5 Drawing Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

Five drawing tips inside this post.  Drawing is a form of meditation and can take you directly to “the zone”.

This state of “flow” also happens to me while knitting, crocheting, making collages and painting.  It is a calm activity that reduces stress. It doesn’t require skill…it requires the desire to draw and the willingness to be bad at something for a short time until you’re good at it.  This drawing is a spot on likeness; sometimes this happens.  Other times you get a drawing that looks like a distant relative of the subject.  Or a person with the same pose, but looks nothing like your subject.  It’s all learning.  Failure is learning!

5 Drawing Tips to Improve Your Skills

Drawing is fun and helpful to maintaining mental health.  As you draw, you enter “the zone”.  This is state of flow occurs when you are so focused that your breathing slows down, There are always new ways and tricks to learn. Here are five drawing tips to get you started:

1. Start with basic shapes. It can be helpful to break down complex objects and scenes into basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles. This will make it easier to get the proportions and perspective right.
2. Use reference materials: Whether you’re drawing from life or from a photo, you can enter a space of time that is calm and peaceful while you are making a drawing.
3. Experiment with different materials: Mixing materials can produce unexpected effects, so it’s worth experimenting with a variety of pencils, pens, and paints to find the ones you like best.
4. Practice regularly: The more you practice, the better you’ll get. Set aside some time each day to work on your drawing skills, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
5. Don’t fear mistakes: in fact look forward to them.  Pay attention to those drawings you don’t like. The important thing is to learn from them and keep trying.  Use your sketchbook as a place to make interesting mistakes.  You can use them to look back on and track your progress.

If you have interest in improving your drawing skills, why not consider a drawing challenge?  Here are a few to start you off:

• Draw any item 100 times.
• Try the 31 day drawing challenge: #31DayDrawingChallenge
• Try the continuous line drawing technique

In conclusion, drawing is a fun and relaxing skill that can be developed in people of all ages and skill levels. With a deliberate practice and these tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way to making drawings you will want to share.  Remember to keep the pressure low, making mistakes is the GOAL, and having fun is priority one.