What's the Difference Between a Doodle, a Sketch, a Drawing & an Illustration? 

When people do sketchbook tours I'm always so surprised by how polished everything is... my sketchbook looks like a war zone 😅

Hi. I'm just seeing this and wow. I love how you've expanded on my video. If I'm being completely honest... I was kind of doing mine a bit "tongue in cheek" as I honestly am pretty loose with my naming depending on mood. 😅 Your illustrations are amazing and I look forward to seeing more of your work. I'm a new subscriber. ♥

I think it's a good distinction to make when it comes to effort required. Art is probably more competitive than it has ever been in history. Even for amateur/hobby artists it's easy to spend too much time looking at the artists on social media who are better than you and feel discouraged. We don't need people also misrepresenting how much work is put into a 'sketch' to make things worse.

I haven't watched Mark in years, my life just got too busy for any type of serious drawing, but this video caught my eye and I'm so glad that I decided to watch it. It took me right back to 2013 when I started drawing and started watching Mark. As someone who only draws for fun and casually now I appreciate this type of video, it helps keep my own abilities in perspective. Thanks Mark 😊

Mark - I have BEEN done with this argument of what a sketch is or isn't. A sketch is messy and unfinished. The messier the better - I *love* sketches!! But a finished product being called a sketch? No. I'm so glad you pointed out the issues of WHY that is wrong to do because, as you said, someone starting out will look at that, take *that* person's incorrect definition, run with it, and then have this psychological issue with their own artwork when there's nothing wrong with their work at all!

Thanks for making this video. It's so important to raise awareness, because I feel like many are intimidated by the "sketches" of others that might be polished paintings already. This was much needed in the community.

I tend to only have 2 labels to my stuff, sketches and drawings. A sketch is either just unfinished, or intentionally simple, usually just me trying to get an idea on paper so I can see how it looks (Often just a picture of a character with a different hair style or something like that, almost always 100% pencil as well.), while a drawing had an actual goal in mind, and I'll attempt to at least ink the lines or smooth out the shading a little. Not sure I'll EVER get to the point where something counts as an illustration with my abilities, and I just overthink doodles to the point where they all turn into sketches anymore. lol

Love that you still do videos here on youtube!

I haven't watched your videos since maybe elementary school, and decided to come back and see how you've been doing. Great to see you're still making videos! I've progressed past the level of some of what you're teaching so I'm probably not subscribing, but you really helped me a lot back then. Thanks!

I have been subscribed to your channel for about 10 years now (with my other account, this account is relatively new). I used to follow all of your how to draw tutorials and you're one of the reasons I got into drawing in the first place. I just want to say thank you very much! ❤

Hi i saw Scott’s vid and was really intrigued and think its great that you are expanding on that idea

glad to see you still make content I remember when I was younger I used to be really into drawing and you were a huge inspiration especially when I wanted to draw a robot now I'm 20 and picking up the pencil again so thank you :)

Thanks so much for all of these tips!!! They were sooo helpful

These are the meanings I feel about the words too but it is such a forest to easily get lost in online when trying to look for drawings and sketches. I'm somewhere on the line of beginner/early intermediate in my art journey and I'm grateful for people like you and Scott that promote a love for art and creativity. :)

Great video Master Mark and I agree with your definitions 👌🏻

I ve never click tge video so fast before, I need this. Thanks mark

Those last 2 are damn awesome man!!!

This is actually very helpful, I agree completely that the definitions of these specific art terms has gotten a bit interchanged over the centuries. Like I’m 24 and this here helped me realize that my “sketches” are drawings, and my “doodles” are sketches. This made me realize I don’t really doodle that much anymore and maybe I should try it again!

I loved seeing those sketches you did. Those were beautiful. I would love a video talking about how you sketch from life.

Thanks so much for clarifying. Great artwork by the way!

