Self-instruction manual for drawing with a pencil, basic level. How to learn to draw with a pencil from scratch step by step

This means you at least believe a little that you can learn to draw. And indeed it is! Even if you've drawn just a little, haven't drawn at all, or doubt your abilities, find a few pencils and 20 minutes a day - and in a month you'll learn how to create amazing images.

In order to succeed, you will learn gradually, step by step. We'll focus on the Nine Fundamental Laws of Drawing, starting with the simplest of shapes, shading, and composition, and ending with the more complex laws of perspective, copying photographs, and drawing from life.

First, a little theory... Yes, these are just boring rules at first glance, but without them you will not advance further! I don’t encourage you to memorize them, you will remember everything and understand it practical lessons. For now, it will suffice to just briefly go over the basics.

If you really want to learn how to draw realistic sketches when creating a composition, you should be guided by these Nine fundamental laws of drawing:

1. Law of perspective: objects located close appear larger, and those further away appear smaller.

2. Law of location: objects located lower on the sheet appear visually closer.

3. Size law: how larger object, the closer it looks in the picture.

4. Law of overlap: an object in front of another appears visually closer.

5. Law of penumbra: the part of the object located on the opposite side from the light source should be darker to create volume.

6. Law of Shadow: to create three-dimensional image, you need to draw a cast shadow from the object on the opposite side of the light source.

7. Law of contours: draw the edges of round objects to give them volume and depth.

8. Law of the horizon: it is necessary to indicate the horizon to create the illusion that the objects in the picture are at different distances from the observer.

9. Density law: to create the illusion of distance, draw distant objects in less detail and make them lighter.

It is impossible to draw a three-dimensional image without applying one or more of these fundamental laws. These nine tools are the foundation for successful 3D drawing. They are immutable and always apply. With each lesson, you will understand each law better and apply it in practice. In addition to the nine basic laws of drawing, there are three principles things to keep in mind: optimism, details and practice.

1. Optimism: You have a responsibility to tell yourself “I can do this!”, a positive attitude is an important part of acquiring any skill.

2. Details: add your own ideas and additional details drawing to make it truly unique.

3. Constant practice: Practicing any new skill every day is absolutely essential to successfully mastering a skill. Practice regularly!

Without these principles you cannot learn to draw. Each of them is important for your creative development.

In subsequent lessons, we will focus on how to apply these nine laws to the four basic shapes: sphere, cube, cylinder, and cone.

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The craft of a good draftsman is based on 2 basic things: the ability to control your hand and correct vision. If you want to create or design websites, then you can’t do without special training.

The next 6 sections of the article, in fact, are the first step in this direction - you will learn how to learn to draw and where to start. Immediately after this, proceed to the second part of the topic and go through some more.

This is a translation of a note from Medium by Ralph Ammer (all the graphics are his).

Advice. For the next 6 tasks, use one type of pen and one type of paper (for example, A5).

Dexterity of hands - two trainings

The first two techniques are about controlling your hand. You should train your hand, and also learn to coordinate the vigilance of the eye and the movement of the hand. Mechanical practices are great for beginners. You can use them later to try out new tools. They also allow you to relax and take a break from mental or physical work. So, how to start drawing correctly.

1. Many, many circles

Fill a piece of paper with circles different sizes. Try not to let the circles intersect.

Learning to draw circles is not as easy as you might think. Note that the more circles there are on the paper, the more difficult it is to add the next one. Draw them in two directions and as many as possible.

Advice. Shake your hand when it starts to cramp, do this after each approach.

2. Hatching - creating a structure

Fill a piece of paper with parallel lines.

Diagonal lines are the easiest for us, as they correspond to the movement of our wrist. Note that a left-hander prefers the opposite direction of strokes than a right-hander. Take a look at your favorite artist (in my case, Leonardo da Vinci) and try to guess which hand he wrote with?

Try different stroke directions. Enjoy the shading process. Combine different strokes and enjoy how the paper is covered with different shadow spots.

Advice. Do not rotate the paper. It is very important to train your hand in different directions.

So, after we trained our arms, we need to do some exercises for our eyes!

Perception - learning to see

Drawing is primarily about vision and understanding what you see. People often assume that everyone sees the same thing, but this is actually not the case. You can always improve and improve the quality of your vision. The more you draw, the more you see. The following four techniques will force you to expand your view of familiar objects. This is exactly where they start learning to draw in different courses.

3. Outline - show me your hands!

Do you see these different fascinating contours of your hand? Draw them on a piece of paper. Don't try to recreate everything, just pick a few of the most interesting ones.

