Drawing how to learn. Why you should learn to draw and how to do it

Parents are touched by our first children's naive drawings. Growing up, we - yesterday's authors of ridiculous scribbles, feel a desire to display the fabulous beauty of the world, a small part which we managed to comprehend without using such technical means as video and photographic equipment, wondering how to learn how to draw certain objects.

The most accessible painting technique for an amateur artist is pencil drawings. At the same time, the process of drawing is a kind of stimulator of brain activity. And art therapy itself is recognized as an effective preventive and rehabilitative tool for relieving stress and overcoming emotional emptiness.

To create the first full-fledged drawing from life, a sheet of paper, a clean eraser and simple pencil. It is best to start learning to draw with the implementation of small, static objects. For example, you can choose some household appliance or some kitchen utensils.

The first step is to create a rough sketch of the object being displayed, a view or pose. With the help of a sketch, you fix the first impression, what you are trying to convey in the drawing. To create a full-fledged image of an object in your imagination, you need to examine it well from all sides, paying attention to the shape, the material from which it is made, and also the shadow it casts.

After that, the composition of the picture is determined. Simply put, you decide where on an impromptu canvas - a sheet of paper the object will be displayed, from what angle it will be written, and at what scale. Having finished the sketch, the artist begins to draw the details. On final stage shading should be done.

Basic pencil drawing techniques

How to quickly learn to draw with a pencil? To do this, you have to learn special equipment pencil drawings. Most often, when creating pencil drawings, techniques such as shading and hatching are used. It is easiest for beginners to master shading. It should be noted that in art schools the emphasis is on teaching hatching techniques, considering shading to be less complete.

Hatching

How to learn to draw with a pencil using hatching? It is performed by sequentially drawing with a pencil on the surface to be painted short, shallow parallel lines, placing them at a short distance. At the same time, when finishing the line, it is important to tear the pencil off the paper, and not to zigzag its pointed tip to the beginning of the next line, leaving a visible mark. The area of ​​the drawing is hatched strictly in one selected direction.

Hatching helps to achieve a change in the saturation of the tone of the picture. To do this, the artist changes the frequency of the strokes and the direction of the hatching, choosing between vertical, horizontal and diagonal strokes. To increase the depth of color, they resort to applying cross strokes of different directions. If necessary, to convey the relief of the surface, you can use strokes from indirect lines - arcuate or broken.

Hatching is ideal for displaying tones and shadows, surface textures. However, it is considered relatively difficult for beginners and takes a long time to master. Therefore, it is preferable to first master the shading technique. It is also used when it is necessary to hide hatching errors.

shading

How to learn to draw with a pencil using shading? It allows you to achieve great naturalness of the image, as there is a smooth gradation of tone. Feathering is carried out as follows: initial strokes are applied to the drawing area, which are then rubbed with feathering or its substitutes - cotton buds, a suede cloth, a piece of paper. Some people blend the drawing with their fingers, but this practice can lead to grease stains on the work, which will not add to its aesthetics.

If you decide to use shading, then preliminary hatching should be done with cross broken strokes. Rub strokes in only one direction - from top to bottom. The main thing is to achieve a visible uniformity of shading. If necessary, those areas that came out lighter are re-shaded with a pencil, and darker areas are lightened with an eraser.

Basic drawing rules

The main principle is the movement from simple to complex, from general to details. How to learn how to draw with a pencil? So in order to achieve good results in drawing, you have to be patient. Before decent drawings begin to turn out, you need to draw the simplest objects many times. And in order to understand how to learn how to draw "in an adult way", you need to familiarize yourself with the rules of drawing. When creating a drawing, take into account the fundamental rules of drawing, namely:

1. Perspective - objects that are closer to the observer appear larger than those that are far away.
2. Location - an object displayed at the bottom of the sheet is perceived closer to the rest.
3. Size - a larger object is perceived closer to a smaller one.
4. Penumbra - if part of the object is on the opposite side of the light source, it must be drawn darker.
5. Shadow - to create the illusion of volume, on the opposite side of the light source, draw a shadow cast from the object.
6. Contour - the boundaries of rounded objects need to be drawn more carefully. This will give them depth and volume.
7. Horizon - with its help, the artist creates the illusion of finding objects in the picture at different distances from the viewer.
8. Density - distant objects in the picture are not drawn in as much detail as near ones and are performed in lighter colors.