Love this video! My ceramics teacher is always frustrated with my sketches because everyone else spends so much time making theirs symmetrical, shaded, to scale and with multiple angles, and I just scribble down the general shape i see in my head and call it good. A sketch is supposed to not take a lot of time lol

When working with sketchy lines, watch out for lines who might present an offer of winning sweepstakes that you do not remember entering.

Thanks again Mark Crilley 😆👌

This was fun! I agree, while some words can have a bit of fluidity, if we don't ascribe some sort of set meaning to SOME of the words, then we lose the purpose of language. Just got done ordering The Comic Book Lesson! I've been waiting for a book like this, and I really enjoyed The Drawing Lesson. My Crilley Collection is slowly growing XD I may need to dedicate a section on the shelf for it....

Thank you for showing the differences 🎉

5:33 Yeah I've always been bothered by people who call something that isn't a doodle or sketch a doodle or sketch. Especially with digital artist Them: look at my sketch Me: Wait... that's a sketch? That looks to good to be a sketch

Coming back here feels like coming back home. Just a channel full of wholesome encouragement and wholesome people in the comments.

Markcrilley is the greatest artist. His RU-vid channel is inspirational and educational to the highest level thanks to his love and highly experience of his great art craftmenship.

I agree, a doodle and sketch should remain and as artwork that is basically you having fun, trying things out, nothing serious, etc. And I think people know this as well, but are purposely using those phrases to act as if their fully done artwork was nothing to them, they do stuff like this all the time, it's easy, etc. Basically they are trying to show off. 😴 But anyhow, I'd personally include just fast line work in general in the sketching category. I use to teach my nieces and nephews how to draw, and I showed a example of this. By showing them what I believe is a doodle, then refining it to a sketch then a drawing. However because I give them doodles and sketches to color, some of them actually preferred the doodles and sketches vs a drawing because they felt they would mess up the drawing.. Well that and the drawing takes too long.. 😂

Throughly enjoyed this video!

This is interesting, I do like this channel, and you for always sharing

Thank you, you're an inspiration to me.

Very helpful! Thanks. And that's the reason of why lately I've been overwhelmed from my art. Because all that I did,and still doing, are drawings. While(since lately I'm a tad busy) promised myself to just sketch. Oh boy! Fact is I start it as a sketch and later ...I start to think -wouldn't be a shame to leave it like this? It looks naked- and yeah ... but now I understand what I'm doing and not doing. That's a start

My 6 year old Niece wanted me to tell you that your Mastering Manga book is beautiful!

(To me) The difference between a doodle and a sketch is more about intention than time or technique. When I create a doodle my mind isn't set on an end goal; I'm just drawing to pass the time or see where my imagination/pen/pencil takes me. A sketch (to me) has more purpose. I have an idea or at least a rough outline in my mind about what I want to achieve on the paper. The goal is to get what's in my head down on paper so that I can explore the idea "physically" and not just as a thought. This is an interesting topic to explore. Thanks!

This is great, thanks!

I mostly use the term sketch as guide lines creation to help with the later work

Great video!

yay. it's been a little bit since YT suggested one of your videos. :) I'm still a beginner at the doodling and drawing stage, one thing I"m lacking is drawing things free style or just for the fun of it.

haha in the sketch part, it also grind my gear when I saw a really beautiful drawing and have color and looks like it was finish product and the poster captioning it sketch xD.

Mark have you read the manga Blue Period? it's a fantastic manga that goes really in depth about making an artwork and the struggle behind making it. Its latest chapters briefly explains this exact same thing in the video, but it adds even more terminology, French terms actually. Sketch Croquis, Dessin, Esquisse and Drawing. But no mention of doodle in fact the way it describes a Drawing is more along the lines of a doodle. To paraphrase a bit here and there: Sketch, being a broadly trying capture elements. Croquis capturing a living things movement or or center of gravity( This kind of sounds like Gesture drawing) Dessin is capturing texture, light, shadow and the position of the feature relative to eachother Esquisse being a way to depict concept or composition of something or a work Drawing is sort a thing after the esquisse but you draw more freely and with improvisation, while retaining the basic lighting and composition of the work. According to to these terms: The 1st one would be a drawing the second would be definitely be a sketch the third would be dessin The 4th one is clearly an illustration which isn't mentioned in the terms I described. Honestly you do have point that, people should use these terms correctly, otherwise their meanings will definitely become jumbled and create unreasonable expectations.