Whether you're drawing a person, a plant, or your favorite animal, you're creating an outline of what you see. Contours define a body or object and make it possible to recognize a pattern. The goal is not to immediately display all existing distinctive features, but to learn to see them!

Even if you know the shape of an object, it's still worth taking a closer look and re-examining it.

4. Chiaroscuro - adding light and shadow

Draw a piece of fabric. Start with outlines, and then use your shading skills to find the light and shade transitions.

This exercise will help you learn how to convey light and shadow on paper. I must admit that this is not the easiest way for beginners. Keep in mind that you don't have to make perfect light and shade transitions. The fabric provides a playing field to practice the skills learned in previous lessons. Plus, you'll also understand how to learn how to paint chiaroscuro using just your hand.

Advice. You can do curved shading to create shape and cross shading to achieve deeper shadows that resemble fabric texture.

Advice. Close your eyes slightly when looking at the fabric. You will see a blurred image of the fabric and increased contrast between light and shadow.

5. Perspective - cubes in three-dimensional space

Let's draw some cubes! Follow simple steps.

Perspective drawing is a projection of a 3D object into 2D space (your sheet of paper).

Building a perspective is a separate science that cannot be fully considered in one article. However, we can have a little fun within the confines of a simple technique that gives us an intuitive sense of the magic of drawing in perspective.

Step 1: Draw a horizontal line. This will be the horizon.

Step 2. Place two points on the edges of the line - two invisible vanishing points.

Step 3. Draw a vertical line anywhere.

Step 4: Connect the ends of the vertical line to the vanishing points.

Step 5: Add two more vertical lines as below.

Step 6: Connect them to the vanishing points.

Step 7: Now use a black pencil or pen to trace the cube.

Repeat steps 3 to 7 as many times as desired. Enjoy the build! Have fun drawing, then you will succeed. You can shade the sides of the cube.

Advice. When you draw cross lines, it is better to slightly overlap one line over the other, this will make the shape easier to see.

Mastering perspective drawings will help you create the illusion of depth. And most importantly, you will teach your brain to see and recognize three-dimensional space. This is a great practice on how to start drawing from scratch without any skills.

Even if you decide to ignore the rules of perspective and make “flat drawings”, this knowledge will never be superfluous, but on the contrary will help expand your horizons and sharpen your visual receptor.

6. Construction of the composition - why here?

Make 5 different designs one object. Position the item differently each time.

As you create various options placement of your subject on paper, try to trace how this changes its connotation - meaning.

Author Ralph Ammer has several more interesting articles, but this is the one you need to watch first in order to understand where to start drawing with a pencil and more. In the comments I would like to see your opinion about the pros and cons of the presented methodology. Which exercises really gave you pleasure and which ones didn't? What else do you want to know on the topic or perhaps you have your own ideas on how to learn to draw from scratch - write it all below.

P.S. Free and complete SEO analysis of a website page - sitechecker.pro. In promotion it is important not only external factors, but the web project itself must be good.

Each of us made our first sketches as children. During the drawing lessons, not everyone tried to do the work well and did not think about acquiring skills. In adulthood, many people feel the need to create something beautiful, but how to learn to draw with a pencil? After all, any drawing technique is based on the ability to hold the stylus correctly, make basic sketches, and create images. In this article you will find useful tips for learning to draw, as in art school, and independently.

Pencil Drawing Basics

Experts say that anyone, regardless of age, can learn how to draw correctly with a pencil. Learning to paint always begins with getting to know the materials that a beginning artist needs:

  • a sheet of white paper, any format;
  • eraser, also known as a rubber grater;
  • simple pencils.

The first steps in drawing begin with pencil sketch. With the help of meager lines, the general outlines of the object being copied, various poses, and moments of movement are conveyed. Sketching is the fastest way to put on paper your first thoughts and impressions of what you are drawing. While sketching, you don’t need to pay attention to unnecessary details; it is recommended to draw it for no more than 10 minutes.

How to learn to draw from scratch

Scientific psychologists have proven that during the process of creating a drawing, both hemispheres of the brain are actively working in a person, and the imagination is activated. It’s not for nothing that there is a technique for calming nerves called art therapy - this is drawing for adults and children. Many people want to be able to, but do not know how to learn to draw with a pencil. Learning to draw from scratch is not at all difficult, because the technique of drawing with a pencil is accessible to children and adults.

