Learning to draw doesn’t always have to be done in a formal art class. There are countless online resources that one can use now to significantly improve their drawing skills.
Many of these online resources are filled with information that artists from just a few decades ago would have been required to pay for in most cases.
With so much useful information related to art and drawing, there’s more opportunity than ever for aspiring artists to take initiative and learn the skills they need to produce beautiful, captivating pieces of art.
In addition to the abundant numbers of free online resources, the advent of the internet and its ability to connect people and organizations means artists can now search out various online or in-person classes using their mobile device or computer.
If you’re looking to get started in practicing drawing and improve your hand at producing artwork, here are seven areas of focus that will drastically enhance your own drawing ability.
How to Practice Drawing
1. Have Essential Materials to Hand
Before you start out in your quest to better your drawing ability, it’s highly important that you have the right supplies on hand. There are plenty of articles and other resources that detail the many different types of materials and other supplies you’re likely to need when it comes to drawing.
Be sure to do your research and look for the exact materials you need to have on hand for the specific type of drawing journey you plan to embark upon.
Starting out with everything you need already in hand makes a big difference as the overall learning and adapting process will be much more smooth than if you’re forced to interrupt your drawing sessions to acquire the right supplies or more material.
In addition to having the right items on hand, it’s also important to seek out high-quality materials as this will allow you to produce the best possible artwork.
Many of the most accomplished drawing artists use the best materials they can find in order to enhance the quality of their own work as much as possible.
2. Dedicate a Set Time and Place
Producing artwork that is worthy of the viewer’s attention and that which will make you feel the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment requires great amounts of focus and dedication.
While many great artists take advantage of spontaneous flairs of creativity, it’s very important for an artist to set aside a specific period of time in which they will do nothing but work on their art.
During this time you’ve designated to work on your drawing, it’s crucial that there are little to no distractions, if possible.
If you’re able to, it’s a good idea to turn your phone off or place it on silent mode, and take other measures to block out any potential distractions that could disrupt your flow of thought and creativity.
Having a specific place to work is equally important to designating a set time to work on your drawing technique. This should be a quiet, stress free environment where you can completely focus on your artwork and allow your creativity to flourish.
3. Concentrate on One Skill at a Time
The impulse to take in a number of different areas of expertise and begin working on them all at once is something every artist experiences at some point or another.
The urge and desire to combine a few important skills in your newest work is reasonably understandable, but this is something that each artist should work to harness and use properly.
In order to go about improving your drawing ability in the best way possible, it’s advisable that you begin with the simplest aspects of drawing and master them before moving forward to the more difficult and complex portions that are involved.
Doing this will result in your ability to make noticeable improvement that will sometimes be drastic if you dedicate enough time and concentration to learning to draw.
4. Draw the Same Object Multiple Times
Once you’ve started to improve your drawing ability, it can be tempting to begin using your newfound skills to create new works in quick succession.
Instead of focusing on a new bit of subject matter during your journey to improve your drawing, try to draw the same image over and over until you feel like you’ve truly mastered the area of expertise you’re going after.
Doing this is hard as it limits our creative instinct, but artists who are disciplined enough to force themselves to draw the same object multiple times will almost certainly improve their abilities much more than those who don’t take this seemingly minor step.
It’s important to note that you shouldn’t draw the same object so much that it feels monotonous and you lose focus on the specific area of drawing ability that you’re working to improve.
Try to make a plan to draw the same object five or seven times when you’re working on a certain skill. This will allow you to move on to other objects without spending too much time on one area.
5. Comfortable Well Lit Space
Producing art that is captivating and able to garner praise from others requires intense dedication and a high level of concentration in most cases. Creating high quality is very much like any other task that one intends to do to the best of their ability.
Find a quiet, well lit space where you can work without any other distractions. Being able to allow your mind and thoughts to flow smoothly is a major part of learning to express yourself through drawing in a way that you will feel accomplished.
If you’re able to create your own studio, this will have a drastic effect on your overall ability to create art that you can be proud of and feel fulfilled with.
6. Avoid Distractions
As we’ve already noted, limiting the amounts of outside distractions when you’re working to improve your drawing ability is likely the most overlooked part of the overall process.
For modern artists, turning your phone off is the most important step one can take in limiting distractions while they work on their drawing.
Taking note of other items that often distract you from your work is a lengthy process that is well-worth the effort. Using other methods to further block out distractions is encouraged.
Many artists utilize noise-cancelling headphones in an effort to quiet the outside world around them and create a better environment of creativity and focus.
7. Commit To Improving
Becoming a better artist and improving your drawing ability won’t happen overnight.
This is a process that can take many months or even years for most artists, but those who dedicate themselves and make a commitment to improving their drawing will produce the results they desire.
Make sure to devote at least a month or more to working on one specific skill when it comes to drawing.
Also Read: How to Start Drawing
This is very difficult for many artists to do as we often thrive on bursts of creativity and expression, but learning to harness this motivation will lay the groundwork for artists focusing on specific areas of their drawing ability and making significant progress.
Setting goals throughout your journey to improve your drawing will pay off greatly over the course of many months. If you take this process seriously, you’ll be surprised at the progress you’ve made within one year.