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    Home » Blog » Art » 12 Guiding Principles for Learning Drawing
    Art

    12 Guiding Principles for Learning Drawing

    By Amelia RoselynOctober 3, 2019Updated:January 4, 2022No Comments8 Mins Read
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    Drawing is an artistic representation of the world in the most natural of ways. The power of drawing is beyond our imagination.

    Contents hide
    Tools for learning how to draw
    Guiding principles for learning drawing
    1. Holding Your Pen Firmly
    2. Use of Stump for Soft Blending
    3. Mixing Shading Techniques
    4. Trying Different Approaches to Outlines
    5. Blending Mastery
    6. Suitable Paper Texture for Drawing
    7. Staring with an Underdrawing
    8. Making Use of Suitable Eraser
    9. Colour Unification
    10. Take a Look at Your Drawing
    11. Keeping Your Paper Safe
    12. Draw From Your Experience
    Learning Drawing – Conclusion

    The modern world has gone so wild in the civilization that this artistic skill is left almost forgotten.

    Due to its primitive and simple nature, people are not focusing their attention on it anymore.

    To escalate matters, the modern world is loaded with various computerized tools that can be used for creating artistic impressions.

    These modern tools are not bad in themselves. However, no matter how colorful and radiantly beautiful as they may be, they cannot be compared with the pure work of art produced with the simplest of tools – a pencil and paper – to create a vivid representation of the world.

    With a pencil and paper, anything can be drawn.

    You can draw portraits, landscapes, forests, mountain ranges or anything that your imagination feeds you.

    It is natural, simple and incredible.

    This is why such an art form should not be left forgotten.

    It should be embraced and used regardless of modernity’s sophistication.

    Drawing is the basis of all visual art forms. It will help you to have a good grasp of other artistic skills such as painting.

    It is a useful skill that should be learned.

    Tools for learning how to draw

    Your decision to learning drawing doesn’t need to be a world-changing one.  Start simple.

    You need some tools to learn how to draw. They are common tools that you see around you every day. They are:

    • A sharp HB pencil.
    • Sketch paper of your choice.
    • Good eraser.

    The above are the necessary and physical tools you must have.

    The final tool is however internal.

    You may not learn anything without this internal tool being in form. This is an internal tool is your mind. It has to be ready and interested in learning how to draw.

    Besides, you will need it immensely when you practice, because your mind is your realm of creativity.

    Guiding principles for learning drawing

    1. Holding Your Pen Firmly

    How you hold your pencil will determine largely how your drawing will look like.

    The best way of holding the pencil is to hold it firmly like you’re holding the charcoal, then using sides of the pencil’s lead to a draw.

    Don’t use the point of the pencil for drawing.

    Though, it can be used in certain situations to get some effects, grip the pencil firmly and draw with sides of the pencil’s lead.

    2. Use of Stump for Soft Blending

    How you blend your drawing is another factor that will determine your result.

    Trying a blending stump will give you a soft blended effect.

    Take good care not to blend too softly. Doing that will result in having another color which you have already layered on your paper.

    3. Mixing Shading Techniques

    There are several types of shading techniques.

    Sticking with one only can make your drawing not quite appealing.

    To give it a good look, mix up different shading techniques in your drawing.

    Some examples of shading techniques are cross-hatching, hatching with parallel lines, contour lines, stripping and many more.

    Mix them up in your drawing.

    4. Trying Different Approaches to Outlines

    Approaches to lines in the drawing are subjective. You can find an approach that is suitable for you.

    Lines are very important.

    How they are drawn can create diverse effects. For instance, it affects shadows.

    5. Blending Mastery

    Blending is a useful drawing skill that is used to achieve a certain artistic effect in the process of drawing.

    The essence of it is to soften lines by carefully mixing several colors (two or more).

    It gives your drawing a polished impression, giving it a finishing look.

    You need to master it to give your drawing touch of elegance.

    6. Suitable Paper Texture for Drawing

    The kind of paper you’re using to draw must be of good quality in terms of surface texture.

    A beautiful drawing can be turned to an eyesore if the paper’s surface texture is not good or suitable enough.

