D- Drawing- How I improved my drawing skills.

Yesterday’s post was a disaster!

I am willing to change/edit the paintings by re-doing them and editing the write-ups once I have enough time. Do you think that’s okay? Will that change anything? Let me know in the comments below.

In today’s post, I am going to give insights into how I improved my drawing skills and how I intend to get back to re-polishing my skills soon.

As I am a self-taught artist I had to train myself to my basics right and I am still working on them.

Back Story

I am a certified graphic designer and completed my graphic design short diploma course in 2016. However, in 2017 I got my admissions done for a Master’s In English Literature course. By 2019, I finished my post-graduation and was clueless about what to do next.

Since then I have been learning Digital marketing aspects and that is also when this blog came into existence. But slowly I also ventured out my graphic design skills and wanted to pursue illustrations.

In 2019, I managed to land a small project work as an illustrator. I realized I am really into illustrations and wanted to brush up on my basic drawing skills. To be precise I wanted to start cartooning my daily life and activities that would also be relatable to the audience.

However, I sucked at drawing. Now, I was really good at painting but my sketching sucks. (It still does!)

So I explored how can I improve my drawing skills and these are the steps I followed.

Also Read: How art saved me from hopelessness and directionless life?

Step 1: Get a hang of the basic drills.

These drills are to warm up your wrist as well as get a hang of your pressure on the pencil and make sure to get the basics right. These are like the warm-up exercise you do before you start your workout in the gym.

Basically, you have to practice these circles and lines, and try to make straight lines without using a ruler, make sure to loosen your wrist, and not have too much pressure on your pencil.

Step 2: Start Practicing and Imitating.

Start practicing some drawings that you feel are easy to do. Either watch some youtube channels or look out for inspiration on Pinterest.

Now, when I say start imitating this is to only start learning and practicing and these sketches or drawings SHOULD NOT go up online. These may affect copyright issues and you may get yourself into trouble.

To imitate is to only understand the basic concepts used by the flourished artist, and study their style to know what works and not works for you.

Step 3: Study drawing skills from books.

I have a bunch of books that I used initially and still go back to them when I wish to brush up on my skills. These books really helped me to understand different postures, different shapes, and styles, it helped me quite a lot.

I simply have this collection of books randomly picked up from a thrift or local stores nearby. Try your luck if you can get a hang of them.

However, this one book is available everywhere as it’s used by schools and students who are into art and drawing.

Also Read: A- Acrylic Painting

Also Read: B- Brush Calligraphy

Step 4: Observe around and keep practicing more

I guess the above one is good to create for animated gifs on Instagram. What do you think?

Observe nature around you, and maybe draw what you had for breakfast today. Go to a coffee shop and draw people around having conversations, draw the coffee you bought, go shopping, look out of the window, and draw whatever you notice.

This way you can improve your observational skills, helps you build your drawing skills and also it will help you find your style as well. This was you explore quite a lot of areas to know what exactly you love drawing the most, what you relate to most, and what isn’t working for you.

If you are a complete introvert like me and don’t go out often then maybe look for reference pictures online and re-create them. Many websites provide copyright-free photographs that you can use for your blogs and so you can also use them as an inspiration to reference pictures.

Step 5: Start Posting and Promoting yourself.

Once you get a hang of drawing, once you have realized what your style is, and once you get the confidence of starting to make original art, that is when you start posting on Social media to promote yourself and also experiment and know what your audience is relating and liking the most.

Also Read: What I learned in my Art-preneur journey in the past 4 years

This was it

So this was the way how I went about improving my drawing skills and becoming a self-taught artist. Let me know if you have more ideas too.

Also, do have a look at my art prints that are up for sale here.

If you wish to buy any of my art or wish to get any commissioned paint for yourself, or wish to learn the art and would like me to help you out feel free to drop in your enquires at freelancer.nazish17@gmail.com

Note: I don’t do portrait painting, but I do portrait digital illustrations.

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023