5 Essential Sketching Tips for Beginner Artists

6/21/2018

68 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Are you a beginner artist looking to start to sketch on a consistent basis? Do you have a sketchbook or two (or three) laying around, but find that you rarely use them either because you can't find the time or are scared of "ruining" them? Would you like to get past the initial stage of "awkwardness" as quickly as possible, so that you can actually start enjoying your sketching process?

In past blog posts and YouTube videos, I've talked about how I consider drawing to be the basis for all kinds of art. It doesn't really matter what kind of visual artist someone is setting out to become, or what level of skill has already been attained, artists must make sketching a habit and continue with this practice throughout their journeys.

In today's post, I will be sharing the top five tips I wish I knew when I first started sketching. By understanding and practicing these points, you'll be able to progress a lot faster, start enjoying your studies and explorations a lot more, and start filling out entire sketchbooks in no time.

Before moving forward, I want to get a very important message across. I believe that smaller sketches and studies are just as important as larger, more polished pieces that may take days (or even weeks) to complete. Learning how to get ideas down on paper in a quicker, rougher way, is extremely valuable as an artist.

It was precisely these kinds of smaller, quicker studies that allowed me to progress artistically while holding on to demanding full-time jobs and going through major life changes.

Few of us are fortunate to know, since a very young age, that we want to dedicate our lives to art and become professional artists some day. And an even less percentage of those people who do know, are lucky enough to have the funds necessary to live, while solely working on developing their artistic skills.

If you're one of those lucky people and you have the money/time to explore both smaller and larger pieces simultaneously, by all means go for it!

However, if you have kids, full-time jobs, a house to keep clean, and many other responsibilities, rest assured that these smaller studies are moving you forward, as long as you're making it a point to stay consistent.

Five to six smaller sketches and/or studies a week are going to get you way farther than setting out to create one large masterpiece every five to six months, with no activity in between.

I highly recommend checking out my Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course which you can get access to immediately after joining my art email insider group.

This mini-course is made up of three classes that are jam-packed with all of the information I wish I knew when I was getting started on my own drawing journey. It's contains must-know information about basic drawing supplies, specific exercises and lots more that will provide you direction as to how to move forward. Check it out here.

If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe tomy YouTube channel.I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists.*Subscribe HERE*

1. Know your tools

As with any other art-related practices, it's ultimately going to be up to you to explore different supplies/techniques so you can arrive at your personal favorites.

However, what you should know is that you can go far with limited and inexpensive supplies.

So don't get overwhelmed with the large variety of papers, pencils, erasers, etc. out there, and go for the basics.

For my quicker sketches, I usually like to prepare the following:
a) Three different pencil grades (usually HB, 2B, and 6-8B) *I rarely use the H variety at all!
b) Drawing/sketching paper or sketchbook
c) Soft rubber graphite eraser
d) Basic metallic sharpener
e) Tombow Mono Zero eraser *This has been my favorite eraser to be able to get into smaller areas

These are optional, but useful if you want to start drawing more realistically:
f) Blending stumps or tortillions
g) Kneaded eraser

In terms of paper, it's useful to start noticing how different thicknesses and textures affect your process, as well as the outcome of your drawings.

Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class sampleshere!

2. Start with simplified large shapes and forget about details until later

This is huge! When we're just starting out drawing, we want to get into the details right away and spend hours working on a drawing just to find out that it looks off at the end.

It's absolutely imperative to learn to visualize your subjects (whether your drawing still life, the human figure, a landscape or anything else), as combinations of simple shapes like cubes, cylinders, rectangular prisms, cones, etc.

Learn to tune out all the smaller shapes and intricacies until after effective proportion and placement of individual elements in regards to each other, has been achieved.

I'm serious! Don't even start adding details, textures, shading, or anything of the sort, until your base outline sketch is solid.

I go a lot more in depth about this topic and provide you with several different exercises in my Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course. To get immediate access to it, click on the image below to join my art insider group.

*Free Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course

Once you've gained enough practice creating basic outline drawings, I highly recommend looking into shading techniques that will allow you to start creating a believable sense of three-dimensional form.

