One cupcake in a pleated paper wrapper with a modest frosting swirl and one small cherry. Black and gray fineliner drawing on warm textured sketchbook paper.

Drawing referenceAbout reference use

Cupcake fine ink study

One cupcake in a pleated paper wrapper with a modest frosting swirl and one small cherry. Practice structure, perspective and developed values in fine ink.

Food & drink Challenging Fineliner70 min, at your pace

A way into the drawing

Establish the main shapes
Draw the wrapper as a tapered cup.
Connect the structure
Build the frosting swirl above it and attach the cherry.
Develop the drawing
Resolve the connected planes and overlaps, then build layered details and a full range of local values. Preserve clear paper highlights.

A small thing to tryKeep the frosting wider than the wrapper rim.