Drawing simple objects

Some of the easiest objects to transfer to a drawing are buildings and vehicles. How to learn to draw the simplest house, most of those who have already graduated from the elementary know art school. The contours of the building almost always form straight lines. A simple combination of two geometric shapes- rectangle and triangle - already creates a primitive sketch of a classic one-story building.

To obtain a drawing of a car, you need to perform a simple algorithm: draw the outer contours of the car, separating them with a line of symmetry. Then the body is drawn. After that, the wheels should be displayed. The next step will be drawing the details of the near part of the car. In the final, mirrors, glazing and doors are drawn. A more difficult level of drawing is the creation of drawings of animals. Drawing animals from nature is quite difficult, as they are never static, and strive to change their posture.

Before starting to draw large animals, such as a horse, define it individual characteristics - characteristic shape muzzle, the density of the mane, the development of the muscles of the legs.

Creating a drawing of a person

After the animals, you can move on to drawing portraits of people. But how to learn to draw people with a pencil? To begin with, the composition is determined. The drawing of a person begins with the outline of the head, then the outlines of the rest of the body are drawn from top to bottom. So that the resulting image specific person was recognizable most attention focus on drawing the face. And to draw it correctly, you should act in stages.

First of all, determine how it will be located on the sheet. Draw an axis of symmetry in the center of the canvas. Draw the outlines of the face in the form of an inverted chicken egg. Then you should carefully recreate the shape of the face, starting from the chin and moving up to the widest part - the cheekbones. Having formed their outline, the artist continues his upward movement towards the narrow, temporal area. The resulting lines are aligned by correcting with an eraser.

Having received an oval, it is divided into three layers with thin longitudinal lines. The first, near the chin, is the marker for the tip of the nose. The nose must be drawn from the tip. This item may have the most different shape. The most common are round or square shapes. But how to learn to draw a mouth? The contours of the mouth are drawn from the central curve of the upper lip.

Then comes the stage of drawing the eyes. In the drawings of a person's face they play leading role because they grab the viewer's eye. That is why the eyes are drawn with special care. To begin with, they indicate the lines of the eyebrows, focusing on the bridge of the nose. The type of character of a person that the artist seeks to convey depends on the shape of the eyebrows. Having displayed the contours of the eyes, you need to carefully draw their shape. Then the pupil is drawn, the eyelid lines are fixed and eyelashes are drawn.

Manga

For inexperienced artists, the easiest way to transition to portraying people is through drawing manga. How to learn this style? Create drawings of Japanese characters animated films relatively easier than painting portraits from nature. In the manga, the emphasis is on the image of the head, eyes and hair of the hero.

Manga drawing goes according to the following scheme: an oval outline of the head is applied. It is divided in half by a straight line and two parallel lines drawn across the oval divide the character's head into three parts. Points of the eyes, nose and mouth are marked. Manga eyes are large and are drawn starting from the arch of the upper eyelid. The eyes are wide apart. When drawing the pupil, the artist must pay special attention to the creation of highlights.

The manga nose is disproportionately small, usually indicated by a tick. The lips are also not accentuated - in two parallel lines. Hair is depicted in the form of falling triangles, which run a little over large eyes.

The main thing is to draw a lot and often, so that this activity becomes a pleasant pastime.

More recently, I myself was worried about this issue in the morning, afternoon and night. Therefore, I perfectly understand what those who want to draw feel, but just can not start. They don't really know how.

No. 1. Draw every day!
Yes, exactly every day. At least 10-15 minutes, but every day. For this, for example, the project "365 days in sketches" is perfect, the purpose of which is daily drawing. It's very difficult, to be honest. Sometimes there is no time (guests came, vacation, business trip), sometimes moods (stress, depression, dissatisfaction with oneself), sometimes strength after difficult day. And yet, despite all the obstacles, it is important not to miss a single day. Let it be a small sketch for 2 minutes, but do not skip it. Since the next day you will need to draw 2 sketches, and having missed a week, you will have to catch up for 7 days already. So that the sketches are not a burden, it is better to choose a smaller format, for example, A5. Personally, I draw in a notebook that I can always take with me. And the sketches are in one place, which I also like. Some choose separate sheets, A4 format... Everyone has their own approach to daily sketches, choose yours and start. ;)

No. 2. Draw what you want and like, not everything.

Start drawing with what is easier, and not with everything in a row. A cup/glass/bottle is much easier to draw than curtains. Similarly, a book is easier to draw than a few houses. It's better to learn to draw 2-3 things very well than 25 somehow.