I have a very thorough blog post (complete with downloadable exercises) in which I explain hatching, crosshatching, scribbling, and other quick shading techniques that you can read here: Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Crosshatching, Scribbling and Others.

This said, being able to create that preliminary outline sketch that shows effective proportion is first and foremost, in my opinion.

3. Learn how to hold your pencil for drawing purposes

It can take a bit of time for the beginner artist to get comfortable holding a pencil for drawing purposes. This is only natural, as we've been trained to hold pencils and pens a certain way since we started writing.

When we're writing, we need to be able to create neat, legible letters right-off-the bat. On the other hand, when we're drawing, we start by laying down imperfect lines and we refine them along the way (that's what our erasers are for!).

These are two very different activities and we have to make that mental switch necessary to change our approach depending on what it is we're doing.

There are many different ways of holding a pencil for sketching purposes and there isn't one that is necessarily "better" than the next. It's going to depend on what you find most comfortable at each point of the sketching process once you have a bit more drawing practice.

Have in mind you'll usually switch between different hand positions and grips throughout your drawing process.However, generally speaking, you want to position your hand further away from the tip of your pencil.

You also want to move your entire arm as you draw and not only your wrist (as you do when you're writing).

Try to relax and draw loosely! If you're too tense, warm up by drawing different types of lines and shapes. There's absolutely nothing to be nervous about, especially if you start out with light lines that you can easily erase (as you always should).

Always start lightly, and move on to darker values as you refine your sketch.

Have fun with it and throw perfection out the window! Fearing you'll make mistakes and striving for perfection will keep you from creating art, which will keep you from making progress.

Don't ever fear the blank page and, remember, with every sketch you make you'll get better and better.

Here are two different ways that I usually hold my pencil when I'm sketching:

Underhand pencil grip for sketching.

Overhand pencil grip for sketching.

4. Develop your observational skills and hand-eye coordination through using references

Drawing from both photographic references, as well as from life, is absolutely essential for progress to occur. Especially when we're looking to develop high levels of realism.

I've written about the use of references when creating art in blog posts before and I think it's absolutely hilarious when people think artists aren't supposed to use references and are supposed to draw or paint everything from imagination.

These types of comments show ignorance on the part of the commenter in terms of how art and creative processes work.

*Note: With "references" I mean either using photographs or drawing from life, not copying a previously made illustration or painting by another artist. Though there is a lot to gain from creating studies of other artists' work, I firmly believe that after having gained basic skills, we'll be making much more progress by creating original artwork from the ground up.

By this, I mean creating our own still life arrangements (or preparing compositions featuring whatever subjects we're interested in) to draw from direct observation, or taking our own photos to work from. We can also use other people's photos, if we have permission to use them of course!

Using references allows us to develop our observational skills and our hand-eye coordination. It's also impossible for the human brain to hold on to all the visual information that a photograph (or seeing something directly) can present to us.

Even if you're intending on developing a cartoonish style in the future, studying how things actually look like in real life, will help enhance your work and make it more effective.

I highly recommend all beginners out there to start working from photographs as soon as possible. We must learn to see.

There are many awesome free image sources online, so there's really no excuse. You can find a list of my favorite free image sites HERE.

Begin forming your own art reference library! Learn what makes a good photograph in terms of lighting and composition, and remind yourself to take photos whenever an opportunity presents itself. Soon enough, you'll have plenty of your own original photos to work from.

Once you've gained some confidence using photographs as references, start incorporating sketching from life into your weekly routines.

I explain why drawing/painting from life is an incredibly important part of an artist's journey and provide ten useful tips to make these exercises less intimidating in this blog post:Why Drawing From Direct Observation is Essential and 10 Tips to Improve

5. Make sketching a habit

Out of the five tips I'm mentioning in this post, getting into the habit of sketching regularly, is probably the most important of all. Oftentimes we make excuses, telling ourselves we don't have enough time to draw.

However, it's a matter of reminding ourselves what's important to us, getting our priorities straight, and setting aside the time.

