Do you remember the hat drawing from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince? When he was a child, the narrator drew an elephant swallowed by a boa constrictor and proudly showed it off to the grown-ups. But looking at that lumpy blob, everyone else thought it was just a drawing of a hat! And that initial reproval declared the sad ending of the narrator’s artistic venture.
If similar deprecating remarks have discouraged you from exploring your artistic flair during your childhood, now might be a good time to rediscover it. And there are many valid reasons for learning the art of drawing other than expressing your creativity. For one, the process of drawing relaxes your mind and boosts your cognitive skill. Besides, drawing is a unique way of communication and is a skill worth having in your arsenal, regardless of your profession.
If you want to improve your drawing, but all your efforts have been ending up in frustration every time you sit with your sketchbook, let me tell you a secret: everyone can draw if they practice. Just like swimming or riding a bike, drawing is just a skill; you get better at it when you practice. But, you need to be strategic with that practice. How so? Let’s read on to find out.
1. Draw Every Day
Being tenacious is the key to learning something, and drawing is no exception. Reserve one sketchbook for a week, and fill it up with your drawings. They don’t have to look professional or perfect. Even if all you can manage now are stick figures, by the end of the sketchbook, you’ll be amazed at your improvement. There are some simple beginner drawing exercises that you can follow. These will help you to loosen up your hand, bring fluidity and improve your drawing quality. You can check out drawingbyte.com for more beginner drawing tips.
2. Train Your Eyes to Observe the World
Just like great photography comes from good observation, drawing also needs keen awareness of your surroundings. Spend at least half the time of your drawing studying your subject and keep the remaining half for the actual drawing. The more adept you are at observing the more skilled you will be at capturing those details in your drawing.
3. Draw in Basic Shapes
When we start drawing something, we usually start with the edges and try to create an outline. However, there is another faster and simpler method of drawing – breaking it down to some basic shapes and then composing the whole structure.
All of the elements in our surroundings are the composition of some basic shapes– circles, rectangles, ovals, ellipses, and others. Try using this method and you’ll find your drawing to be more accurate. You’ll even be able to draw complex shapes and objects.
4. Focus on Hand Movement
The way you grip your pencil or move your hand can also affect how you draw. When you try to draw controlled lines, they might look somewhat stiff. When you allow your lines to be more fluid, it looks more natural. For instance, when you draw fixed at your wrist, your movements become restricted and so do your lines. But when you draw with more elbow or shoulder movement, your range of movement improves tremendously. For darker or heavier lines, grip the pen near the tip; for lighter strokes, grip it far from the tip.
Don’t focus too much on creating the perfect line in your drawings, it might draw your attention away from the whole picture. Create several loose lines and try to capture as much as detail you can. This will also quicken the drawing process for you.
5. Draw With Your Eyes Closed
Drawing with your eyes closed is a great way to improve your internal senses. And it especially helps you to break out of any perfectionist personality you have. Just grab a pen and paper, close your eyes, and let your hand and mind flow for 30 seconds or more. If you are looking for inspiration, you can just start with a simple self-portrait.
6. Draw With Continuous Lines
Continuous-line drawing is a fun and easy way to loosen your hand. Start drawing from one end of the page and continue to fill it without lifting your pencil. You can even try to draw objects, faces, or abstract things with continuous lines. In fact, some of Picasso’s famous drawings are just one continuous line.
7. Capture Light and Shadow
Lines and shapes help you create an object on two-dimensional paper, whereas light and shadow give it an illusion of being three-dimensional. Practice adding value or shading to your drawing from a single light source. You can move on to more complex drawing with multiple shapes which cast shadows on one another.
8. Change Perspective
Changing the perspective of your drawing will greatly help improve your drawing skills. For instance, you can try drawing the same object from a different perspective (from the side or directly above, etc.). The view will change dramatically and so will your drawing versatility.
9. Draw Blind Contours
For drawing a blind contour, first, find an object with an interesting shape and curve. Place that object on a surface and start to draw. But there’s a catch – you have to draw it without taking your eyes off of the object. Also, you’re not allowed to lift your pencil until you’re done with your drawing. The result might turn out to look miserable but this exercise aims to train your eyes for keen observation – the better you can observe the subject, the better your drawing will be.
10. Draw Upside Down
When it comes to visualizing an object we all have this tendency to imagine it at its normal state. Drawing upside down is a great way to challenge your brain to counter that visualization with reality. To exercise this skill, you can either place an object and image upside down or set your canvas for drawing upside down. This exercise will help you capture more details that you might have missed if you were drawing it in its usual orientation.
11. Start Doodling
Many of us fear large-scale drawing, so doodling might be a much safer way for us to start. Doodling is instinctive and when you draw randomly, the drawing becomes more natural. Besides, small-scale doodling or pattern drawing can have some meditative effects on your mind.
The Bottom Line
Drawing is not just a creative outlet of your thoughts, it can also be a form of communication that can transcend any language barrier. For instance, if you are a website or UX designer, you can easily visualize or draw a simple mock-up for your clients. However, to achieve that level of skill, you need to practice drawing. The more you practice, the more it will come to you naturally. Don’t let the first few failed attempts (or childhood remarks) deter you from progressing any further; when you keep trying, there is only one way to move- forward. So, grab your pen and sketchbook and start your drawing adventure.