No. 3. Allow yourself to draw badly; Draw for fun, not for results.
This will help you relax and just draw. It is in this case that there best work, because you do not expect masterpieces from yourself. As soon as I stopped thinking about the result, I immediately stopped being afraid to make an irreparable mistake, to draw a bad job. As long as you are learning, drawing for your own pleasure, for yourself, and not to order, you can always take new leaf and start again or again. If I know that the topic of sketching/working is new to me, I do not draw in a notebook or on expensive paper, but I take piece watercolor paper (bought specifically for such cases - 100 A4 sheets for 3 euros) and allow myself to make mistakes. :)

No. 4. Make a preliminary pencil sketch.
Sometimes you really want to take and immediately draw with watercolors (or other material) everything the way it has been drawn in your head for a long time. But in fact, it turns out that the circle turned out to be not round, the lines are uneven and the tree should have been in the wrong place. To prevent such situations, I trained myself to always do a pencil sketch. It can be corrected, corrected or completely redrawn. That's when the hand is full and I'm sure that the pencil sketch will be superfluous, I allow myself to work without it. Although not everything works out the first time, even with a full hand.

No. 5. Draw both from nature and from photographs.
Many people think that drawing from nature is a skill, but from photographs it is such a scribble-doodles. Who cares what others say, if it’s more convenient for us to draw and the work only benefits from this? I try to draw some things only from nature (for example, dishes, shoes), because they can be twisted, examined, felt. But what to do if there is no necessary nature or you want to see how this object could be depicted using a camera ?! By the way, these do not have to be other people's photographs, often I photograph the drawn object myself and check the lines, so to speak.

No. 6. Copy other people's work.
As long as you're learning and don't pass off other people's work as your own, don't sell it, why not copy someone else's work for educational purposes? So you can quickly find your topic, materials, techniques; you will understand that what you really like in other people's work is absolutely not yours. Or by copying someone else's, you will find your compositional or color scheme. Don't be afraid to talk about it openly. You study, and in study all means are good.

No. 8. Do not listen to anyone, or rather do not listenanyone.
This advice complements the previous one and is also very important. The first sketches / drawings / works are most likely far from ideal. Uncertainty and doubts follow. So why do you need someone else's, often incompetent, criticism? The same applies to sketches on the street. Passers-by and all sorts of onlookers are madly in love with sticking their noses into other people's leaves, notebooks and canvases. When you gain experience and confidence, you yourself will feel that it is time. :) In the meantime, you can (if you really need and want to) exhibit your work in your journal (if you trust your readers) or in specialized communities (for example, club_365 or art_expiration ).

No. 9. Try different materials.
During my 11 month drawing period, I tried graphite pencils (popularly referred to as "simple"), colored, watercolor, gouache, watercolor, acrylic, and ink. Naturally, all this was gradually, one by one. Acquainted with different materials, I realized that pencils are not at all mine, gouache and acrylic works are obtained only in the style of impressionism and nothing else, but watercolor and ink give me a huge field for creativity. If I had chosen only colored pencils (with which I started my "365"), I would still be tormented with shadow, chiaroscuro and reflexes. ;)

No. 10. Buy good materials.
It doesn't have to be the most expensive, and not all at once. But it must be quality materials. It is much more pleasant to paint with watercolors on watercolor paper than on xerox paper (after all, it is almost always at hand), which immediately warps and gets wet. Yes, and children's watercolor (aka school) will aggravate learning.

No. 11. Collect everything that inspires.
When you surround yourself with inspiring things, photographs, other people's work, you unwittingly want to achieve the same skill yourself. Get a virtual folder on your computer or a plastic/cardboard box at home and collect whatever you like and admire. It's sad, you don't know what to draw - take a look at your finds, materials, clippings, leaflets and inspiration will immediately make itself felt. ;)

No. 12. Do not read educational books.
You don't need books that will teach you how to draw in a month or 10-20-30 lessons. Most of the time they just waste money and don't produce any results. It may be useful to look through, but in order to find an answer to one question (for example, how to correctly depict the human eye, if this does not work out in any way). But the books of Natalie Ratkowski "Profession - an illustrator. Learning to think creatively" and "Allow yourself to create" I would advise you to make desktop. For beginners, the second book will be more suitable, but the first is very useful. Just here you can get acquainted with the ways of liberating both yourself and your imagination, how not to be afraid of a blank sheet and look at hundreds of examples of a practicing illustrator and designer.