If you want to get better at anything in life, you have to do it consistently.

As I was mentioning in the introduction of this post, taking even 15-20 minutes a day to sketch will get you far, as long as you make sure to continue.

I highly recommend buying a sketchbook that feels right for you and getting into the habit of taking it along with you throughout your day so that you can use any free pockets of time you may have available.

I hope these tips were useful for you and wish you much progress in your artistic journey!

68 Comments

Manishi link

6/25/2018 02:36:56 am

Amazingly written.

Erika Lancaster

6/25/2018 08:12:18 am

Manishi,
Thanks so much for checking out my post and taking time to comment.
I'm happy to hear that you found it helpful and hope to see you around! :)

Mahi

11/12/2018 09:32:58 am

I really enjoyed reading this post even though I have been sketching since I was born due to my whole family being artist. According to me, all you need is a pencil and a paper with a good imagination. Just put the top of the pencil and move your hand. Start from the upper left corner if you're right handed or upper right corner if you're left handed. Have patience, breathe and you'll get a great piece of art! Thank you for writing this ❤️

Erika Lancaster

11/14/2018 09:39:08 am

Hi Mahi,

You're SO right! All you really need is very basic supplies. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this post!

Do stay in touch! I'd love to hear more about your work. :)

Tejpal

6/19/2019 09:30:32 pm

Thank you so much for sharing good ideas & info.
Good article. It's help me too much. Love this info.

Erika Lancaster

6/24/2019 06:11:11 pm

Hi Tejpal,

Thanks so much for checking out this blog post and taking time to comment. :)

I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it and found it helpful!
I wish you much progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey.

Have a lovely week!

Erika

Isolina Miranda

5/4/2023 10:47:27 am

I'm a beginner and enjoyed your videos.. Need for practice with drawing a face Thank you so much for the tutorials

Rochelle link

5/30/2023 01:03:56 pm

I’m basically a beginner with doing faces and animals . I’m finding it it very full filling even though I’have a long way to go. I do flowers and love them . They are my best . I’ve been doing Oil painting most of my life off and on since I was about 12 yrs. old Love it but always wanted to try water colour painting so started this yr. and enjoy it very much. That’s what’s got me into sketching a lot and I’m surprising myself. However I think I need to figure out if I should get some pencils that don’t leave traces of pencil shadings all over my paper. I think when my arm or hand rests on what I’ve done it gets somewhere else on paper which makes it look dirty. Maybe you can advise me on that. ? Thanks for all your videos , very helpful.!

Destini

6/25/2018 04:52:12 pm

Loved the article! The pics really helped.

Erika Lancaster

6/27/2018 08:15:13 am

Hi Destini!!
Yeah... as a visual person, I know how important it is to actually have something to look at when an explanation is being made!
Thanks so much for taking time to comment and have a great day! :)

Sarah link

6/27/2018 01:12:14 pm

Great post! I had no idea about the different pencil grips.

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 10:16:19 am

Hi Sarah,
Making that switch between hold a pencil/pen for writing vs. holding them for drawing is super important!
However, it's important to keep in mind that there is no "right" or "wrong" way of doing it. It mostly depends on what effects you're going for and what is most comfortable for YOU once you've gained more practice drawing.
It's important though, to be able to switch grips throughout the drawing process, depending on what phase you're in. Also, learning to be comfortable with being less in control and moving our entire arm (as opposed to only our wrist) is huge!
Thanks so much for your comment! :)

Sara | mshealthesteem.com link

6/27/2018 08:55:37 pm

Thank you so much for this helpful guide Erika! I love to sketch on occasion and I would be so happy to up my skills. Your advice is going to be a huge step forward. <3 Thank you tons :)

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 10:24:15 am

Hi Sara,
I'm so happy to hear that you found this article helpful and that you do sketch whenever you're able to! If I could ever help out in any way, do let me know. :)
Thanks so much for taking time to comment and have a beautiful day!

Art link

6/28/2018 08:29:54 am

With the growth of abstraction, many people have forgotten the importance of sketching. For centuries, sketching has been an integral aspect of art. Although many artists now ignore the relevance of sketching to art, others have continued to sketch diligently. For those still interested in sketching, these tips are important. Keep sketching.