Art school

How can a child learn to draw with a pencil? The most The best decision- send him to art school. It is designed for teaching children school age from 6 to 17 years. Upon admission to this institution, the level of knowledge and skills in fine arts. Depending on the child’s skills, they are assigned to the appropriate group of students.

Education at the art school is free and government funded. I visit this place after main school lessons three times a week. The course of study ranges from two to seven years. After graduating from school, the graduate receives a diploma, which opens the door to an artistic future: admission to a college or higher institution in his specialty.

Courses

How can adults learn to draw with a pencil? You can learn the art of drawing with the help of art courses. They are paid. The course of study ranges from several weeks to four years. During this time, the art studio will teach you the following skills:

  • How to draw correctly in step-by-step technique.
  • Learn to use a pencil and brush. Teachers in art studio They teach not only the ability to hold tools correctly, but also to choose and distinguish high-quality from low-grade ones.
  • Learn how to draw children with a pencil.
  • Learn many drawing techniques.
  • Learn how to learn to draw various items.
  • Learn to draw from life, landscapes, still lifes, people, animals, etc.
  • Learn coloristics - choosing and combining colors correctly.
  • Learn how to draw a cat with a pencil and other animals.
  • They will tell you how to learn to draw portraits.

Online lessons

If you don’t have free time and you don’t know how to learn to draw with a pencil, then use online courses. They are suitable for those who are unable to attend a stationary studio. An approximate plan for completing classes in this format for beginning artists:

  • The teacher provides basic knowledge of drawing in the form of examples of work and pictures.
  • The selected topic of the drawing lesson is discussed in detail.
  • At the end of the lesson the teacher gives homework, which you complete and mail to your teacher for review.
  • At the next lesson, the student, together with the teacher, analyzes the homework in detail, and together they correct errors in the drawing, if any.

Online lessons, as an option, in order to learn how to draw professionally, are not the only way out. If you do not have financial and territorial capabilities, but have great and irresistible desire If you learn how to draw well, you can do it yourself with the help of:

  • textbooks and drawing aids;
  • tutorials;
  • drawing instructions;
  • training videos.

Step-by-step drawing technique

A beginner needs to practice drawing by creating sketches. In order for the drawing to be meaningful, the sketch must be created according to the rules that form the plan:

  1. First, choose an object that you will draw, such as a teapot or vase.
  2. Examine it from all sides, determine its shape, its texture, how the shadows fall on this object.
  3. Determine the composition of the drawing, i.e. how it will be placed on paper, in what format.
  4. After the contours are drawn, draw the details and apply shadows.

Human

In order to draw a person, you need to decide on the composition. This means that you need to analyze the boundaries of the location from head to toe. Once you have a figure in your mind, start composing the body parts. You need to draw a person from a sketch of the contours of the head, going lower. In the image of a person, it is very important to immediately find the image; you should determine the number of details necessary for the finished drawing.

Face

When drawing a person, much attention is paid to the face. To draw it correctly, you need to follow the steps:

  1. Decide how the face will be positioned on the paper. To do this, mentally draw an axis of symmetry; it should pass through the center of the sheet.
  2. Draw with a pencil on paper the outline of the face in the form of an oval (shape chicken egg).
  3. Build the shape of the face, starting from the jawline, moving to the most convex part - the cheekbone area, then to the narrowest - the temporal area.
  4. Align the drawn lines with an eraser; this will noticeably “lighten” the outline of the oval.
  5. Divide the resulting oval into three equal parts using light, barely noticeable lines. The very first line, located closer to the chin, marks the tip of the nose.
  6. Draw the nose, starting from the tip. It always protrudes forward, so it has a round, square, or pointed shape. Then we draw the wings of the nose and the bridge of the nose.
  7. We draw the mouth, starting from the upper bend of the lip, which is located in the middle of the nostrils of the nose.

Eyes

In a portrait of a person, the eyes occupy the most important place; they attract attention, so they need to be given Special attention. To draw them using a step-by-step technique, you must adhere to the following plan:

  1. Before drawing the eyes, it is necessary to outline the eyebrows, which are located at the level of the bridge of the nose. Their shape depends on the character that the artist wants to convey in the portrait.
  2. Having outlined the approximate location of the eyes, we draw out their shape in the form of an oval.
  3. Draw the pupil in the shape of a circle.
  4. We line the eyelids and shape the eyelashes.

