How to Draw

This is one of the top most searched for how-tos, but also one of the vaguest when compared to specific entries like how to tie a tie and how to cook a turkey. Drawing is a much more abstract concepts. Yes, the pencil, paper, your hand, and maybe even subject is concrete, but the way you process that subject is not. Although there are methods and techniques that can be used to improve your drawing, everyone sees the world a bit differently and everyone draws differently.

If you want to be an artist or you have a mandatory art class, then these are the suggestions that I have for you that can help you to discover the way that you draw best. Although some people are naturally more artistic than others, I think everyone can at least learn basic drawing skills.

1) Buy a sketchpad (if you're taking a class, this will probably be required anyway). Invest in a nice one and you'll be more motivated to draw in it.

2) Invest in drawing pencils. I have many sets. General's Kimberly drawing pencils were my low end beginner pencils but now I have a Derwent set. Pencils have different levels of hardness, which determines how dark they are on the page. It can be extremely difficult to get a variety of values out of a single, ordinary pencil.

3) Draw every day. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece; it can be a simple sketch of just about anything. Just as musicians and athletes must practice to fine tune their skills and build physical or intellectual "muscle", artists must develop their skill. There is always the occasional prodigy that was just born with it, but I have more admiration for those who painstakingly work at their craft.

4) Don't tear out pages, scribble everything out, erase too much, or get frustrated and give up on your drawings. I used to do this all the time and my teacher told me that it was just a sketchpad, not the final product. Work out the problem on the paper. You might come back to that idea later on and improve on it.

5) Don't restrict yourself to realism. Yes, it can be impressive to recreate a scene with photographic quality and you should practice this skill. However, don't be afraid to doodle, make things up, or alter the characteristics of real world objects.

6) Before you focus too much on a completed work, shading and all, make sure that you have the basics down. Drawing begins with a line that is either thick or thin, straight or curved, light or dark. Lines progress into shapes and figures that go together to form a composition. Figure drawing and shading are skills I practiced seperately for a long time before putting them together.

7) If you invest in any sort of book to help you, don't just buy one that is filled with pictures for you to copy step by step. Find one that also has sketching exercises or guides for things like shading techniques, correct proportion, point of view, etc.

8) One book that I highly recommend is Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain. Right-brained people tend to be more artistic while left-brained people tend to be more analytical. I took the brainworks test many years ago and it showed me that I was split almost evenly between right and left brain, auditory and visual. But even if you are left-brained, that doesn't mean the right side of your brain is dead. This books gives you exercises that activate the right side of your brain.

9) One such suggestion that worked well for me was turning a picture upside down and then drawing it. That way, I didn't focus on what my left-brain thought it was supposed to look like, but instead on the lines and shapes that my right brain actually saw. Two other techniques that my teacher incorated into our classroom was covering the clock and not talking while we drew (language and time awareness are associated with the left brain.)

10) Observe more than you draw. Too often budding artists glance at their subject and then draw for several seconds without looking back. Don't just guess at what is there. Really look at it and notice the subtle nuances of every line and shape. If the normal fruit composition doesn't strike your fancy, compose your own still life.

When you feel like you have reached a milestone with your sketching ability, try bringing that idea to life on a big piece of quality drawing paper. My favorite surface to draw on is bristol board. When you finish your first composition, set it up on one end of a well-lit room and walk to the other end to critique it. Often a drawing at a distance loses much of its detail and contrast, so you can tell what areas you need to work on. The best drawings have a wide range of lights and darks, which more easily capture the attention of observers. Be wary of books or people teaching who proclaim they will teach you how to draw. Some teachers actually give you techniques that help you develop your own ability and style while others merely have you copy them and therefore learn their style. A bit of both is okay.