No. 13. Listen to yourself.
And most importantly, drawing every day does not mean large, finished works. These are just sketches, but they are of great benefit. Daily exercise brings excellent results over time. The same goes for any skill, and drawing is no exception. It’s just that it will take someone six months, someone a year, and someone, perhaps 3. But I’m sure that you can learn to draw at any age and with any preparation. Get started and see for yourself!

Each of the tips has been tested by me in practice, most of them I still use.

If you have other tips for beginners, proven by experience and time, please share in the comments! :)

We all drew at some point in our childhood. It was easy then, no matter what we drew with - colored pencils, a stick, or a finger on a misted glass. But even then, you may have noticed that some children drew better than you. Not that you knew what "better" meant - all you understood was the joy of praise. When you heard someone being praised and your work completely ignored, you felt worse and worse. After all, you gave up drawing. After all, why continue if no one cares?

Now, for whatever reason, you want to start painting again, but it scares you. Those children who never stopped drawing are now professionals, and their work looks almost magical. How can you bridge this gap? Will you ever catch up with them?

The answer is that no one knows. But not their you have to try to catch up. After all, this your dream is to draw what you want, in the style you want, without constant criticism for mistakes. This "future you" should be your ideal, because whether you become as good as he or she depends only on you, and not on the abilities / opinions of others.

Once you make your future self your example, you will continually grow. Your goal is to be better than yesterday. Doesn't that sound more real than becoming as good an artist as anyone else in an instant? If you agree with me, join me in this great task. I won't show you how to draw - you wouldn't even want to! Instead I'll show you how study paint. I will take you through four major stages, which you will gradually master.

This is the first level. If you have been wondering how to start drawing after a long break, here is your answer. I will present a set of exercises for beginners - some of them will seem obvious to you, but it will only mean that your level is slightly higher than you thought. Ready?

tune in

When you decide to learn something, the right attitude matters more than all the books in the world. I already gave you one little piece of advice - Compare your present self with your future self, not with others. More tips are ahead of you, so read this part carefully before starting the exercises.

Ideal does not exist

When you set a goal for yourself, it can look very real and achievable. “This is me today, and this is me when I reach the goal,” that's what you imagine. There is a certain path between these two points, and it seems to you that you can quite walk this path. However, you are missing one important detail- Your needs change with you.

Today, the ability to draw a stick man may seem amazing, but only because you don’t know how to do it yet. Once you reach your goal, it loses its power and you look for something else, something stronger. You can't want what you already have. That's why you can complain about not being able to draw a stickman as if it's some valuable ability, and someone who can draw him complains about not being able to draw a real person.

There is no moment when you are good enough. This is how we are made, so just accept it. You will never think of your abilities like this: “I am a great artist, and I don’t need to learn anything else, now I do it just for fun.” This will not happen! There will always be something you can't do, something that will make you perfect...and once you get there, that something will open up a whole new world things to be learned before your very eyes.

When you think you know 99% of something, the remaining 1% will show you how wrong you are.

If there's a way to be perfect, it's easy. stop trying. You must understand that no matter how good you are at drawing, it will not make you better, more significant than on this moment. This is true on the other hand, no matter how bad you are at drawing, it doesn't make you any less important. This leads us to the next step:

Do it for yourself

If you want to draw beautifully just to feel the joy of praise, get ready for a lot of suffering. Do you remember that feeling of pride in your work until someone started criticizing you? Why is your satisfaction so easily dissipated just by the fact that a random stranger has expressed his opinion?

If your satisfaction depends on the opinions of others, you will never be completely satisfied. What's more, you'll let people who don't even care manage your mood! Even if it makes you good artist eventually you will be in constant tension from the fact that you are not good enough. And what would you choose to be fine artist in constant tension, or be a bad but satisfied artist?

I covered the topic of criticism in another article of mine, so if this is a burning topic for you, be sure to read it. Remember: you don't want to become a great artist. You just want to be happy with your work, and sometimes you think that you need to be at the level of a professional for this. This is wrong! Stop comparing yourself to them and instead consider if you can be better than you were yesterday - that's all you need to feel satisfied.

You set your own goals, so don't make them unattainable. Your goal should be good enough" You. Do it for fun, with ease, and don't be too hard on yourself for not being as good as someone who has been training for years. You are doing this for yourself and only for yourself. Learn to celebrate small successes, regardless of what others think about it. After all, what do they understand?