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 10:44:44 am

Hi Art,
That's very true. I find it very refreshing to dabble with more abstract type of work and experience color, texture, shape and line as vehicles of expression for themselves, but my heart is with more figurative work.
Continuing to develop our basic sketching/drawing skills throughout our journeys is very important and exploring art at its most basic level will enhance everything else we decide to do!
Thanks so much for your comment! :)

Sam

6/28/2018 10:14:04 am

Great tips for sharing

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 10:46:29 am

Hi Sam,

I'm happy to hear you found this post useful!
I'm here if you ever want to share any of your work with me. :)

Take care!

Candice Milner link

6/28/2018 11:06:49 am

Some great tips. I've always loved to draw, but I've never been very good at it. I got a little better, but have never had the time to keep it up. I'll have to try some of these.

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 10:52:41 am

Hi Candice!
I'm so happy to hear you found these tips useful! If you like drawing and get something from it, you should definitely keep at it. I doesn't matter if it's just 15-20 minutes a day. Visual journals are very therapeutic and an excellent way to get that creative side out consistently!
Just something to think about. :)
Thanks so much for your comment!

Melissa link

6/28/2018 08:10:16 pm

Great post!
I particularly loved where you said you only use certain
pencil grades, I make the same choice and I completely agree - I always skip the H variety too! :)

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 10:55:14 am

Hi Melissa,

I have so many H grade pencils laying around completely unused! I just don't like them very much!
I'd much rather deal with the consequences of softer lead, as it sometimes leads to messier work if one's not careful! haha
Cheers!

Amanda link

6/29/2018 08:23:00 am

I love this. I have always wanted to get into sketching but I never know where to start and get overwhelmed. I will definitely be saving this and coming back to it when I get my next wave of drawing desire.

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 11:00:40 am

I'd love that Amanda!
It's all about taking small, consistent steps and focusing on the basics first. A lot of beginners skip the fundamental exercises and want to move on to complex drawings, which leads them to a lot of frustration.
I have a Drawing for Beginners mini-course that you can look into by clicking on the top banner of this blog. It will walk you through everything you need to know in small, digestible chunks and provides excellent exercises.
Hope you can check it out. Let me know if you have any questions! :)
Thanks so much for your comment!

Crystal link

6/29/2018 08:59:10 am

Very helpful tips! My daughter is really into art, this will come in handy.

Erika Lancaster

6/29/2018 11:03:37 am

Hi Crystal,
That's awesome! I'm happy to hear that you found this post useful.
I have a lot more free drawing resources that you can access through the sidebar of my blog that she could find useful (drawing 3D shapes, faces, starting with human figure, etc.). :)
Let me know if you have any questions and thanks so much for taking time to comment!

Teresa link

6/30/2018 02:47:10 pm

I Love your posts! Your writing is fantastic and I really want to start sketching now again :)

Erika Lancaster

7/3/2018 08:21:26 am

Hi Teresa,
I'm so happy to hear that you're finding my content enjoyable and, even more, that I've inspired you to start sketching again!
Totally do it! It's so rewarding, in SO many ways! :)
Thanks so much for your comment!

Stan Quick

12/8/2018 10:36:09 am

Thank you for another informative article! I am very much enjoying my reentry into art and find your tips very helpful. Sketching has not been my strong point ever, however, reading your tips on holding the pencil did ring a bell. My best sketches always happen when I hold the pencil loosely and relax even my mind. By that I mean not prejudging the marks I make. Does that make any sense?

Erika Lancaster

12/8/2018 11:52:11 am

Stan,

It makes me incredibly happy to hear that you are enjoying getting back into your art. I also love hearing that you're finding my posts helpful. :)
I find drawing is so important (whether it's creating a simple quick sketch or something larger and more polished). I consider myself more of a painter, but want to keep sketching throughout my journey because it helps me keep developing my artistic eye.
You're SO right. Usually, the best art comes out when we're relaxed and not seeking perfection in everything. I find striving for perfection paralyzes us, and this is the worst for creatives!