If it's in my sketchbook, or loose paper and I don't make a lot of effort to correct errors, or really plan it, even if it's pretty polished, I still consider it a sketch. To me, a drawing/painting would be a completed piece that I actually planned, sweated over, tried to make as perfect as possible. It's something I would be willing to sell or give to someone as a gift or use as a portfolio piece. My reasoning behind it is effort and intent. I'm by no means a fabulous artist, but I've been doing it long enough that I can do a "finished" sketch fairly easily, just by putting in the extra time to push it to the next level. Most of the time, it's me playing around with color or style or learning a medium, or practicing a subject.

You hit the nail on the head. People claiming their obviously more polished pieces as "sketches" are either showing their ignorance of the word (ignorance isn't a bad thing. It just means you don't know. I find it hilarious how easy you just got triggered). Or they are pompous narcissists puffing out their chests screaming "LOOK AT ME! I'M SO GREAT!"

I wasn't sure about the difference, thanks!

Another interesting and informative video 🙂🙏 I’d say: Doodle = distracted. Something I do when doing something else, but often kind of “subconscious” Sketch = scruffy. Most my stuff looks like a sketch, loosey goosey and sort of preparatory. I always plan to go back to “finish” but usually end up watching a Mark Crilley video instead lol Drawing = determined. Personally, these are as realistic as possible. Illustration = enlightening. Use of colour, or like the old monks that illustrated ancient texts, or somehow convey a message beyond what is really there.

Hi Mark 🙌😁 Can you please tell us your perspective on shading And the complexity of it

First things first, I really love your work and your videos. Please keep posting, there are things that I run into, and the first thing I do is look at your videos and usually you have a solution for anything I’ve run into. Hands for example! With a lot of artists who post a “sketch“ or a “scribble,” where it turns out to be an illustration or drawing, I sort of look at that as a modesty flex or a humble flex. It comes across as disingenuous. It sounds sketchy! 🤣 I was glad to see your post today regarding the differences between the ideas of scribble, sketch, drawing, and illustration, and I’m going to watch the video that you referenced. And then once I’m done watching that I’m going to do an example of my own, because this is a fun idea, especially if one is going through a brain freeze.

i tend to use the word 'sketch" when im working on ideas, and i dont plan to finish a piece. mainly if im practicing with new poses or trying out new things on any of my arts, ill "sketch" my ideas out then refine as i go along.

'That's what I would do while talking on the phone to kill time' Subtle way of telling friends and family that they bore you with their calls (^;

Wow. That sounds great. ~~~^^🤣🤣😊😊😊

I kind of think about it by what the intention going into it is. Like a doodle you don't put any thought into before hand, you just kind of let your hand move. And a sketch is done to study something. Then a drawing and illustration are meant to be final products for showing people.

5:42 I remember when I was a teenager I found a copy of the Earth X "sketchbook" by Alex Ross on the back issues bin of a local comic shop, a beautiful little book btw, and seeing it refered to as a sketchbook made my dumb teenage brain instantly think "that's what Alex Ross considers sketches?!". It was really intimidating to me back then, for some reason I actually thought that the sort of professional character concept art that book had was what Alex Ross would draw on the napkins of whatever greasy spoon he happened to be having breakfast that day.