There is only one goal

There may be many reasons for you to start learning to draw, but you only have one goal. This study, how to draw! “Learn” is the key word here, because learning how to draw once and for all is really impossible. It is a constant, endless process. Therefore, if your goal is "to be able to draw anything 100% realistic", you will be disappointed, because this goal depends on what you want to see, not from what you can draw. And what you want to see changes with the development of your abilities, along with your vision of 100% realism.

The feeling that there is somewhere end point- it's just an illusion.

It is important to understand that this journey never ends. As long as it seems to you that there is a goal that you need to achieve in order to be satisfied with your drawings, you will never be satisfied! Learn to appreciate every, even a small indicator of progress, and just enjoy the journey. Learning is the only thing you will do constantly and it is the only goal that will no longer move.

If you really need more specific goals, please set them. However, don't make any of them the reason for your happiness and confidence - it's pointless. And even as you follow these small goals, don't forget that it's all for the sake of the process, and it doesn't really matter when you achieve them.

Core Skills

The simpler the drawing looks to you, the weaker your abilities are likely to be. It may sound funny, but there is a rule for this, and it is called the Dunning-Kruger effect. Briefly, the less you know about something, the more you think you know. This is because knowledge of what you Not know - also knowledge!

You can say "I know drawing is not easy - if it were easy, I could do it!" But at the same time, you almost cry when your drawing does not turn out the way you would like. If you really knew how difficult it is to draw something correctly, you would not be so upset - it would be obvious to you that this difficult!

When you look at skillful artist drawing his masterpiece, and you can’t understand how he does it, and you just want to blame talent for everything. This clear sign that you are a beginner. If you were a level higher, even just a little, if you only tried learn how to draw - you'd understand what's up Not only in abilities.

When you are completely new to drawing, do you think that draw is all that is required

Stage 1: Draw what you want

This touches on the main definition of drawing: to leave marks on something. It's about training your hands to draw almost automatically, with whatever material you want to use. Beginners usually see this as the one essential drawing skill, but it's really just the basics. Keyword: physical exercise.

Stage 2: Draw what you want

This is about using the tool intentionally, avoiding guesswork. If after drawing something beautiful you are afraid that you will not be able to repeat it, perhaps this is the stage you need to work on. It's also up to you if you can't copy the source well until you've outlined it. Keyword: accuracy.

Stage 3: Draw what you want

This part is less about drawing and more about memory. I covered the main idea in another article, but there are also other exercises that will make the process easier for you. While the previous level was about drawing from imagination, this one is about putting things in place. Keyword: visual database.

Stage 4: Draw what you want

This is the hardest, most blurry part. How can you draw something exactly the way you want it, no matter what others might expect? How can you draw something unrealistic, but still worthy of praise? Notice it comes after how you master realism! Keyword: style.

How to study

Of course, today we are working on the first stage, hence such a long introduction. You need to understand that this is not a lesson in the truest sense of the word - these are exercises that will help you move to the next level, but how to use them is up to you.

I am assuming that for this tutorial you will be using a simple pencil and paper. Beginners often wonder if they should start with a pencil, or with graphics tablet, but in the second case it will complicate the task. Chances are high that you are already familiar with the pencil - no need to add new tool which you will have to learn from scratch.

However, if you are experienced in traditional drawing and want to start your electronic drawing adventure, these exercises will help you get used to the special stylus movements. If you want to draw with your other hand (for example, because of an injury, or just for fun), they will also be useful!

Now there is only you and good pencil. Start with the one you write with, and then if it's not clear/comfortable enough, choose the one that works best. All exercises are yours. playground, don't pressure yourself, test your abilities, and don't compare them to any abilities you imagined.

• Practice in short time periods(from 5 to 15 minutes), but regularly - at least once a day.
• Don't hurt inconvenience to your hand- she can get tired, and even more - in this case, find a more comfortable version of the movements.
• Let your hand always will be relaxed- Do not press down on the pencil/pen with all your might. Your job is to leave traces, nothing more.
• Do not use any special paper or notepad. You can draw on reverse side printed sheets that you were going to throw away, or on the cheapest printer paper.
• Turn on good music , or even an audiobook - there's no need to focus entirely on what you're doing. Our goal here is to make the movements automatic for your hand.
• Never forget why you are doing it. Don't treat it like a duty- you can stop at any time if you don't feel like it anymore!

