Draw glass by leaving things out

Set up your study

Download the Sea Glass palette below, or copy its six hex colors. Use a comfortable sketch canvas and a familiar brush; no premium brush is required. The featured illustration is a visual starting point, not a result you need to copy exactly.

Try it in four steps

1. Start with a pale background. Lightly mark the top ellipse and two sides of a tumbler.
2. Use a medium teal for short edge segments rather than tracing the entire contour.
3. Place a narrow dark mark near the base and a pale highlight on the opposite side.
4. Erase or cover sections of the initial outline. Keep the top ellipse incomplete in one place.

Check your result

Does the glass still read when half its outline is missing? If it looks solid, reduce the size of the dark filled areas.

Change one thing

Add a colored rectangle behind the glass, then slightly shift its visible edge inside the glass.