Learn to Draw Easy
Your desire to draw starts with your ability to commit to know the basic steps to learn how to draw. Remember when you are 5 years old and you are asked to draw something? You did not hesitate and just used your imagination to draw something. And yes it may not be an award-winning drawing, but the point is you had the confidence to do something. Even with a regular pencil and piece of paper, you were able to draw. But now that you are older, it can get scary to draw anything when asked by your peers. And so to make you a better artist than a kindergarten, you have to follow the steps in the educational process of learning how to draw.
Know your drawing materials
Gaining proper knowledge about drawing materials is crucial to your road of learning. Understand the drawing supplies deeply, so you know exactly what you need and how to use them.
- High quality artist’s pencils – your pencil is the most important material for drawing. You need to choose the most premium pencil, even if they are a bit pricey. Try out different brands and see which one you are comfortable with.
- Sketchbook – you need this material to practice drawing. Choose hardcover and tape bound sketchbook in order to withstand daily use. Plus you can easily lay it flat on any surface for drawing.
- Erasers – erasers are more than just a tool to erase your drawing mistakes. They can be used to enhance your drawing, depending on the type of eraser.
– Rubber eraser: used for erasing graphite
– Kneaded eraser: lifts any surface material without friction. It can produce specific drawing marks
– Gum eraser: removes sections that are tear-sensitive.
– Vinyl or plastic erasers: capable of erasing everything, but it can tear your drawing surface. - Pencil sharpener – you can choose between manual or electric sharpeners. Choose a high quality product to lengthen the life of your pencil.
- Charcoal – this material allows you to create a broader appearance. It is available in either pencil or stick form.
- Conte – this type of crayon is like chalk, but a conte crayon is waxier. It can be purchased in sticks of sanguine, sepia, black, bistre, and white. Conte is hard to erase.
- Drawing pens or ink – using this material requires you to have mastery in drawing.
- Blending stumps or tortillions – this drawing supply is perfect for creating smudges or blending drawing tones.
- Colored pencils – use this to add color and life to your drawings. There are different types of colored pencils, which are:
– Prismacolor premier: wax based, soft
– Faber-castell polychromos: oil-based
– Caran D’ache Luminance: wax-based, hard - Drawing storage – protect your drawing from the elements by preserving them in a drawing storage.
- Drawing supply storage – avoid clutter of your drawing tools by organizing them in a drawing supply storage.
Collect drawing information
You cannot start drawing without enough knowledge. Gather all information you can find about drawing materials, techniques, samples, steps, and everything else that can provide you a clear picture of what you are doing. You can learn a lot from joining drawing forums online, reading drawing books how-to, watching drawing video tutorials, and talking to artists.
Learn from common drawing mistakes
It is in mistakes that you can learn how to draw better. But if you already know what mistakes to avoid, your drawing process can get more efficient. And so let us look at a few common drawing mistakes.
One grade pencil
Choose your pencil wisely. Use a No. 2 (HB) for light shading, but use B, 4B, and 2B pencils for darker tones. The trick here is to have different grades of pencils, and not stick to one.
Use of flash
It is just right to see every angle of your subject, but do not use flash or very bright light to illuminate your subject. Use natural lighting, or something similar in order to preserve the real tone of your subject.
No construction lines
Before you draw your subject, create a construction line on your paper so you can easily create a sketch. Knowing the alignment of your drawing helps in producing well-balanced features of your subject.
No subject connection
Regardless of what your subject is, you need to have a sense of connection. If you have absolutely no emotion towards your subject, your drawing will turn out to be unfeeling, dull, and uninteresting.
Low quality materials
Many beginner artists are guilty of buying cheap drawing materials, thinking that it does not matter. But the fact is, the quality of drawing supplies plays a major role in drawing. Invest in high quality drawing items, and see how beautiful your work is.
Mimicking artists
There is nothing wrong with idolizing another artist. But is not good to work on copying another person’s drawing style. Create your own style in drawing so you have a solid foundation for your art.
Join drawing workshops
Always practice your craft, no matter how busy you are. You can practice on your own, but it is better to join drawing workshops. In workshops you can learn new things, and develop your skill in drawing. You have the freedom to converse with other aspiring artists, and form a bond with new friends. It is important to meet people who have the same passion for drawing as you. You can learn from each other, and boost each other’s confidence when you feel down. Plus, you have access to an artist who teaches the drawing workshop.
Conclusion
Learning how to draw can be quite a challenging process. But when you figure out the basic steps on learning the art of drawing, you will surely find that drawing is so much fun. It takes an great artist to give life, purpose, and new perspective to any subject, and it all starts with the basics. By knowing where to start your drawing learning curve, you are subjecting yourself to a brighter future in drawing.