Thanks so much for visiting my site and taking time to comment! It means the world! :)

jeslin

1/18/2019 09:40:37 am

so helpful.i really wnt to be n artist .love drawing and being creative .thanks for the advice

Erika Lancaster

2/20/2019 10:25:36 am

Hi Jeslin,

I'm so happy you found this post helpful. :)
Thanks so much for checking it out and for taking time to comment.

Much love and inspiration.

Mariam

2/13/2019 07:49:17 am

I am right-handed and my pencil strokes always go from left to right. When I try to draw say, a dog, that is facing right - I get confused. This sounds really stupid, even to me.

I feel uncomfortable by drawing the dog's tail first just because it's on the left side. But if I start with the dog's head the strokes will be going the wrong way. So I always draw things facing left.

I'm laughing as I write this, because it's so ridiculous.

Is there something wrong with me?

Thanks.

Erika Lancaster

2/20/2019 10:23:06 am

Hi Mariam,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for checking out this post and for taking time to comment. It means the world to me and I love connecting with others who share my passion for art. :)
There's nothing wrong with you. I'm not sure who told you that you have to start a drawing or sketch from left to right because you're right handed, but this isn't the case at all. I'm right-handed as well and where I start, as well as what direction I move in throughout the drawing process is the farthest thing from my mind when I'm creating a drawing or sketch.
I can see that perhaps someone told you this, or you got this idea yourself because of possible smudging happening when you place your hand over an area of a drawing that has been shaded. However, this can be remedied by placing a sheet of tracing paper under out working hand.

Another HUGE thing that beginners have to understand, is that you have to start your drawings by creating a rough preliminary (light) sketch that shows all of the composition in it's entirety. It isn't until this preliminary light sketch shows effective proportion and location of elements throughout, that you should move on to developing shading, texture and detail.
You have to start by seeing the "forrest" and once the "forrest" is correct, you move on to drawing the "trees".

You have to visualize whatever it is your drawing (whether it's an animal, a landscape, a still life or a face) as a combination of simple shapes. Lay those shapes down effectively and THEN refine them and add detail.

For example, if I were drawing a dog (whether it's facing to the left or right makes no difference- but lets just say it's facing to the left), I would visualize the dog's body as a combination of simple shapes like rectangles, triangles, etc, lay the entire body of the dog down using these simple shapes, making sure to constantly compare their sizes and locations to ensure the overall proportion is spot on, and only after this preliminary rough sketch is correct do I move on to refine the shapes, add detail, etc.

I highly recommend checking out my free Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course, as I explain all of this in there and provide specific exercises that will help you:https://mailchi.mp/1bd771b97ce5/l2aj387g3f

The way you're currently going about it is making it much more difficult for you than it should be and I hope you keep going!

I wish you all the best in your artistic journey and hope you stay in touch!

Much love and inspiration.

Shankar

2/23/2019 05:25:57 am

I have gone through your 5 tips of sketching & drawing. Thanks for the useful tips for drawing realistic figure. But I want to note that from the era of modern Art developed by the great artist Pablo Picasso and even our Indian artist Rabindtanath Tagor and K L Hebbar, we have to find from their colored composed painting, what figure they have drawn from their inner feelings. For their inner feelings, I feel, knowledge of sketches is not necessary. Just go on putting colors and compose in right way and find the figures it is available or not. Even the artist who had drawn the painting can not explain his feelings while drawing the valuable painting.

Erika Lancaster

2/23/2019 10:25:46 am

Hi Shankar,

Thank you so much for checking out this blog post and for taking time to comment. It really means the world to me!
Though I love abstract art, and I really feel all artists should explore both representational and abstract techniques (I wrote a blog post on this topic a while back- https://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/figurative-and-abstract-art-why-all-artists-should-make-time-to-explore-both-useful-tips), this particular blog post is intended to specifically give tips on drawing representationally.
Furthermore, even if you are intending to develop a stylized/abstracted art style, it's important to learn the basics. If you study the earlier works of abstract masters like Matisse, Mondrian and, yes, even Picasso, you'll find they all started by learning realism.
By age 15, Picasso was able to paint impressively high levels of realism, which he would have been unable to do if he didn't have knowledge on sketching representationally.
I really believe in learning the rules before you break them, and feel that any direction and style you wish to pursue (whether it be caricature or completely abstract) will be enhanced tremendously by a deep knowledge on proportion, value and by constantly keeping observational skills sharp through drawing/sketching.