Anime and Manga

Many young artists begin learning to draw with anime and manga, because... portray people in style bright characters Japanese cartoons are much simpler than classic ones. The greatest emphasis in such cartoon characters falls on the head, eyes and hair. Let's sort it out step-by-step scheme drawing, with the help of which a novice artist will learn how to learn to draw anime:

  1. We start drawing the anime with an oval, which will be the head.
  2. Divide the circle in half lengthwise using straight line.
  3. Divide the head crosswise into three parts using light lines.
  4. Next, you need to note the location of the eyes, nose and mouth.
  5. Drawing big eyes, starting from the arc upper eyelid. The distance between them should be equal to one eye. When drawing pupils, much attention is paid to applying highlights. Eyebrows are drawn on these characters classic style: two even arcs.
  6. The nose in anime and manga is drawn small, expressed with a tick.
  7. Lips are drawn with two small lines.
  8. Anime and manga hair should be drawn in flowing triangles that slightly cover the eyes.
  9. Anime girls are depicted in bright clothes, mostly dresses.

3D drawings

Volumetric drawings fascinate with their realism, thanks to correct construction shape, applying shadows and highlights in the right places. You should learn to draw such pictures from simple geometric shapes: cylinder, rhombus, square. To recreate the 3D illusion of an object, you need to draw it in isometry, when the angles between the coordinate axes are 45 degrees. Volume is added to the drawing by auxiliary lines, which are drawn inside the figure with light pressure, and the outline is drawn in bold, more dark color.

Portraits

Portraits can be drawn both from life and from photographs. Before drawing up an image, carefully consider what message the future drawing will convey. Learn to draw a portrait of a person correctly, not only in terms of proportionality and symmetry, but also to display real emotions. Another task of drawing an image of a person is to convey the maximum similarity of the person being copied. To achieve this, before you start drawing, consider all the details, highlight those features, “highlights” that you will focus on.

Graffiti on paper

Nowadays, graffiti painting is a fashionable movement that is gaining momentum. Many buildings are full of incomprehensible voluminous inscriptions, but quite often there are beautiful, professional drawings on the walls. To ensure that your paintings do not disfigure city buildings, and that expensive paints do not go to waste, you need to practice on paper for a long time. First, try drawing the letters of the alphabet using a pencil. To give them volume, use auxiliary lines.

House

The ability to draw buildings is useful not only for children, but also for people of all ages. age groups, to easily compose pictures, for example, a house with a landscape. Buildings are very easy to draw using lines. You should start with a rectangle, adding a triangle, you will get the image of a house, this is how children draw it. With the help of simple techniques and additional lines, the house becomes voluminous.

Cars

To draw a car with a pencil, you must adhere to step by step plan:

  1. Mark the outer outlines of the car, dividing it in half with a line.
  2. We draw the body with thicker lines.
  3. Then we draw the wheels.
  4. We draw out the parts of the front of the car: headlights, windshield, bumper.
  5. We draw windows, doors, mirrors.

Animals

It is much more difficult to draw animals than objects, especially from life, because they constantly change their pose and are in motion. To draw an animal, for example, a horse, you need to decide on its characteristic features: thick mane, elongated muzzle, slender muscular legs. Look detailed instructions, . You may not be able to correctly portray your favorite cat or dog on the first try, but after several practices you will definitely succeed.

Video tutorials on drawing with a simple pencil for beginners

Video lessons - great way learning to draw on your own. Below is a selection of training videos in which experienced artists clearly show how to create easy pencil drawings for beginners. After watching the video, you will learn how to draw Japanese cartoon characters - anime girls, and learn how to draw flowers. If you like landscapes, then watch the third video to the end, in which the artist paints nature, focusing special attention on the trees.

Drawing girls

How to draw flowers

Beautiful landscapes

How to Draw the Human Body

Don't you know how to draw? It seems like it's high time you learned this! Pick up your brushes and paints and visit any site from our list!

Drawing with Anna Koshkina - an extensive selection of various video tutorials on drawing. Everything is explained in an accessible and understandable way.

Learn to draw in 30 days - a selection of lessons on all famous book"How to learn to draw in 30 days." All you need is 20 minutes of your time, a notepad and a pencil with an eraser, and within a month you can draw!

A selection of lessons from the group “Drawing Lessons”- There are lessons for various techniques and lots of tips. There is also a section for painting lessons where you can learn to paint with watercolors, oils or pastels.

Drawing lessons for beginners and children - many drawing lessons with both pencil and felt-tip pens.

Everyone can draw! - full free course for drawing with pencil and watercolor.

A simple pencil - many video lessons on drawing in various techniques, there is also a section for children, video tutorials on drawing in Photoshop and an overview of various online graphic editors.