Hey Mark. It was really interesting for me to hear your thoughts on this topic. I've rarely put much thought into the the terms Sketch, Drawing etc. and don't use these labels that often since I don't want to get caught up in them. I have a question about Sketches. Because of my shaky hands, I often use a stabilizer tool in my drawing app, even when working on Sketches. Since I'm a self taught artist, it's simply what worked best for me and my handicap. My "Sketches" rarely feature that many lines. Rather than making many tiny lines, I draw fewer yet longer lines that I can move around and transform (for example I only use about 5 lines to sketch an arm without clothing). Once I'm contempt with the "Sketch", I redo the linework in a more fancy way before moving on with the coloring. Is this unusual? Not that I'm thinking about changing the way I draw since this has been working really well for me. But I'm still curious if this is a more unusual approach for sketching or if it's actually more common than I think.

Thank you so much. I have been feeling SOOOOO discouraged seeing these artists' "sketches" and "doodles" and I just want to do very simple illustrations for children's books (even if it's just for my kids or grandkids) but maybe I am way over my head. Do you do classes?

that's a good one!

Ty quick notifications 😊

In my mind it's all about intent. A doodle has no purpose or product in mind. A sketch is all about problem solving and fleshing out an idea or product. A drawing is a step after a sketch, you have figured out the design and your doing a nice understandable drawing meant for showing someone else your idea. An illustration is one of many possible final products. It started as an idea. Went through an ideation and problem solving sketch phase. The sketch was tightened up into an understandable drawing. The illustration is a drawing that has been polished. Illustrations include things not entirely necessary for conveying the idea. But details for conveying beauty, lighting, technique, texture etc. Just my thoughts. Great video!

Sorry it’s taking me so long to watch this video. Life gets in the way. But I have to talk about how as a person who draws in a doodle style yet it being more polished than what you would consider in the video. It’s because the name “doodle” has been described as a art genre that uses thick lines, cartoony drawings all bunched together as a collage, and how each subject interacts next to each other. Based upon artists such as Vexx, ZHC, Hypey, Shrimpy, Gawk Art and many other “doodle” artists. I can see why it frustrates the older generation of artists and can be intimidating for new artists trying to get into the art industry. When I get confident enough to put my art all over social media, I’ll make sure to use doodle properly and emphasise when it’s an art inspired by the ones I’ve mentioned. Great video! Just thought you should know the clarification!

I'm not much of a visual artist but I make music and I refer some things as sketches as opposed to finished works; for me the distinction is what is the purpose of the work. To me "sketch" is a work that you do (mainly) for practice or experimentation, or to preserve an idea for possible later use; the "finished works" on the other hand are the final product. I think that the tendency to apply the work "sketch" to more high quality works (in the visual arts anyway) could be a result of treating sketching as an art form in and of itself as opposed to practice, experimentation, etc. Also, the meaning of the words in a language tends to drift over time anyway...

Can you do video "How to draw Tangiro"

I think people lose track of time and don't realize how much time went into their picture. I've timed myself drawing things I thought would take 10 minutes and was working hard to do it in 30 minutes.

I too look at some posts and see they add the time it took in to do said picture and wonder, why is that even needed? Is it just to make them feel good?

"I'm not erasing anything." In over the ten years I have watched Mark Crilley draw, erasing is a very rare occurance normally.

I haven't checked the "proper" definitions of the words, but I've grown to use "drawing" as a general term that is all inclusive, but also used for a finished pencil artwork. "Doodle" would be nonsensical marks on a page (often while on the phone/etc.). An "illustration" would be a finished piece of art that tells some kind of story (regardless of medium used). Meanwhile, a "sketch" is simply anything not intended to be a finished piece... it's meant for testing out ideas, regardless if it looks "sketchy" or not. For example, just the other week I watched a proko livestream where a painter said a 2-day painting was just a "sketch" for him, while a finished painting is closer to 100 hours of work. I may not want to take the amount of time he does, but I do agree with his point. A 2 hour painting for me is a sketch, regardless of how good it turned out (or how good other people think it is). Going beyond this and perhaps we're getting out of the "sketch" stage and into the level of intentional polish that is only reserved for finished paintings.

