In this post, I’ll cover: What You’ll Need To sharpen your pencil for drawing, you’ll need: A razor; Pencils (graphite or charcoal. I use charcoal); A sanding pad (you should be able to buy this at your local art store); Paper towel; and A hard, smooth surface to work on. Step-by-Step Process Let’s take a … Read more
Not sure what to draw? This post will provide you with some ideas. What to Look For in a Drawing Subject Here are a few points to consider when deciding what to draw: Beginner Drawing Ideas Here are some beginner drawing ideas. These are simple in terms of shape, form, and contrast. Intermediate Drawing Ideas … Read more
I recently finished Steve Huston’s Figure Drawing for Artists. A recommended read, if only to see Huston’s beautiful drawings. Huston is one of those artists who is not only talented with brush and pencil but also inspirational in his passion and philosophy on art and life. Below are just a few takeaways from the book: … Read more
Grid drawing is a technique that will help improve your accuracy without compromising the development of your freehand drawing in the long-term. It basically involves placing a grid over your reference photo and canvas, then using that grid to assist with the placement of your drawing. The grid provides you with common reference points between … Read more
If you want to improve your drawing skills, then I believe it is important that you put in regular practice (daily if possible). In a previous post, I wrote about how I was doing daily gesture drawings. I have continued with this practice and it has greatly improved my instinctive drawing skills and understanding of the … Read more
One area I have been really interested in lately is gesture drawing. I have found it to be a fantastic way to improve how I see as an artist and train my understanding of form and anatomy. Over the past few months, I have spent about 10 to 20 minutes a day doing some simple … Read more
Drawing is a challenging but necessary craft, especially if you want to also become a proficient painter. Thankfully there is a wealth of information available on drawing to help guide you. The challenge can be sorting through the information to find those hidden gems among the rough. To save you the effort, I have put … Read more
Want to start drawing but not sure what you need? Here is a complete list of drawing supplies that I use from time to time. Pencils / Charcoal For drawing, you have two options – graphite or charcoal. There is no inherent reason to choose pencil or charcoal over the other. Neither does more or … Read more