How to Draw: My Best Personal Tips!

How Did I Learn to Draw?

So how did I learn to draw? I often asked myself before: how do people draw, and why can’t I? Here, I’ll share some simple tips for anyone who wants to start drawing or sketching, just like I did. Always remember, it’s never too late to learn something new! This world has so much to offer, and it’s up to us to find what makes us happy and keep doing it (I’m still searching, lol).

Start with a Reference

If you’re new to drawing, I would suggest keeping a picture or photo in front of you and simply start drawing what you see onto your paper. That would be a great way to connect your eyes, mind, and hand as a beginner. Whatever you want to draw—whether it’s a photo of a person, a scenery, or something else—having a reference in front of you can be immensely helpful.

At first, your drawings won’t be perfect, and they might not make sense. You might even throw the paper away and start again. But soon enough, with practice, you’ll get better, and your drawings will resemble the picture you’re referencing!

Don’t Fear Failure

One thing to keep in mind is that failure is part of the process. Especially when trying to draw a person to look exactly like the reference, it can be tricky. Pictures of nature might be simpler to begin with (at least for me!). Drawing can take time, especially when shading or adding details. Sometimes, you might have to start over after making significant progress, and that’s okay! It’s all part of learning which areas you can improve.

Sketch Lightly and Visualize

I’d recommend not drawing too darkly at the beginning and starting with pencils so you can easily make corrections. Try to sketch lightly and visualize what you’re about to draw. Break the drawing down into smaller parts. Use light pencil strokes and gradually build up the shape, rather than drawing it all at once.

Focus on Small Parts

For example, if you’re drawing a flower with three petals, focus on one petal first. Visualize it in your mind, then lightly sketch its shape. Ask yourself questions like: Is this petal smaller than the others? Do I need to leave space for the other petals? Where’s the best place to start?

Start with light strokes—maybe beginning with a straight line or an easy-to-follow curve—and complete that section before moving on to the next. By breaking it down into small, manageable parts, you can focus better and achieve a smoother result. If something doesn’t look right, you can erase and adjust it before finalizing.

Refine and Finalize

Once the smaller parts of your drawing come together, you’ll feel more confident in refining the details with bolder strokes. You can finish the picture part by part or finalize everything at the end, depending on what you prefer. Ultimately, it’s all about coordinating your hand, mind, and visualization to create the art you envision.

After practicing with sketches based on references, you can try drawing from memory or your imagination—it’s about building trust between your hand and eye!

My Drawing Journey (How I draw: Face sketch examples)

As a beginner, I found these steps really helpful in learning to draw. Different people may have different approaches, but the method that I described above worked for me. I’ve shared two examples of my face sketches here. If you’re a soccer fan, you might recognize who they are! One is a sketch of Lionel Messi, and the other is Cristiano Ronaldo.

I used the same methodology that I described above (light strokes, focus on small parts, feel your hand and eye are connected with focus, start with an easy point of view, and gradually complete all the small parts) to draw their faces, and it works for almost any type of drawing for me!

When drawing their faces, I often started with the eyes because I believe they can convey so much about a person. Even without seeing the entire face, you can often recognize someone just by their eyes. For me, focusing on the eyes helped ensure I was on the right track early in the drawing process. Using light strokes, I would follow the lines, matching them to what I saw in the reference photo, ensuring my hand and eye worked together.

Inspiration for Your Journey

I hope this inspires and helps you kickstart your drawing journey! Best of luck, and remember—it’s all about practice and persistence!