I do wonder… can you make more anime, chibi, or manga videos? Thx

Bruh your doodles are better than my drawings

I wonder why Mark Crilley isn't a professor recording his lectures at this point.

I feel like sometimes the term doodle and sketch are tossed around more frequently for more polished works is because of a lack of self confidence, their outlook on themselves and the profession and perhaps an attempting to limit negative feedback or hate. In my personal life I call most of my works doodles, because I am distracted, or I only have a moment to get an idea down and often times its something I jokingly say "I forgot anatomy." or "Idk how biology works." Often times there aren't any references. Where as a sketch is usually has a reference, its quick, there aren't any hard lines, or there are a few that just try to pop out, often times my sketches lead into a drawing, where shapes are starting to pop out, tone, shading and the like.. However when it comes to where I post my works, I am prone to call everything I do a doodle/sketch, regardless if it took me 30 seconds, 30 mins, 1 hour, 3+hours, a full day or days+. Because I'm not at the level of more experienced artists, I call myself a doodler, because I don't consider myself an artist, most people in my circle who follow me, also don't count me as part of the "art community" at large, plus a finished art piece to me is often seen as unfinished by many followers and visitors, mostly because my pencil work never is cleaned to the point where it looks like its popping off the page, or gets the clean inked linework or flat color or digital treatment. All my finished/detailed works are usually pencil, only get a slight contrast, light etc adjustment in Krita prior to posting, there isn't any cleaning beyond what I drew. Reasoning is because I dont have the attention span to learn how to clean a pencil scan. At least for me, I use to tag things as finished, drawing, or illustration, and I would get all sorts of negative pms, about things being messy and failing to finish and I was diminishing the work and efforted of artists who make "real finished clean art". Even these days if you put on a sketch in a digital format and slap some contrasting color, that is seen as more "finished" than if you did the same thing but with a traditional media like pencil or paint. Its bizarre.

I think I'm a bit guilty of conflating some of these terms. For some it might be a case of sort of fishing for compliments, maybe not knowingly but I kinda see it from time to time, but on the other hand and for me personally I also think it's about underselling myself because I'm afraid of what people might say if I called my work "finished" when there's so much I feel I need to improve on. I know it might be a good idea for me to take more of my time with my art, but I can't help but feel I'd lose focus or drive coming back to something say the next day. The most I've ever spent is probably 6-7 hours, but more typically I go 3-4 on any one piece...still kinda feels like a lot to me, but then most of my teenage years and early 20s I never bothered to use coloring, so I've had to spend a lot of time catching up now that I can do it digitally.

Damn. Feels like the last strawberry is edible

I tend to call "unpolished lineart" as sketch, but I know that's kinda wrong, but it's basically how it works for me for moments like Sketchember, where I just want to make some nice drawings without having to polish them to call them done, so I call those sketches xD

0:01 i think i hear the vine shock sound effect

100%

Scribbling is usually writing as well

A doodle could be a simple drawing without any intention. It just flows.

Illustration you illustrate Painting you use paint,, maybe that's why color pencils is in the middle of it because there is this water color pencils, So illustration is almost all of them, Like this vid you illustrate to us the difference of those thing

Not to be a narration pooper, but Sott's 'sketches' (he put at least two 1-frame easter eggs in at 0:31) look pretty polished as well ... and he's not 'young folk', at least he doesn't look that young ... I agree with you that a detailed and coloured and shaded (aka a polished) drawing isn't a sketch His _'scribble'_ is a *sketch* , his _'doodle'_ a *simple illustration / drawing* , his _'sketch'_ an *better drawing / illustration* and his _painting_ is a *painting* . So okay, he got that last one right, I'll give him that

Yeah, lately I've been watching some sketchbook videos where ppl are calling elaborately painted scenes "sketches". It really bugs me. I want to leave a comment pointing out that these aren't "sketches", & that calling them that might confuse & frustrate young artists. But, eh... I don't want them to feel bad. Most of them are really nice paintings.

