Drawing guide

Why should I learn to draw?

Drawing is accessible. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a big impact.
Drawing teaches you discipline and gives purpose.
- I’ve taken many things for granted in life except for my ability to draw.
It is a useful skill, as it can overlap with a lot of different disciplines or projects you have in mind.

4. Once you learn the components of what makes up a drawing, you can explain why you like or dislike a piece of visual art. For example:

“The sunset is very pretty because the harsh contrast in values is not something you see often in an organic environment. The one point perspective serves to highlight the sun as the focal point of the composition. Despite being the highlight of the subject, the sun is proportionally smaller than it’s surrounding components, contributing to it’s powerful atmosphere”.

5. You learn to see the world differently.

You can put into words why something looks the way it does.
For me I see my environment around me using distorted squares and perspective lines.
Fun fact: Once you get comfortable with the fundamentals of drawing, it is difficult to become afraid of anything visually, as the world becomes your oyster.
- For example, instead of a scary tiger, you see a bunch of planes that make up the tiger.

I’ve been drawing for 4 years. I am self-taught through Youtube videos, books, and lots of experimenting.
Personally, I’d recommend finding someone who can teach you to draw. Concepts in drawing can be difficult to understand if you do not have an art background.
To identify if someone would be a good teacher, ask them to draw something extremely difficult such as a cityscape.
- If they respond enthusiastically and try to attempt your request, then I would say that you’ve found yourself a good mentor to learn drawing holistically. Even if they do not have the skill to tackle the request, their mindset will help you overcome hurdles.

A lot of people will tell you tools don’t really matter, its all about the knowledge.
In my opinion, I believe tools do matter, but it is something new artists will pick up along their learning journey, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
All you need is a pencil and paper.
Digital art comes with tools that make learning concepts a lot easier, but you have to learn the software.
- I use my iPad to draw, and I use the software Procreate. It is a one time payment of $13.00, making it much more accessible than Photoshop.

When drawing, it is important to be yourself and to trust yourself.
- For example, I use an unconventional grip when drawing, and my linework is composed of lots of scribbling.
People will try to tell you that you are wrong, but there is not one way to draw. Do what is fun for you, not what is right.
Personally, my drawing process and philosophy is unconventional compared to a lot of artists. I had to do a lot of experimenting and a lot of thinking in order to solidify my approach to subjects.
For this guide, I will present some fundamentals without going too in depth in order to allow users to experiment with them. If you want more information, I will link resources that I used to learn to draw.

Lines are the bread and butter of drawing.
Task: Fill up multiple pages with lines.
- Experiment with the length, curvature, draw them in clusters, draw them overlapping, etc.
- Every line/lines you draw, try to explain what makes it different from a conventional idea of a line.

Values are easily the most important concepts to learn in order to draw.
It is complicated to explain but for now, think of them as cluster of lines.
The more bunched up the lines are, the darker they will look, while less lines will create a sparce look.
Task: Try arranging the lines so they capture a light to dark gradiation.
- Start with spacing out your lines, and then gradually start to bunch them up.
- Experiment with creating a gradation with lines other than straight lines.

Task: Start with filling pages with circles/ovals and squares.
- Avoid trying to make each shape perfect. In order to prevent this, draw them quickly with little thought.
- Once you feel comfortable, experiment with different rotations, different side lengths, and different shapes.

Proportions: Tells you how big or small a subject is compared to it’s environment.
Task: Draw two lines of differing length.
- See how many of the smaller lines fit into the larger line.
- Compare the size of the larger line to the smaller line.
- Do these quickly, the comparisons don’t need to be perfect.

If you enjoyed these small exercises and want to further your knowledge, give these resources a try.

Drawabox: Website is linked ^

Free online courses that assigns exercises and provides critiques.
Main focus is perspective and form.
Designed for people who have never drawn. It is a lot of work, but you will see results.

Learn to Draw Anything: A Simple Method to Start Drawing in 15 Minutes a Day

Drawsh Studios

Older videos explain fundamentals very well.
Newer videos explain anatomy of the human body really well compared to a lot of other channels, which is helpful for drawing people.

Mmmmonexx

Art youtuber. Shows footage of drawing, which can help new artists adopt good habits.
Good for learning how to move your arms to draw.

Feel free to reach out at [email protected]!