Thanks so much and have a great day!

Susan Daniels

3/12/2019 10:48:03 am

I cannot find the drawing minicourse for total beginner. I keep signing up to email list. Several times and twice just now. I'm techno non-existent so im getting frustrated. Help. Thank you. Love the tutorials ive watched and live sessions ive attended
Susan

Erika Lancaster

3/12/2019 11:03:37 am

Hi Susan,
Thanks so much for your interest in accessing these mini courses. :)
I've been to my email list platform and you don't appear to be in it, yet. It's important to go through the double opt-in when you type in your email into the field, otherwise the process won't be completed and you will not be in.
Type in your email, click subscribe, and you'll receive a notification through your email that is going to ask you to complete the subscription process. If you don't find this email in your inbox, check in your Spam folder.
Once you've completed the subscription process, you'll receive the final welcome email in which the link to the mini courses and the password will be made available to you for you to access them.
If you have any problems or further questions, please reach me at hello@erikalancaster.com.
Hope you're able to successfully become an email insider! Looking forward to having you. :)

Erika

Portrait Artist link

5/20/2019 02:41:43 am

Thank you for a really awesome blog. It was actually very helpful. I am so happy I found this

Erika Lancaster

5/23/2019 11:30:16 am

Hey, there!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog, and also for taking time to comment. :)
I'm so happy to hear you found this one helpful.

Stay tuned, because there's much more to come!

Erika

Piyush link

7/24/2019 07:23:13 am

Hi Erika!
Thanks for sharing really helpful stuff and the pencil grips techniques really helpful for me.thanks again for write this wonderful blog.

Erika Lancasterlink

3/16/2020 08:23:50 pm

Hi, Piyush!
Thanks so much for checking out this post. :)
I'm so glad to hear you found some helpful nuggets in it.
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey!

babas link

10/31/2019 03:59:54 am

Your all tips are great and essential for beginners. I think, proportions and measurement is most import and fundamental part of drawing.
Beginners should learn these part first and after that learn for shading. Thank you so much for great and valuable information.

Erika Lancasterlink

11/5/2019 11:45:59 am

Hi, Babas!

Thanks so much for checking out my blog post and taking time to comment. :)
It really means the world and makes me incredibly happy to hear you found this information helpful for artists getting started on their drawing journeys.
I agree, 100%! The preliminary outline sketch should show effective proportions, etc. before moving onto details and shading. So true!

Have a wonderful day and stay tuned for more artsy goodness!

Erika

cosmo laudadio

3/13/2020 11:14:57 pm

just came across your tutorial for beginners and founded it very informative and full of simple common sense instructions. I plan to explore all you have to offer to widen and easy me down my creative road!!1

Erika Lancasterlink

3/16/2020 08:22:43 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for checking out this blog post. :)
I'm so happy to hear you found it helpful.
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey!

dedik link

4/14/2020 07:32:04 am

try to find articles about tips for sketching for beginners. and I find in this article, thank you, this is very helpful

Erika Lancasterlink

4/15/2020 04:18:29 pm

Hi, Dedik!

Thanks so much for popping by and leaving a comment. :)
I'm so happy to hear that you found some helpful nuggets in this one.

Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey!

Erika

Raul Vianna link

8/4/2020 09:29:35 pm

very good article, I loved it

Erika Lancasterlink

8/5/2020 03:05:14 pm

Thanks so much for reading, Raul!
Glad you liked it. :)
Have a great day and stay safe!

Fungma

8/23/2020 03:28:40 am

Thanks a lot .Because of ur little help i have improved a lot.

