Drawing Tips for Beginners

     For those of you who have just started art and have little formalized experience, don't worry. This is meant to be a good place to get constructive criticism, without shame or condescending. I highly suggest readers to upload some art to share. If you need help improving, let me know and I will critique it myself. Let's get started:

  1.      It is best to learn this following tip early.When you hold a pencil, (paint brush, marker, pastel, etc.) draw towards your body instead of away. This should help smooth out your lines and steady your hand, giving better control over your preferred medium. Do not hesitate to rotate the paper (or canvas etc.) so that you have maximum freedom of movement. Nothing makes your lines look shaky like attempting to draw in a restrictive direction or weird angle. This tip might not help if you're already in the habit of drawing away from yourself.
  2.      Keep a few sheets of scrap paper nearby. If you are using charcoal, graphite, or any smudge-prone material, you can place this paper underneath your hand to avoid smearing your picture. This paper also comes in handy to practice drawing a texture or technique without risking an unflattering addition to the piece of art itself.
  3.      Use a reference picture. Trying to draw straight from memory is fun, but the art you make can take a drastic leap in realism when you look at a picture of whatever type of thing you are drawing. With a good example nearby, you are much less likely to miss important details or add things that aren't there. Your picture will look more professional and less generic. Even if you are drawing something without a real reference, like a made-up animal, using photos of similar animals can be very useful.
  4.      Don't feel embarrassed with the way you practice. There is absolutely no shame in using a model or reference to draw. Most professional artists wouldn't be caught dead without one. Also, don't feel guilty if you trace other people's art. As long as you aren't stealing their credit, tracing can be a good way to practice smooth lines and a confident hand. 
That's all for today. I hope you could get something helpful out of this.
Have an artsy fun time.

Comments

  1. Kendra WicksSeptember 23, 2017 at 3:20 PM

    Those are really good tips! I am not a very good artist myself, no matter what the medium, so I am excited to learn some things! I particularly liked the part about drawing towards yourself, that's something I have never heard before but it makes sense. I also like what you said about not being embarrassed to use models or pictures. In my mind, a good artist wouldn't need one but now that I think about it, a good artist would want to be accurate! Your writing is great, I didn't notice any obvious mistakes. It flows well and gets to the point, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mallory BakerOctober 3, 2017 at 8:18 AM

    These are great ideas! I love art but I don't know the first thing about being a proper artist. :) Looking forward to reading more!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownNovember 20, 2017 at 10:10 AM

    Really good tips I like how you expanded on the how to pretty good at it

    ReplyDelete

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