drew an oversized shape and added a hole inside it. Don't forget to add some sprinkles!

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 In the first step here, I started with
Drawing crystals can be challenging. this big overall shape. Using a big
I started with a plain front view to shape as this first helps get a good
make it a bit easier. In the second overall shape when drawing the
row, I started with the outline and individual pieces. So that it stays in
drew segments inside that. I was one shape.
trying to be random with all the
segments. Following these steps
makes it a bit easier for me to draw
crystals.

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Let's draw some effects! See the triangles with circles that I used to make these flames. It could be a bit overwhelming, but what I would
For this magical spell I started with a line, added a ball and a flowing waving tail behind it. Once I have this, I start recommend is just to copy these steps. It will make more sense when you are following these steps. Some things you
drawing in some more balls (step 2). These balls help with getting this nice shape for the magic. And next step is need to experience. After that, try to make a different version of these flames.
cleaning up and adding colors, of course!

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 Lightning! Starting again with an arrow. I used a straight line for the lightning because it has a lot of power and is going
fast. It begins with some big shapes and breaking them down in each step. This makes the process so much easier. Try
to follow along in the examples and try to create your version afterward. First, just a little bit different, and after that, try
to make something unique. Small steps!

Let's draw some water! Starting with a flowing/wavy line. Next, I add shapes on top of it to make it more interesting.
Also, see the arrows in the second image coming from the ball. See how the energy of the water flows through the
shape. In the fourth image, you can see how I drew the details on top of that energy.

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 Having a sketchbook with you is an excellent way of points, draw your roommate, family, friends, or partners
pick up your sketchbook getting that drawing mileage because you can bring it (trust me, they love it!) when they are around. You can
with you wherever you go in your daily life. This allows also take your sketchbook to a public place and see if you
Finding your own style takes a lot of time (and pencils). you to draw whenever you feel inspired with real-world can find some interesting expressions from the people
A sketchbook is great to experiment with shapes and references all around you! around you. Whatever you choose to do, remember to
designs. So grab your sketchbook and scribble, draw, and pick up your sketchbook regularly as a practice is the only
experiment as much as you can, to figure out new styles Drawing expressions by using references from your way you’re going to become the illustrator you want to be.
and designs. favorite TV show or movie can also be fun! For bonus Have fun with it and let the creative juices flow.

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 conclusion
& thank you

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 that's it!
Thank you for reading my book! I hope you enjoyed day in and day out because drawing takes a lot of time to draw takes time. People overestimate
watching and reading it. Also, a big thank you for improve on. At least for me! So don’t worry too much if you what they can do in a small amount of
supporting me through getting this book! Without the can’t see a result right away. Try to enjoy and make slow time but underestimate what they can
support, I couldn’t make all these tutorials. I can’t say and steady progress. do over a more extended period. Do not
enough how thankful I am for this! give up. Keep going and have fun!
I would advise you to take the examples from this book
As I said in this book’s intro, learning to draw props is a and study them. Follow along with each step and finally
specific skill that is highly required for studios to create compare your drawing with mine. Figure out what you can Best,
animation films, shows, games, and commercials. Of learn from the differences and try to understand why it’s Mitch Leeuwe
course, it needs to be something you enjoy. When you different. It’s essential to learn to recognize the point you
enjoy doing something, it also makes it easier to do it can grow on as an artist. Also, remember that learning to

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