Erika Lancasterlink

8/23/2020 07:57:17 pm

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for reading and taking time to leave a comment. :)
Glad it was helpful.
Wish you tons of enjoyment and improvement in your drawing journey!

martina

10/24/2020 10:13:46 am

i really love this article it helped me i love drawing and my dream is to become perfect in drawing i'm a thirteen year old girl and i draw a lot i need some help too i really do and i hope i'll get better.THANKS FOR SHARING THIS ARTICLE.

Erika Lancasterlink

11/2/2020 10:47:09 am

Hi, Martina!
Thanks so much for reading and taking time to leave a comment. :)
I'm glad to hear you found this one helpful, and wish you tons of progress and enjoyment as you move forward in your art journey!

Sam

11/9/2020 03:05:49 pm

Mad respect for answering all of these
Keep up the good work👍

Erika Lancasterlink

11/9/2020 06:08:03 pm

Happy to help fellow artists when I'm able, Sam. :)
Thanks for popping by.
Stay safe.

Jhjvkjbknb link

12/9/2020 09:22:11 pm

Great tips for beginners like me! Keep up the good work, and all respect goes to you replying to everybody here!

Erika Lancasterlink

12/14/2020 09:30:55 am

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for checking out this post and taking time to comment.
Glad you found this one helpful.
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment as you keep moving forward in your art journey.
Erika

Mystic

12/27/2020 06:03:58 pm

I'm not very good at "sketching". I just started drawing again after a 28 year dry spell. I thought I was horrible, so I quit. My 15 year old daughter has really got into drawing/painting in the last two years and it has put a hot spark to my old ambition.

This article has helped, though I'll have to learn that I don't always have to draw entire scenes everytime. lol Thank you very much!!

Erika Lancasterlink

12/28/2020 10:41:48 am

Hi, there!
I'm glad to hear that your daughter has inspired you to take up drawing again.
I created this video on Freehand Sketching Tips recently that you might find helpful: https://youtu.be/SgRBIpHoyZ8
Visualizing everything as simple shapes or combinations of simple shapes, and always starting from general (largest) and making your way towards smaller details is something that's incredibly helpful.
Stay safe and thanks for popping by!

Glory

3/15/2021 12:26:20 pm

At age 81 I am just beginning to draw and have also bought a set of watercolor pencils to play with. I really have appreciated your detailed explanation and look forward to future instructional videos.

Erika Lancasterlink

3/17/2021 09:55:22 am

Hi, Glory!
Hope you're having a lovely day. :)
I'm so glad to hear you're starting with your drawing journey!
Thanks so much for checking out this post and taking time to leave a comment. Glad you found it helpful.
Wish you tons of enjoyment and progress as you move forward.
Take good care.

sabrinagill link

5/19/2021 04:51:59 am

I am Also a Painting artist but you're drawing journey was awesome.

Erika Lancasterlink

5/19/2021 04:27:28 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for checking out this blog post and taking time to leave a comment.
Wish you tons of enjoyment and progress in your art journey!

Cassy

1/29/2022 06:29:54 am

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I am a complete beginner. I have tried to sketch for years but have not progressed from constantly doodling as I have no confidence and had no idea how to improve. But now all the children have left home I have time to explore and I found you 😊 I have already learnt so much. I am truly grateful I will definitely be following you and watching you on you tube.

Erika Lancasterlink

1/29/2022 11:59:18 am

Hi, Cassy!
I'm so glad to hear that you finally have time to devote to your art journey and art practice.
I'm very excited for the progress you'll be making and cannot wait to hear more from you!
Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment moving forward.
Thanks so much for reading and taking time to leave a comment. :)

kris link

4/26/2022 02:10:09 pm

i legitimately just got into your posts and i am in love woth the tutorials because theyre easy to follow thank you :)

Erika Lancasterlink

5/11/2023 01:17:44 pm

Hi, Kris!
Thanks so much for checking out the resources I share.
I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying my tutorials. :)
Much more to come.

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5 Essential Sketching Tips for Beginner Artists - Erika Lancaster (2024)