How to… make your own drawing tool
Naseem Darbey shares their tips on 'how to make your own drawing tool' - part of DRAW! supported by David Hockney.
Published: March 20, 2025
Author: Naseem Darbey
Sculptural artist Naseem Darbey shares their tips on how to take drawing less seriously and make your own drawing tool - part of DRAW! supported by David Hockney.
Inspired by David Hockney, we’re encouraging everyone to get creative and draw in 2025.
Naseem Darbey is a drawing, textile and sculptural Bradford artist based in Keighley Creative. Their ‘art delves into the relationships between drawing and textiles’, and ‘experiments with scale through sculptural hollow drawings’.
This exercise encourages you to escape your drawing related nerves by ‘making your own drawing tool’, that no one’s ever used before – inviting you to explore new, unconventional ways to engage with your art.
Using materials you likely already have at home, Naseem encourages you to think creatively and experiment with tape, various objects and other everyday household materials. The goal is to create something completely new to draw with – a tool that doesn’t have a prescribed purpose.
Let go of the idea that their tools or drawings should be used in a specific way, stop being so precious about your work, and simply give things a try and see what unfolds.
Fancy giving it a go? Explore what materials you can use to create your own unique drawing tool.
Share your drawing
Want to share your masterpiece with the world? Just use the hashtag #Bradford2025 and tag us on social media.
Or you can upload your images and share them with us – see bradford2025.co.uk/draw for more information.
A selection of images will be published on our website each month and shared in an exhibition at the close of the year.