I agree, it's really disturbing,, they using those words wrongly

i used to refer to my polished artworks as doodles or sketches because I didn't want to sound like I was bragging about how much effort and time they took to make. It was a bad attempt at modesty and i see now how harmful that can be to a beginner on social media lol

What happened to Old Man Time Lapse? He wasn’t there, and I’m disappointed. Maybe next time.

Your comment about the length of time it takes to make an illustration is interesting. I complete most character shots in 30-40 minutes. But....honestly, if it takes you more than an hour to draw one character.....ehh........I think maybe y'need to speed it up just WEE bit. Japanese Mangaka's are gonna run circles around us Americans if we don't try hard. Or, in this case, DRAW circles around us. =P

Still a little confused on the difference between a drawing and a illustration/painting. 😅.

half of the term usage might also be motivated by amount of finish in relation to the final intended look, which isn't helpful because that's also subjective/style-dependant like I see some othe people calling clean lineart that could stand as a finished drawing as a "sketch" as part of their art process (ie. they intend to paint over), which is fine, but then they apply it to every other artwork that chooses to have visible lines, calling it sketch(y) lines i lowkey want to reach through the screen and strangle them when they do that, mucha and ink artists didnt die for that level of disrespect lmao

Maybe they’ve sketched in digital….I’ve seen people do polished work in a relatively short time.

Some highly praised Chinese brushwork art took few minutes, or even less than a minute to complete. It's not about the time, it's about the end product. Indeed, it's very disheartening to hear people belittling the time and effort they put into their own work. This general trend (not only in art) can make one think that either there's great success or nothing at all- as if there's no room for learning, progress, putting in efforts, or enjoying one's work if it's less-than-perfect.

Those are MASTERPIECES not sketches or doodles!!! Thy might have STARTED as a sketch but the sketch wasn’t the final product EDIT : I define the the name of the last state based ONLY on what materials are used… Drawing = graphite or pencils, ink, markers, crayons / pastels Painting = watercolor, acrylic, oil ETC anything with “PAINT” in its name

To me, when I see someone showing something they call "a quick sketch" or "just a doodle," and it looks like they spent several hours painstakingly rendering, it comes across as a defensive humblebrag, and not a very subtle one, either. I just eyeroll and move on. I agree it's the younger artists who do this, at least in my experience, and the impression I get is that they're sort of hedging their bets. If you like it, they'll take the praise -- and if you're praising something they (claim to) have just dashed off, then that makes them come across as that much more highly skilled, But if anyone has criticisms, they can point to the sketch/doodle label and shrug it off, because after all, they weren't really trying hard. It feels like insecurity, really.

I'm guilty

Meh, to me a 'doodle' is clean lines but focused on either a ton of different subjects drawn at different times, or a single subject. Detail level is irrelevant. What's relevant is the amount of focus imparted on it. A 'sketch', is a single 'subject' done with loose lines. That single subject might be a crowd of people, and may even be high detail, but there is a notable lack of polish and strong presence of loose lines. Typically, if it is a full scene, with both foreground and background detailed, then it is no longer something I would call a sketch. Even without a background, if you have firmed up your lines and gone into complex shading, then it transforms into a: 'Drawing', which is, in my view, a sketch that you have decided to clean up and expand on, to make 'presentable'. An 'illustration', is a work where you are putting in strong effort to end quality, and usually involves either VERY complex shading, or effort put into coloring as more than a highlight tool. A lot of what the internet likes to refer to as a 'sketch' is not a sketch, it's a drawing that they are either too low in self-esteem to claim, or are trying to boost their ego via what most would charitably call 'humblebragging'. Telling the difference between two comes down to how frequently they do it, and what kinds of responses they give to criticism/comments.

I can't even scribble. My art always looks worse. 🥲