Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Simple Drawings
• Part 2 of 2: Further improvement
• Tips
• Warnings

You may be very capable of drawing, but honing technique requires hard practice rather than talent alone. Fortunately, there are many ways you can improve your artistic skills.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Simple Drawings

1. 1 Draw shapes. Practice drawing the five basic geometric shapes.
   • The five basic shapes are a sphere, a pyramid, a parallelepiped, a cylinder, and a cone. All drawings are based on these basic shapes.
   • Draw shapes of different sizes, proportions, and rotated at different angles.
   • Learn to depict shadows in different light source locations. This will prepare you to draw more complex shapes, so don't be impatient.
   • Use different materials: pencils of different thicknesses and hardness, pens, markers, colored pencils, charcoal, and so on. This will help you get a feel for the peculiarities of working with a particular tool.
2. 2 Draw simple images. Once you are comfortable drawing shapes with confidence, you can start combining them. For example, a cylinder with a cone placed on it or connected spheres are a fairly simple start to the path to truly complex designs.
   • Do not press too hard on the pencil, or it will be difficult for you to erase mistakes.In addition, you first need to work out the proportions and shapes of the picture, and only then outline more brightly and darken the shadows.
   • Use a variety of materials here as well to find out which ones you like best.
3. 3 Practice drawing chiaroscuro. It depends on the shape of the object and the degree of its illumination. Correct shading will help you make your drawing really three-dimensional. Start with simple shapes and then apply the skills you've learned to more complex combinations.
   • Draw shadows in one direction. Hatching in one direction (straight line) works well for most shapes, but when drawing animals or leaves, hatching along the curves of the object will accentuate its shape. If the shading does not match the contours, the viewer will have a dual impression of the object (contours imply one shape, shadows imply another), which ultimately will not look right.
4. 4 Get help and advice. Don't feel like you have to develop your artistic talent solely on your own. Ask for help from fellow artists, art teachers, friends and everyone whose opinion you trust. Take their advice to improve the skills you need to improve and learn new drawing techniques.

Part 2 of 2: Further improvement

1. 1 Draw from life constantly. This is a foundational exercise that will develop your powers of observation and eye and will seriously improve your skills.
   • Photos are not ideal in comparison with real life, as the image may be flat (no aerial perspective), distorted or not give an idea of ​​the true proportions. Seeing a fighter in a photo is one thing; evaluating its size and power in reality is quite another.
2. 2 Draw the details carefully. However, do not dwell on them: good drawing is primary, and details are the next addition.
   • The best way to make a detailed drawing is to break it down into simple shapes and lines. You can use a pencil at arm's length to measure scale and length-to-width ratio. When you have sketched the shape of the object as a whole, draw it in more detail, and then you can focus on the small details. Always start with a larger one and keep the level of detail in your drawing uniform.
   • If you're drawing animals, add stripes, specks, glitter, scales, fur, long hair, and a background.
3. 3 Learn to draw animals or people in motion. For this, the posture must convey movement and not be static. You won't get it right away, so take your time and keep practicing. Don't be surprised if your first attempts fail and the people or animals depicted appear clumsy or caricatured.
4. 4 Draw larger compositions. Try to paint a landscape or city scene full of action. First, make a general sketch to outline the composition, and then fill in the drawing with all the details that make the scene come alive.
5. 5 Keep practicing and have fun drawing for a lifetime. Drawing cannot be learned in one day; moreover, your skills will constantly evolve. If you read about artists, you will see that those of them who have worked over the years have often changed their style over time; this was influenced by new knowledge, the desire to push the boundaries of their creativity, the desire for change and improvement. In other words, improving your drawing skills (no matter how good they are already) is a lifelong process and it never stops. It is based on diligence and constancy; if you really love drawing, you can easily develop both.

Tips

• Drawing is not a competitive sport. You paint to express something important to you, and you do it in your own way and at the right time.
• Don't compare your drawings to those of famous artists.Remember that they are professionals and have been doing this all their lives. However, you can be inspired by their creativity if you are motivated by the idea that one day you will learn to draw just as well.
• Experiment with different types and textures of paper. The pencil lays on Bristol cardboard in a completely different way than on cotton fiber paper. Choose a texture that suits you best or suits your design best.
• To see your drawing progress, take one of your old drawings and repeat it. If you don't see any noticeable improvement, think about which one you should improve. You can repeat this several times.
• Don't use the same technique all the time; a good and receptive artist will gladly try any materials that fall into his hands. The basics of drawing remain the same - so the laws of linear perspective work the same whether you draw with a pencil or charcoal.
• Seek constructive criticism. This means: ask not only to point out the flaws in the drawing, but also to tell you how to fix them or minimize them.
• Create an account on deviantart.com and post your art there. You can ask for an appraisal of your work and get some advice.
• Art is a way to express what cannot be expressed in words. When something truly expressive comes to you - draw it!

Warnings

• Sometimes you just can't draw anything, and it seems to you that you have lost all your skills - but this is just a creative crisis. This is normal and happens to everyone, so don't worry. Try to find an effective way out of it.
• Don't take it personally if someone says that you draw disgustingly. Just keep practicing.
• Don't get stressed (emotionally or physically) from setbacks. Everyone makes mistakes.
• If the drawing failed, analyze its flaws and use the findings to improve your skills in the future. It is often helpful to take a step back and practice, for example, in basic anatomy, perspective, or chiaroscuro.
• If you have a friend who can paint better than you, don't be upset. Keep improving. Also, try not to perceive it as "he is better than me": you just haven't found your style yet, and when that happens, your work will be just as good - but not in his, but in your own manner.