What to draw as a beginner

Professional artist and UAL short course tutor, Ilga Leimanis, recommends experimenting with different ways of holding your pencil or pen as a way to improve your drawing process. Let your pencil or pen rest naturally between your fingers, as though it is an extension of your hand.

"Lift your hand off the page and draw with your entire arm from the shoulder. Start by drawing lines and shapes and try to use the gesture of your hand to get around a circle a few times, quickly, not slowly. It’s all about the gesture" says Ilga.

3# Loosen up

When you first start drawing, you may find that the muscles in your hand are quite tense as you try to maintain control over your pen or pencil. Ilga says this is common, and notes that it is important to practice loosening your hand; "most people starting to draw will try to stay very much in control of their lines, but a few quick loosening-up exercises will be great for advancing your confidence and skills."

One way to loosen up is to try limiting the amount of time you take to finish a drawing. Think about setting a timer, perhaps for just a minute or two, and use the time to try some quick drawing exercises. You may prefer to use newsprint or some scrap paper that can be thrown away afterwards. Using a material like charcoal will allow you to practice your mark-making and can be a great way to practice softening different elements and experimenting with tone.

4# Try one-line drawing

This playful exercise is a fun way to boost your confidence and produce unique, free-flowing drawings. The technique follows one simple rule; once your pencil touches the paper, it can’t be lifted until the drawing is complete. The finished drawing will feature one continuous line that is connected in every way.

One-line drawings are increasingly popular and allow for a level of freedom and playfulness that is not easy to replicate using other drawing techniques.

Pablo Picasso famously used this technique in his work, and many of his drawings feature a powerful, uninterrupted line that can be seen to create impact. Picasso often focused on reducing a complicated image or shape, like an animal or face, into a single line to create a dramatic effect.

5# Change perspective

Getting to grips with perspective can be difficult when you first start drawing. Learning about the principles of perspective is important as it will enable you to create the illusion of a 3D space on a 2D surface.

One way to improve your skills is to draw a subject from different perspectives. Begin by picking an object to focus on and turn it around to view it from all angles. Rather than choosing the most obvious or simple view of the object, challenge yourself and pick a different perspective that you wouldn’t normally expect to see it in. Try sketching it from this perspective for a timed period, then switch to another angle and repeat the process. This will help you to approach challenging subjects with more confidence and should add interest to your work.

Remember, it takes practice to improve your drawing skills. Try to set aside some time every day to draw without distraction, even if it’s just a few minutes on the way to work. By drawing more often, you’ll find that you will learn to notice things in a way that you may not have before, and over time, you’ll be able to produce clearer marks that accurately reflect what you see around you.