Enough talk, let's get to work!

1. Draw Doodles

Let's start freely - just draw something. Believe it or not, you already you can draw, you just want more control over it. Let yourself have some fun and just draw like you're sitting in a boring lecture with nothing to do. Don't draw anything specific, and don't judge yourself harshly!

This exercise:

• warms up your hand;
• relaxes your hand;
• reminds you what drawing is;
• allows you to free your thoughts.

This is a warm-up exercise, so don't push yourself!

All examples in the illustration above are drawn by my left hand (I'm right handed). The hand you write with is probably more skillful, because you use it (at least sometimes) to write. However, the untrained hand of an experienced artist clearly shows us the mechanical part of the drawing process.

2. Control the direction

Draw a bunch of dots, or a starry sky. Then play Snake! Try to move smoothly, and do not make sharp turns. If you want to make it harder, use more dots and connect them diagonally first.

This exercise:

• teaches you how to smoothly change direction;
• allows you to gain control over the direction of the line - this is the first step in achieving accuracy;
• adapts your hand to several positions;
• allows you to check if the pencil/pen is comfortable in all positions.

This is a fun exercise that you should treat like a game.

3. Draw any lines

Drawing straight lines can be tricky for an untrained hand, so it's important to practice drawing them. Don't aim for perfect straightness - draw lines quickly, easily using various directions. Some of them will be more comfortable for you to draw than others, and that's okay. For this reason, I draw my creatures facing left!

This exercise:

• trains a stable position of the pencil / pen in the hand;
• is an extension of the previous exercise;
• allows you to find the "rhythm" of your hand - the most comfortable direction of your lines.

Don't worry if the lines come out uneven - this is normal for a start.

When you find the one ideal direction, use it in the future. Rotate the sheet if necessary, but still continue to work in this favorite rhythm - this will be your first step towards drawing comfort.

4. Draw ovals

I didn't say "circles" on purpose, because circles are just as scary as straight lines. Draw ovals, and not even perfect ones. Draw them big and small, fast and slow, and don't worry about them being perfect. The goal here is to keep turning and end the line where you started.

This exercise:

• practices hand rotation in large and small ranges;
• teaches you how to handle a pencil/pen while spinning;
• this is the next step in gaining control of direction.

Forget about perfect circles for a moment - they are rarely needed in drawing.

5. Practice your strokes

Hatching is a technique that is used for shading, but it also relies on a very important movement of the hand. Draw a series of fast, short lines in one direction and then criss-cross with another series of lines. You can also try the hairball technique, or any other shading technique. If this is difficult for you, start a little slower, but never focus on one line!

This exercise:

• allows you to recreate the movement you just used;
• trains your hand for quick but conscious movement;
• trains the movement "quickly and clearly";
• makes you look for ways to repeat that won't tire you out;
• teaches you to think in terms of "space" instead of "line";

This technique will always be a little tedious, but try to find a way that doesn't require more effort than necessary.

6. Fill closed spaces

Let's combine the two exercises. Draw ovals and then quickly fill them in with hatching. Here your goal is not to cross the path, which can be very difficult if you work fast enough. Don't try to fill in the gaps - instead try to make sure they don't appear.

This exercise:

• expands the exercise "drawing lines" - trains a stable position of the pencil / pen in the hand;
• increases your confidence in control;
• includes several different exercises;
• trains your accuracy both at the beginning and at the end of the line.

It's harder than you think!

7. Master pressure levels

For a perfectionist who is just learning to draw, letting go can be very difficult. It was as if imprinted in them that each line should be perfect the first time, without corrections. This exercise is the first step towards breaking this “rule”. Draw lines and scribbles using different levels pressure. Change them and see if you can do it gradually. You can even make a line gradient!

This exercise:

• gives you freedom!
• teaches you the very important vertical movement and how to combine it with the more familiar horizontal movement;
• teaches you to "feel" the pencil/pen;
• the most important of all.

Soft pencils (B) have more pressure levels than hard pencils (H) - check them out and choose the one that suits you.

8. Repeat Lines

Let's continue the previous exercise. Now you will learn a very important trick, a trick that not all beginners know about.

Draw a short line with low pressure. Then paint over it again and again. As final touch, you can press harder. Do the same with different lines, quickly, and don't worry if you don't succeed at first. This is a difficult exercise, but it works wonders!

