Beginner Drawing Tutorial
Monday, July 20th, 2009There’s a lot of tutorials out there on how to draw this and that but it’s usually for someone who already knows how to draw. I see a lack of tutorials on the fundamentals of line and shape which are essential to learn when just starting out or even when you are already good at drawing but aren’t quite getting the results you want. These basics will help you draw anything.
1. Holding the pencil:
Grip A This grip works for detail and smaller drawings, the wrist is the source of movement but limits the length of the line.
Grip B This grip is best for larger drawings (but not limited to). The arm is the source of movement and expands the range of motion. The side of the pencil is used which allows for thicker lines. Finer details can still be drawn but may take a little more practice.
2. We have the line.
Common beginner’s mistake, feathering the line:
Bad line
This may be a result of fear of making a mistake, which is silly because it’s pencil! Lines can be erased! Eventually, when you begin to shade, you may not need to do as much erasing as you think.
Good lines
What we want is continuity and a cohesiveness in our drawing. For that to happen, we need to be able to see the destination of the line from A to B to make one sweeping motion.
This doesn’t mean we will always land where we want to, so successive lines drawn lightly will help us get where we are going. These essentially are our guidelines and not necessarily the lines that end up in the finished product.
3. Next we have our basic shapes that pretty much make up everything we see in the universe though not always in their exactness, we should begin all drawings by identifying the overall shape:
Everything can be reduced down to basic shapes
The beginning artist needs to train the eye to recognize a plant, creature or object’s overall shape(s) first and then work their way down to the details. Again, this is how we get an overall unity and accuracy to the drawing. This not only applies to the object but to the composition of a final piece as well. There are many ways to see things, so one shape is not necessarily more correct than another shape. Ultimately it’s how the artist sees the world that will be put down on paper and give their art it’s uniqueness.
4. Let’s see this in action, a tree for example has easily identifiable shapes:
Tree Tutorial
And there you have it. It doesn’t necessarily have to stop there. Once you’re pleased with the placement and proportions, you can add details to your heart’s content. Please let me know if you found this useful or if you have any questions. Happy drawing!