Q&A for How to Get Good at Drawing

Practice drawing every day and you'll start seeing improvements. When you draw something, really pay attention to what you're seeing rather than what you think the object looks like so you can add more accurate details.

Just use your imagination. Try looking up art, photographs and movies to get your imagination running. Maybe base some of your drawings on something you see in your surroundings, and spice it up in your head to your liking.

Color the center lightly, and apply a little more pressure as you get closer to the shadow. (opposite of light source). This will create subtle shading for the skin. Try blending different colors to achieve a realistic skin tone.

Set aside just 10 minutes per day to sketch a little bit, even if that's all you do. 10 minutes should be pretty easy to find in your schedule.

You just have to practice and observe facial features closely. You can find books on drawing human anatomy at the library to help you.

Try joining art clubs, buying art books, looking up tutorials. These will all help towards drawing well but if you have no experience of drawing something semi-professional, you will not be able to accomplish drawing professionally within a time span of only a year. It takes years to learn to draw well however there are some exceptions with quick learners. Things to learn: Shading, accurate shapes and drawing using references.

Draw things you think are beautiful! It could be an animal, a person, a place or an object.

Look around at your surroundings. See how the lighting hits the walls, how the corners of the room or hall lead to a point in the center, how those windows on that building form a grid, how a man's shirt wrinkles accordingly to his movements. Think of your real life surroundings and your book's setting like this.

Perseverance is the art of keeping after a goal despite how you feel. Practice it. Try doing your best every time you draw.

Hands are very hard to draw. You should practice by studying your own hands, watching tutorials on YouTube, and tracing your hands.

Take a pencil no lighter than an HB and rub it on a scrap piece of paper until there is a very dark spot. Rub your finger on the spot, and then you can rub your finger on the desired area (the longer you rub the darker the shade). You can also use your pencil. Just angle it so that the side of the lead is touching the paper, and lightly sweep it back and forth in soft, smooth strokes.

The entire body is eight heads tall, there's one eye space between the eyes et cetera. Look these up and jot them down if needed. Build skeletons and remember to keep focusing on the entire body, and not just one part at a time.

Lots of practice!

Well, just study references or photos. Good drawers are good observers. Practice a lot and make sure you draw what you're really seeing, not how you think it should be.

Of course! Just keep practicing every day and watch tutorials to help you with problem areas.

Many professionals start young or in their teens, and after practicing daily, most have a steady stream of commissions or a solid foothold in the industry by the time they hit their late twenties. But it's never too late to start!

Just keep practicing. Watch tutorials on YouTube and practice. I know it's frustrating when you're not seeing any improvement, but getting good at something takes a long time. You might also want to consider taking a drawing class.

Write all of them down and if you forget some, consult your notes.

Don't focus on the art block. Try to relax or do something else for a few minutes before becoming frustrated. I find that listening to music (especially classical) can restart my creativity. Looking up trending art can also help prompt an idea.

Use a grid for proportions and light pencil strokes so you can erase easily.

It depends on your school's curriculum.

Men have a more, should I say, "blocky chin". Try drawing a rectangle, and making it into a head, but leave the bottom for the chin.

It just takes practice, practice and more practice. Regarding any other questions that you may have, anything done repeatedly will soon become second nature. Consider walking as an example.

Objects are probably the easiest things you start with. Drawing people is difficult, but once you learn to draw objects and get an understanding of basic shapes, drawing people will be easier.

Yes, all it takes is practice and more practice.

Draw things related to your other interests. You're more likely to finish a drawing if the subject interests you. Looking up color palettes can be good inspiration for making a landscape. Look on Pinterest for photo references that may prompt you, or use a written prompt generator online. You can draw portraits of family members/friends or create your own original characters. You can also participate in social media challenges started by other artists, such as the "draw this in your style" challenge; this will also help you meet other artists who can inspire you.

Try layering, pay attention to all the colors if you have a reference. If it is fur, try to layer the lightest color on first, then continue darker with making fur-like strokes. If it is skin or another smooth feature, draw carefully and delicately.

Many good drawing artists were self taught-ers! Do you think Leonardo Da Vinci had a nice little art class he could hop into? No! Practice every day, use YouTube tutorials and you will improve.

Are you practicing enough? Do you have proper tools? Do you look for any criticism/do you accept it? If you cannot answer yes to these questions, then maybe try improving on some of these things. Also, study different styles, anatomy, shading, etc.

Sketching does not need to be perfect. It is more like a map to tell you where things will go in the drawing. Add limited detail, use good anatomy.