Drawing step by step, practicing drawing exercises daily, is the best way to perfect

a drawing technique.

Are you one of those people who often says “I don’t know how to draw” and
you’ve said it so many times that you actually believe it? Maybe it's because
you think drawing only means drawing like Leonardo da Vinci. And the truth is that
you don't need to be a genius to become a cartoonist. Maybe you should explore a
less realistic style, don't you think?

For example, step-by-step drawing exercises are a good start. Besides, drawing
shouldn't be difficult, it wasn't for our ancestors. How about trying the drawing
exercises we've prepared for you today? ✏️

A LITTLE HISTORY BEFORE LEARNING TO DRAW STEP BY STEP

Drawing exercises and stroke drawing techniques date back to the caveman era.
In fact, drawing was born as an expression of human daily life. An example of this
are the cave paintings found in the Altamira Cave, in Cantabria, Spain. Do you
remember them?

You may not have noticed, but if you now do the exercise of observing a part of
this painting carefully, you will realize that the bison are drawn based on two very
simple elements: the line and the point. But is that what it takes to learn to
draw?

Altamira and D. Rodríguez Museum

In the introduction to his book “Rough,” advertising art director Pierre Pochet says:

“Can you draw a line? A square, a rectangle or a triangle? Bravo! “So, you can
draw!”

And that is the idea of this note, that you learn to draw starting with the simplest.
Because sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that if our drawing is not
exactly the same as the original, we don't know how to draw. Is it because we are
trying to faithfully copy a drawing, instead of drawing through our own eyes?

For this reason, we suggest you do these six drawing exercises for beginners. But
first, find some sheets of paper (or a sketchbook), a 2B pencil and an eraser. Let's
draw!

MASTER THE LINE

To draw step by step, the first thing you have to learn is to master the line. It seems
like a children's issue, but it is not. And why should we start with the line? Because
it is much more than a simple stroke. Lines are the basis of any drawing and
practicing them will only improve your drawing skills. This should be your first goal.

Some tips before starting with the drawing exercises

 Try not to rest your wrist on the paper

 Relax your arm. Before drawing, make circular movements with your hand.
The idea is that you draw with ease.
 Avoid short or choppy strokes. Sometimes we think that this way we will get
a better proportion of our drawing, but this is not true. The result is the
opposite.
 Do not trace over the lines you drew previously. This will take away
dynamism and clarity from your drawing.

So how should my stroke be?

A good stroke is characterized by being firm, dynamic, one-way and without

shocks. Remember that the stroke will define the shape of your drawing.

If at first you notice that your stroke seems a little stiff or lacks continuity, don't
worry. The fear of a blank page can be overcome with practice.

THESE ARE THE EXERCISES TO LEARN TO DRAW THAT WE PROPOSE TO

YOU
- Take a blank sheet of paper and make random strokes, that is, draw several lines
on top of each other. This is the first stroke you should learn, it will help you to
sketch shapes later on. These drawing instructions help you to warm up your wrist
and lose your fear of the empty page.

- Take a blank sheet of paper and draw parallel lines diagonally, horizontally and
vertically. They don't have to be perfect. Of course, try to draw the lines without
lifting the pencil from the paper.

CONTROL THE DIRECTION: DRAWING EXERCISES WITH POINTS AND

LINES
Do you remember when at school you were given drawings of incomplete figures
and you had to join the numbered dots to complete the drawing? Well, the idea is
similar.

For this drawing exercise, you must draw several dots on a sheet of paper
randomly, however you feel like! Then, connect all those dots with your pencil. To
take it up a notch, you could try doing it without lifting your pencil from the sheet or
placing more dots.

This drawing exercise allows you to improve the control you have over the direction
of your stroke, which helps make your line work more precise.

Also, by joining the dots, you train your hand and wrist to be in different positions
and feel comfortable in them.

IMPROVE YOUR DRAWING ACCURACY WITH REPETITION

This exercise requires you to perform your drawing strokes step by step and with
great concentration.

To achieve this, first draw a straight or circular line with little pressure. Then try
drawing over that same line again. And finish with a third stroke along the same
line with a little more pressure.