    The surface texture of your drawing paper is also referred to as the tooth or grain.

    Depending on the effect that you want, the surface or tooth can be smooth or rough.

    7. Staring with an Underdrawing

    Underdrawing is a preparatory sketch that you prepare before you start to draw.

    It can be used as a draft, serving as a guide to finish your drawing.

    Underdrawing is more like the foundation of your drawing.

    It necessary may not be what you’re aiming to finally draw. It is just a guide.

    What is important is that you allow your intuition to direct you.

    Drawing is a creative activity. Learning drawing is the first step towards it

    Be guided by your intuition as well, not just by the Underdrawing alone.

    8. Making Use of Suitable Eraser

    Drawing can be accompanied with many mistakes, especially as a beginner.

    Mistakes are inevitable.

    You will come across them. This is why you must always have an eraser with you.

    The essence of an eraser is to erase any error that may emerge in your drawing.

    However, you must ensure to have a good eraser that cleans mistakes neatly, without blemishing the drawing with leftover lines that are not completely erased.

    There are different kinds of eraser. Get the one that is suitable for you.

    9. Colour Unification

    How your colors are layered and presented matters greatly.

    What gives coherence and cohesion to your drawing is how unified your colors are.

    Colors have a way of portraying mood. Color psychology has an underlying and subtle towards our perceptions of a reaction.

    Have it unified.

    10. Take a Look at Your Drawing

    In the course of drawing, you might have been marooned to a single spot, for a long time.

    However, don’t forget to have a glance at your work every now and then. Learning drawing involves a lot of reflection, and it doesn’t hurt to step back and look at your masterpiece.

    Doing this can serve as a guide against mistakes and imperfections which may be unnoticed until you probably finish.

    Special inspection should be made especially when you are moving from simple lines to complex lines in your drawing.

    This is to ensure that you have the correct format for your drawing.

    11. Keeping Your Paper Safe

    Your paper is a key tool that will determine the beauty and elegance of your drawing.

    You have to ensure that your paper is kept intact and free from stains and defects.

    Such stains can reduce the quality of your drawing. One of the ways your paper can be stained is through the sweats oozing from your hands.

    It can muffle up your paper. To avoid this, you can keep a paper under your hand, so your hand won’t be having direct contact with your drawing paper.

    This makes your drawing neat. You can also stamp your drawing paper on aboard.

    This is relatively a good position as it will give you a chance to draw more conveniently.

    12. Draw From Your Experience

    Why we make art? – We make art to tell stories.

    There is no limit to the number of things you can draw.

    Anything you see in the world can be drawn.

    The entire universe can be reduced to the four corners of your drawing paper.

    Not only that, even things that have not existed before can be drawn by you.

    That’s why it’s art! Draw from your experience.

    The key thing you must master is perception.

    As an artist that’s drawing, you must be someone that perceives the world around you.

    Be inspired by those things you see or feel. Don’t be boxed in a corner.

    Explore.

    Draw from your experience.

    Learning Drawing – Conclusion

    Drawing is the most natural form of art.

    It presents art to you in its purest form. Drawing trains you to see the world more clearly

    Even photography, despite its precision and exactness in capturing images exactly as they are, cannot contend with the pure elegance of drawing.

    Imagine a portrait of yourself drawn with a pencil. You can’t help but marvel at its beauty.

    It is highly probable that you’ll cherish the portrait even more than a photograph.

    Drawing is a gift you should nurture. It is rewarding and fun.

    With the modern world slowly forgetting about it, you will have an edge over others for knowing this ancient skill.

    Do you want to know the art of drawing?

    It involves a lot of practice. Learning drawing isn’t a simple decision. You may be making some mistakes, but don’t walk away and give up. Just keep practicing.

    With time, your hands will strike a deal with your pencil and paper.

    To enhance your skill, you can practice the guides given in this article and color your paper with life!

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    Amelia Roselyn

    If you don’t use words to describe yourself there are, how then can you describe who you are. I'm Amelia Roselyn a journalist and freelance writer offering three years of experience writing articles, web contents, blog posts, and e-books.

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