Want to learn drawing but don’t know where to begin? Well, your search is over. This post will teach you basic techniques of drawing. It’s OK if you don’t have any experience with drawing. I can bet that you can learn to draw whatever your age might be or even if you are holding a pencil for the first time in your life.
All you need is a slight interest in the subject and the patience to practice till you can draw with intention. The techniques that you will learn in this book will surely make your journey fun and easy. In this book you will find step by step instructions to draw 56 animals in five simple steps.
Before we begin, I wish you the confidence of a toddler doodling all over the wall, being joyful and proud of his creation. Remember that every artist has a unique perspective and way of drawing and he keeps on improving and perfecting his craft through practice. But during all the stages of his journey right from the moment he first decides to hold a pencil, he is an Artist, just like You.
Now let us learn the basics of drawing before we learn how to draw animals.
In the beginning there was a line… And a drawing is nothing but different types of lines combined together. So, first let us see what are these types of lines.
1. Straight Lines
a) Vertical lines (lines that jump straight up to the roof)
b) Horizontal Lines (lines that run right along the floor)
c) Diagonal Lines (lines that shoot anywhere between the roof and the floor)
c) Diagonal Lines (lines that shoot anywhere between the roof and the floor)
2. Curved Lines a) C – Curve
b) S – Curve
Practice drawing each type of line in your sketchbook. Now that we are familiar with the basic types of lines, let us study some of the basic combinations of lines, also known as the Shapes.
1. Square and Rhombus
2. Rectangle
3. Triangle
4. Trapezoid
5. Circle
6. Oval
Practice drawing each type of shape in your sketchbook. Let’s have some fun with what we have learned right now. Look around and tell me what do the objects around you look like.
For example: This book you are holding certainly looks like a rectangle to me.
Tell me what is the shape of the clock in your room? ___________
Just list down the shapes of the things around you that you can identify easily.
Now you must have found that not all things around you look like a square or a circle or any of the simple shapes that we have learned.
But if you look closely you can surely figure out that all these objects are nothing, but a combination of these shapes.
a) For example, look at this table lamp below. We will break it into simple shapes.
– Square – Trapezoid – Rectangle – Oval – Trapezoid
b) Ice-Cream
– Half Circle – Trapezoid – Trapezoid – Triangle
c) Scissor
– 4 Ovals at handle – 2 Trapezoids at handle – Circle for Screw – Triangles for Blades
d) Teapot
– 3 Trapezoids for lid – Oval – C-curve for Handle – 2 Rectangles + 1 Triangle for Spout – Rectangle for Base
Do you see it now? Look around again and tell me which of the things around you are made up of more than one shape and can you identify these shapes? List them down in your sketchbook.
Once you know that any object you want to draw can be broken down into these simple, silly shapes, you won’t find it difficult to draw them.
Now, try drawing these objects using the simple shapes just like we did above. Don’t worry about the complex curves and other details for now. The important thing is to remember that these shapes don’t have to be perfect.
So don’t worry if you are trying to draw a circle but it looks a bit like an oval or your square doesn’t have all sides equal. We are only using them as guidelines. You simply need a bit of practice and as your confidence increases, you will be amazed looking at your own progress.
The shapes are to help you get as close to the object you are drawing without putting too much stress on your mind. Someone might say it’s a square but you say it’s two triangles or rectangles joined together. You decide which shapes you want to use and how you want to use them. So, pull the nose of your triangle as much as you wish and squash those ovals to your will. Remember that these shapes work for you and not the other way around.
Now, let’s practice what we have learned. Draw the shapes of your listed objects in your sketchbook.
Good Job! You have successfully understood the art of breaking down complex objects into simple shapes.
Important Tip: Before we start drawing, it is necessary to understand how to use your hand in order to get the proper shapes while drawing. Any shape is either made up of a straight line or a curved line. Your ability to draw each of these lines properly over a longer distance will help you grade your skills. Once you hold your pencil comfortably, you use three joints of your hand for drawing – the wrist, the elbow and the shoulder.
1) Wrist – Mainly used to draw shorter lines and curves.
2) Elbow – Used to draw straight line over long distance.
3) Shoulder – Used to draw large curves.
To understand how it works try drawing a straight line and a curved line:
a) using only wrist while keeping elbow and shoulder locked.
b) moving only elbow while keeping wrist and shoulder locked.
c) rotating only your shoulder while keeping wrist and elbow locked.
Remember these tips whenever you face difficulty for drawing any shape.
Step by Step Instructions for Drawing Animals
Flamingo
Giraffe
Goat
Kangaroo
Camel
Deer
Thank you for joining me in this fun filled journey of art. It was a great pleasure for me to share this knowledge with you. I hope the lessons you learned in this book helped in improving your drawing skills the same way they helped me.
If you loved the guide and have a minute to spare, I would really appreciate a short review. Your help in spreading the word is greatly appreciated. Reviews from artists like you make a huge difference in helping new artists find helpful tutorials similar to this post.