This methods-focused article attends to the mechanics of participant drawing as a data collection tool in qualitative research. Writing studies researchers undertaking qualitative research benefit from a wealth of handbooks on how to design methodologically sound studies. However, despite interest in visual research methods, little guidance is provided on eliciting or coding participant drawings. Therefore, we detail how we elicited and coded drawings from participants in a multi-institutional study. We conclude with implications for writing studies researchers to consider when deciding whether to include this data collection tool in their qualitative research toolkit.