This exercise:

• trains your accuracy;
• gives you full control over the line;
• gives you more high level accuracy;
• gives you confidence that you can draw - the lines start to come out as you intended, and not just "turn out".

Do not do this exercise too slowly, otherwise it will not have any effect.

9. Draw "soft" shapes

All these exercises should prepare you for this last exercise. Circles or long lines are nearly impossible to draw all at once without any further adjustments. The truth is that artists rarely draw anything with long lines - short lines much easier to control.

Learn this - and you are free - draw various shapes, constantly lifting and moving the pencil / pen. Do it quickly and don't strain your arm too much.

This exercise:

• will allow you to get rid of the most limiting habit of a beginner
• really let you plan how to direct your line instead of letting your hand decide
• prepares you for the next level

With this technique, you can draw anything - see for yourself how it can change.

Like this!

Use these exercises to practice your mechanical skills every day. The progress they give you depends entirely on your diligence and discipline. Do them until they are child's play before moving on to the next stage. The order here is very important - without a good base, it will be more difficult for you to learn something new in the future.

This can all be boring, but remember why you are doing this - you are teaching your hand the movements that are the basis for the most complex drawings. It's like buying the ingredients for a new, amazing recipe. You can invest more money, and get delicious dish, which you so want, or try to save money, and get a sad result. Nothing of value comes easy!

Remember: repetition is the key here. What you train is called muscle memory, and like "ordinary" memory, it requires constant, regular practice to keep anything in it for long. So, keep practicing and look forward to the lesson on the next step - intent and precision.

You can print this image to remember all the exercises.

Not all talents are manifested in our childhood. Sometimes adults do not notice them, sometimes they are afraid to develop them, sometimes we ourselves are afraid of something. In general, as a result, we choose a profession, as they say, more reliable. And talent sleeps, sleeps, and then again! - and wake up. Sometimes amazing things happen. Artist Anna Moses took up painting at the age of 67 and has exhibited her paintings in galleries around the world.

Why do adults start drawing?

Probably, most often because they remember a forgotten favorite childhood hobby. As soon as there is at least some more or less free time- here they are remembered. Going on maternity leave, being fired from work, retiring… even a divorce or a simple cold can be an impetus for creativity. A return to a long-time favorite, but forgotten pastime - like meeting a childhood friend - no need to put on airs and pretend to be something - everyone is already doing so well.

Why draw for an adult?

What to expect from yourself if you are an amateur? Is it worth it to continue, is it necessary to study, why should an adult draw at all - unprofessional?

To rest and switch.

You sit down to draw for half an hour - and - where am I? it's already evening ... But tension and fatigue are gone. If you need to relax and "recharge", there is reliable way- sketchbook. Drawing, we stop solving problems, or rather, we transfer the authority to deal with them to our wise subconscious. This brings drawing closer to sleep - you sleep with the problem, and the solution comes by itself.

To overcome a difficult life stage.

To enjoy.

We are sometimes too fixated on the result. We argue like this: “Why should I study, because I will not exhibit and sell my work.” Well, firstly, who knows, and secondly, can't we sometimes afford to do not what we should, but what we just like?

To become more successful.

Drawing people are more observant and self-confident - this known fact, they quickly concentrate on the main thing, they are able to snatch the most significant from the flow of information, they are less concerned about the opinions of others. And those around them are more interesting with them ☺. Drawing can give a new impetus to the main work or lead you into boundless distances.

To see the world with different eyes.

Adults are too rational. We studied well at school, we know a lot, as a result, in 90% of cases we use our rational left hemisphere while our imagination is asleep at this time. But this is a disaster, we become bores, it's boring with us! You won't expect any surprises from us. If you draw - just like that, for yourself, for pleasure - you can “turn on” and right hemisphere. It's very interesting to see where it takes you☺

Victoria Sobolevskaya

The craft of a good draftsman is based on 2 basic things: the ability to control your hand and the right vision. If you want to create or design websites, then you can’t do without special training.

The next 6 sections of the article, in fact, are the first step in this direction - you will learn how to learn how to draw and where to start. Immediately after that, proceed to the second part of the topic and go on.

This is a translation of a note from Medium by Ralph Ammer (all graphics are his own).

Advice. For the next 6 tasks, use one type of pen and one type of paper (for example, A5).