Try to do it with different strokes and without going outside the lines. Concentrate,
it is not so easy to draw the same line three times in a row.
Why do this drawing exercise? To gain precision in your strokes and have greater
control over the lines you draw. Let it not seem like it came out of pure luck, but
rather from pure stroke after stroke after stroke.

HOW TO DRAW GEOMETRIC FIGURES?

Drawings of flat geometric figures are the basis of pencil drawing techniques.
There are many exercises for drawing and improving your strokes that begin by
recreating these geometric patterns together.

Now it's time to draw the basic shapes we learned when we were children: square,
circle, triangle and rectangle. We just have to draw its outline.

Now that we remember the geometric figures that we can use, let's see the
instructions to make a drawing with geometric figures step by step.
DEVELOP THE FORMS

But we know that objects have shape (depth and volume). Therefore, in this
geometric drawing exercise we propose that you draw the shapes of the basic
figures that you made previously.

Square = cube

Rectangle = cylinder

Triangle = cone

Circle = sphere

For example, a jug and a soda can are cylinders; an orange and a balloon are
spheres; a nightstand and a box are cubes; and a funnel and a party hat are
cones.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS FOR DRAWING USING GEOMETRIC FIGURES?

Once you're done with the geometric shapes, it's time to combine them and draw
step by step. Combine geometric figures and basic shapes and start drawing. For
example, if you combine a square, two circles and a triangle, you can create a foot.
If you combine three ellipses and a cone-shaped figure, you can get a cactus in a
pot.

REDUCE OBJECTS TO SIMPLE FIGURES

To do this drawing exercise for beginners, take a minute and observe: how many
objects in the shape of a sphere, cylinder, cube or cone can you identify around
you?

Now select three objects and create a still life. What follows is to reduce those
objects to simple figures. How to do it? For this exercise, we will take as an
example a book, an orange and a jar. Follow these steps.
1. Draw in this order: rectangle, circle and cylinder.
2. To shape the neck of the jar, draw an ellipse.
3. To shape the book, draw parallel lines at the top and bottom.
4. Now define the outlines of the three elements. Add the details: draw the dots
and indentation on the orange and round the spine of the book.
5. Finally, erase the lines that served as a guide at the beginning.
OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS EXERCISE

To draw the bottle, start with a cylinder.

To draw the vase, start with a sphere.

To draw the desktop computer with speakers, start with a square and three
rectangles.

A good way to continue practicing this exercise is to start a sketchbook/diary. We

suggest you draw an object from your house every day, what do you think?
EXERCISES TO APPLY THE LIGHT AND SHADOW TECHNIQUE IN DRAWING

If you already know how to draw objects and you are perfecting your ability to
sketch with geometric figures, it is time to improve the management of light and
shadows in your drawings.

A good exercise to learn how to shade and where to place the shadow is to
illuminate the object you are drawing with a lamp or flashlight.

For example, if you are drawing a bottle using the drawing exercise in the previous
points, shine a flashlight on it. From the side, from behind, from above, from all
sides.
Notice the direction of the shadow as you move the flashlight around the bottle.
Also notice the density of the shadow: the closer it is to the object, the darker it is.
Now, recreate the direction of light and shadow in your sketch. First, define with
some lines the path where the shadow falls and then trace its density.

These lighting techniques will be very useful until you improve your light
management skills.

DRAW THE HEAD AND FACE WITH A CIRCLE

If you want to know how to draw faces, exercises with geometric figures are also
very helpful.

Did you know that this is a widely used method for drawing the head and face? We
are referring to the Loomis method, named after its creator: the illustrator and
animator Andrew Loomis.

This American from the 40s proposed drawing something as simple as a circle, in
order to draw the head and face in perspective. It is one of the most used
techniques for drawing faces due to its effectiveness. In this tool that we leave you
below, you will find more details about the drawing process.

