What could be cooler than creating a pencil drawing of someone you love and having everyone know exactly who it is? If you can follow basic instructions and are willing to practice, you can learn how to draw cool drawings like realistic portraits.
Even if you are just a budding artist and are pretty sure you have no skills, even if you have tried to draw cool drawings before and failed, learning some basic techniques will turn it all around for you.
GET THE RIGHT TOOLS
It begins with having the correct tools, such as various pencils besides a number 2, as well as rubber erasers and a good sharpener. The type of paper can vary, and it is important to consider the lighting in your work space.
An excellent lesson guide is critical. You can learn in the comfort of your own home now with the many online tutorials available. Some are free. I will recommend the one I like at the close of this article. A good guide takes you through the steps to learn the very basic techniques which are central to any method of design: strokes.
There are different strokes which will create shading and add dimension to your cool drawings. Finding the right guide to walk you through the steps to mastery in a logical progression is very helpful.
CREATE A PRACTICE SCHEDULE
It takes practice at every level to gain the skill and confidence to proceed. Like anything worth accomplishing, pencil drawing gives great satisfaction as you spend the time to practice. Set aside some time every day to work on a certain technique. Only 15 or 20 minutes can move you along and you will find it relaxing and more fulfilling than staring at the television.
As you move on to learn some basic principles used in various exercises and the techniques that rely on them to build strong illustration abilities, you will see how each principle applies when you really put your pencils to the paper. All those exercises reinforce the skills you need for your project.
You may wonder.... could I possibly learn these techniques? Do I need many costly lessons? Do I have the time? Costs vary. Going to an art studio class can get expensive, $100 or more for a few lessons, and require traveling to the location. It is possible to enjoy a class online through an eBook or video tutorials for less than half the cost.
Like anything in life worth achieving, you get what you put in. Students who have worked hard for their results find great satisfaction and recognition. It might seem difficult, but using a recipe step by step, just like a map, it is possible to know where to go and how to achieve the desired results in less time. Short cuts are usually disappointing. But, a well drawn portrait will be a treasured gift.
Basic drawing programs begin with simple technique exercises for a very basic reason: if you do not use all the right ingredients, you end up with a different result. When you understand how a technique applies to your project, though, you will achieve dynamic results. Then you can branch out, experiment and make your own creative stylings.