Drawing and drawing lessons for beginners - a large course on drawing and drawing, as well as many articles and tips, including even exercises for developing the eye and “getting” your hand.

Drawing: video tutorials - hundreds of educational videos on the topic of drawing an entire picture or any detail.

How to learn to draw - simple and complex lessons step by step lessons on drawing various animals, people and more!

DrawSpace is a portal with drawing lessons, a total of eight levels, each of which is divided into sections, the only minus/plus is that it is in English.

Learn to draw - also in English. They mainly teach how to draw people, but you can also learn how to draw caricatures.

Carol's Drawing Blog - blog professional artist Carol Rosinski, where she posts lessons. All lessons are divided into several levels, there are also videos and articles in which Carol shares her secrets. Another resource in English.

About: Drawing/Sketching - section big project About, dedicated to drawing, also in English. The site publishes many collections, training videos and articles on the topic of sketching and drawing.

DrawSchool is a resource for learning to draw. There are both free and paid webinars.

Purmix - with the help of this resource you will learn how to draw anime, manga, and tattoos, and you can use both video and photo lessons.

How to learn to draw- a whole channel on Youtube dedicated to teaching drawing. You can learn to draw a bug, a worm, and a bear.

PaintMaster - here you can learn graphic design, academic drawing and even interior design!

DrawMaster.ru - many lessons suitable not only for Photoshop, but also for ordinary pencils and paper.

ArtDrawing.ru - available full course drawing lessons from talented artist Yuri Sinchukov.

Pencil drawing lessons - a complete variety of styles, tastes, colors, and drawing themes.

Pencil drawing lessons step by step are activities that will help you master drawing techniques, regardless of your abilities or age. Drawing is really easy!

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Don't believe that you can draw beautifully? Of course, only a real artist can really paint a magnificent oil portrait, but even Small child will soon be able to replicate the character of his favorite cartoon on paper if he takes drawing lessons for children on our website.

Just think how happy your baby will be when you tell her that from today we are learning to draw with a pencil! Why pencil? You need to start with something simple. And the easiest way to start is with light pencil drawings. Gradually you will master more and more complex skills. And, as a result, you can move on to working with paints. Drawing for children will become a favorite pastime and will gradually introduce kids to amazing world bright images and favorite characters.

You and your child will learn the basics of pencil drawing, which are taught in art school, much faster if you go through the pencil drawing lessons step by step on our website. We managed to create activities that even kids can handle! With us, learning is simple and fun, step by step you will understand that drawing is very interesting.

Learning to draw with a pencil

The first drawing lessons for children are designed with the help of adults. Help your child grasp the pencil correctly, support his hand while drawing the very first lines. Little artist You should get a better feel for how much pressure you need to apply to get the right thickness of line. Then let him draw simple lines in different directions. Afterwards you can move on to simple shapes such as a circle, rectangle, etc.

Gradually, the child’s drawing skills will be strengthened, he will be able to come up with more complex plots himself, fantasize and embody his fantasies on paper. But you need to start with the baby with the simplest objects or characters that are well known to him. When purchasing everything you need, please note that for the first lessons to the young artist You will need a thick, soft stylus that leaves a bright mark with virtually no pressure.

Pencil drawing lessons step by step for children

Talent is given to every person by nature, but developing any abilities must begin with early childhood. By helping children learn to formulate images into pictures, you are doing them a great service. Drawing with a pencil step by step is not only interesting, but also very useful for young children. The impact of development has already been proven fine motor skills hands on mental abilities and psycho-emotional sphere at a very early age. Working with a felt-tip pen or pencil, the baby becomes calmer, more balanced, and develops a beautiful aesthetic taste, a sense of harmony develops in relation to the entire surrounding world. This is also true for adults: when we learn to draw with a pencil, our nervous system resting. Isn't this the best cure for endless stress?

Why is it so important for parents to also learn art lessons for children? Help your child! Your baby, most likely, will not be able to cope with the first tasks on his own; he is very small and, most likely, has not yet mastered many skills. It is difficult for him to hold a pencil in his pen; he has not yet learned to calculate the force of pressure on the paper, or to correctly navigate within the boundaries of a paper sheet. The started drawing may not fit on the paper, and the baby will begin to get nervous. It is important not to miss this moment, but to help the child skillfully organize classes, then drawing will become a favorite pastime.

Pencil drawing lessons are staged in such a way that the child sees only objects familiar to him. They systematize the little man’s existing experience and gradually expand his worldview, introducing him to new phenomena of nature and life. Perhaps now the baby will take a new look at the world, and you will help him with this.

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