DRAWING GUIDE FROM SCRATCH: THE HEAD AND THE FACE

Let's review the principles of drawing for the head and face, based on the method
of Andrew Loomis, legendary American illustrator and animator, whose research
and methodology for drawing is still one of the most influential. Download this free
guide and let's go over the main points.

HOW TO DRAW THE HUMAN BODY WITH GEOMETRIC FIGURES?

That's right, you can also draw the human body with geometric figures. With the
right shapes and lines, and the correct perception of the body angle, the human
figure can be drawn with geometric shapes, from head to toe.

For this drawing exercise, we start by drawing circles and lines. Make a circle for
the head, for the upper torso and for the hip. Then smaller circles for the limbs.
Join all these circles with lines like in the following image.
To draw the human body, we recommend that you start by doing this exercise with
the body facing forward (not in profile).

Once your strokes have improved, you can use your own body poses (from a
photo or by looking in the mirror) to guide you to draw the strokes of a body in
motion.
By the way, this drawing technique based on geometric figures is not only useful
for human figures. If you are interested in drawing sketches of dogs or any animal,
you should also start with drawing exercises with geometric figures. This technique
works for everything!

HUMAN DRAWING STRUCTURE: FILL IN THE SKETCH OF YOUR BODY

Once you've managed to draw a person with sticks and circles, it's time to give
them shape.

To draw body mass, you also need to do drawing exercises with geometric figures.
In this case, ovals, circles and triangles that, little by little, must join together and
begin to give shape to the human figure.

Look at the following sketch of a female figure. The oval shape is used for the torso
and a more triangular shape helps define the hips and back.
 Sketch: Intern

BASIC DRAWING TIP: SHORT STROKES INSTEAD OF LONG ONES

Do drawing exercises in which you have to define long lines or circles from shorter
strokes. That is, instead of drawing a single line, press the pencil lightly and draw
short strokes that allow you to get the longest line.

Long shapes and lines are difficult to draw in one stroke and are less easy to
handle than short lines. This drawing exercise will get you used to guiding the
pencil in the direction you want through short strokes, without losing the coherence
of the drawing.
A LOOK AT DRAWING THE HUMAN BODY

It may be too early for you to start drawing the human body, however, we believe
that this guide will help you to know and explore in advance one of the different
canons of proportion of the human body. In this case, the one created by Andrew
Loomis.

For him, for example, the key is to measure everything based on the proportion of
the volume of the head.

Practice makes perfect. You will see that by sketching daily you can improve your
pencil drawing technique and become a professional.

For this reason, we bring you these downloadable resources so that you can
complement the basic drawing exercises that we shared with you before.

GUIDE TO TRANSFORMING A REALISTIC FACE INTO A CARTOON

Nowadays, the cartoon style is very popular among professional illustrators and
cartoonists. How about joining this artistic movement with exercises to draw
cartoon-style faces?

This type of portrait aims to imitate the individual features and personality of the
model, but in a simple and unrealistic way. With this guide you can learn to draw
step by step in cartoon style. And there will be no shortage of clients asking you for
work using this technique!
HANDBOOK: COMPOSING AN ILLUSTRATION

Antonella Morelli,

“Composition is so important that we can’t forget about composing: if you don’t use
composition to your advantage, it will most likely work against you later. It must be
done with a clear objective, since it is a powerful tool of visual reading, symbolism
and balance.”

It is key to keep this guide in mind while you are doing your drawing exercises at
home. Thus, little by little, your drawings will become more and more
professional.

HANDBOOK: TOOLS FOR YOUR INNER ILLUSTRATOR

After so many exercises to practice drawing, it's time to bring out your inner
illustrator. How to do it? With the help of the tools we propose in this handbook.

Organizing your drawing routine, choosing the color palette or getting all the
drawing supplies takes time. Make the drawing process easier with this tool guide!

GUIDE TO ILLUSTRATING NARRATIVE

If you already have your drawing routine down, then it's time to move up to the big
leagues and get inspired to illustrate narrative.

With this guide, also made by our teacher Antonella Morelli, you will be able to
learn the basics of illustration for narrative: concepts, step by step, tips and more.
You will discover a fascinating new world of cartoons and comics!