Hand dexterity - two workouts

The first two moves are about controlling your hand. You should fill your hand, and also learn to coordinate the vigilance of the eye and the movement of the brush. Mechanical practices are great for beginners. You can later use them to try out new tools. They also allow you to relax and take a break from mental or physical work. So, how to start drawing correctly.

1. Lots and lots of circles

Fill a sheet of paper with circles different sizes. Try not to overlap the circles.

Learning to draw circles is not as easy as you might think. Note that the more circles on the paper, the more difficult it is to add the next one. Draw them in two directions and as many as you can.

Advice. Shake your hand when it starts to cramp, do this after each set.

2. Hatching - creating a structure

Fill in a sheet of paper with parallel lines.

Diagonal lines are the easiest for us, as they correspond to the movement of our wrist. Note that the left-hander prefers the opposite direction of strokes than the right-hander. Take a look at your favorite artist (in my case, Leonardo da Vinci) and try to guess which hand he wrote with?

Try other stroke directions. Have fun with the hatching process. Combine different strokes and enjoy how the paper is covered with various shadow spots.

Advice. Do not rotate the paper. It is very important to train your hand in different directions.

So, after we have trained the hand, we need to do exercises on the eyes!

Perception - learning to see

Drawing is primarily about seeing and understanding what you see. People often assume that everyone sees the same thing, but that's actually not the case. You can always improve and develop the quality of vision. The more you draw, the more you see. The following four tricks will make you expand your view of familiar objects. This is exactly what they begin to learn to draw in different courses.

3. Contour - show me your hands!

Do you see these different fascinating contours of your hand? Draw them on a piece of paper. Do not try to recreate everything, choose only a few of the most interesting ones.

Whether you're drawing a person, a plant, or your favorite animal, you create the outline of what you see. Outlines define the body or object and make it possible to recognize the pattern. The task is not to immediately display all existing distinctive features but to learn to see them!

Even if you know the shape of an object, it's still worth taking a closer look and re-examining it.

4. Chiaroscuro - apply light and shadow

Draw a piece of fabric. Start with the outlines, and then use your hatching skills to find the chiaroscuro transitions.

This exercise will help you learn how to convey light and shadow on paper. I must admit that this is not the easiest way for beginners. Keep in mind that it is not necessary to make perfect chiaroscuro transitions. The fabric is a playing field to practice the skills learned in the previous lessons. Plus, you will also understand how to learn how to draw chiaroscuro using only your hand.

Advice. You can do curved hatching to create shape, and cross hatching to achieve deeper shadows that resemble the texture of fabric.

Advice. Close your eyes a little while looking at the fabric. You will see a blurry image of the fabric and increased contrast between light and shade.

5. Perspective - Cubes in 3D Space

Let's draw cubes! Follow simple steps.

A drawing in perspective is a projection of a 3D object into 2D space (your sheet of paper).

Building a perspective is a separate science, which is unrealistic to be fully considered within the framework of one article. However, we can have some fun with a simple technique that gives us an intuitive feel for the magic of drawing in perspective.

Step 1. Draw horizontal line. This will be the horizon.

Step 2. Put two points along the edges of the line - two invisible vanishing points.

Step 3. Draw a vertical line anywhere.

Step 4 Connect the ends of the vertical line to the vanishing points.

Step 5 Add two more vertical lines as shown below.

Step 6 Connect them to the vanishing points.

Step 7 Now use a black pencil or pen to trace the cube.

Repeat steps 3 to 7 for as long as you wish. Enjoy building! Have fun drawing, then you will succeed. You can shade the sides of the cube.

Advice. When you draw cross lines, it's best to overlap one line slightly over the other, so the shape is more visible.

Mastering perspective drawings will help you create the illusion of depth. And most importantly, you will teach your brain to see and recognize three-dimensional space. This is a great practice for how to start drawing from scratch without any skills.

Even if you decide to ignore the rules of perspective and make “flat drawings”, this knowledge will never be superfluous, but on the contrary will help expand your horizons and sharpen your visual receptor.

6. Building a composition - why here?

Do 5 different drawings one object. Position the item differently each time.

As you create various options positioning your subject on paper, try to trace how this changes its connotation - meaning.

The author Ralph Ammer has a few more interesting articles, but it is this one that you need to watch first in order to understand where to start drawing with a pencil and not only. In the comments, I would like to see your opinion about the pros and cons of the presented methodology. Which exercises really gave you pleasure, which did not? What else do you want to know on the topic or, perhaps, you have your own experience on how to learn to draw from scratch - write all this below.

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