How to Learn to Draw Without Attending Art School
It's not necessary to invest money in an expensive art program to learn to draw, but you must invest time and patience. Follow these steps to learn how to draw at home.
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Things You'll Need
- Set of drawing pencils
- Drawing paper
- Kneaded eraser
- Pencil sharpener
- Blending tools
- Instruction books, art books, magazines
Instructions
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1
Acquire tools and supplies. You can learn to draw with any writing tool and paper, but it's much easier if you buy a set of drawing pencils ranging in hardness from 2H to 6B and pad of paper with some tooth, texture that makes drawing easier stands up to erasing. Also buy a kneaded or white plastic eraser, a pencil sharpener and blending tools. Ask for help when you visit the art supply store.
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Study at home. Your local library or bookstore should have instruction books for beginners. These will teach you some basic techniques such as using perspective, establishing baselines and rendering facial features.
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3
Copy other drawings. Look through art books for drawings you like and try to duplicate them. Visit an art museum and draw--you may see other artists doing the same thing. Or just look around whereever you happen to be; most businesses have artwork hanging on their walls.
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Subscribe to a magazine. Newstands carry magazines for those who are learning to draw. Each issue offers new techniques to try, interviews with artists and photos of artwork. Receiving magazines reminds you to practice.
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5
Take a class. Most communities offer affordable art classes that can be completed in a few hours, either in a single day or over a few weeks. Enroll in a class and ask the instructor plenty of questions.
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6
Draw. There's no substitute for practice. Set aside time every day to draw.
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Tips & Warnings
It may be helpful to date and save your drawings. Later, when you're feeling discouraged, you can look at your earliest attempts and see how much you've improved.
You may eventually choose to abandon pencil drawing for pastel chalks, pens, crayons or something else. There are a variety of choices. Explore.
Many artists choose to take photographs of their subjects and do some or all of the drawing from the photograph. However, many art museums forbid photography. Ask a security guard or curator before getting out your camera.
