Whether you’re a seasoned artist seeking to refine your skills, or a beginner taking your first steps into the world of art, the right tutorial can make all the difference. This curated list features some of the best drawing tutorials available, providing step-by-step guides that cover a broad range of styles and techniques. From mastering the basics of sketching and shading, to venturing into the realms of portrait drawing, these tutorials offer invaluable insights for artists at every level.
Drawing Ideas
Read about the best drawing ideas for inspiration.
When it comes to drawing, it can be hard to know where to begin or what to try next. That’s why this blog post provides a range of inspiring drawing ideas that you can use as a starting point for your own work. Depending on your skills and interests, you will find ideas for portraits, landscapes, cityscapes figures, objects and more in a range of different styles and materials. Each idea comes with its own tutorial, so learn how to create drawings of a range of different subjects for yourself.
Drawing Tools
Read about the best drawing tools for artists
In the realm of artistry, the right tools can make a significant difference, enhancing the quality of your work and enriching the creative process. The blog post delves into a curated selection of drawing tools renowned for their superior performance and favoured by professional artists worldwide. These include graphite pencils of varying hardness, charcoal for deeper and more dynamic strokes, and markers for bold and vibrant detailing.
The great thing about getting started with drawing, is that you don’t need many supplies to start creating incredible art. However, finding your favourite tools can take some time and experimentation. This drawing tools guide reviews and recommends artists quality supplies, outlining their unique features and describes how to use them to achieve the best results. Find reviews on the best paper, sharpeners, erasers, drawing tables, light boxes, coloured pencils, pastels, blending tools and more.
How to Draw with Coloured Pencils
Read about how to draw with coloured pencils.
Coloured pencils allow are soft, vibrant and are an unparalleled medium for creating fine details.
The two attributes that make this medium suitable for creating ultra realistic artworks, is the fact that you can blend colours together to make gradients and colour mixes and the fact that colours can be layered and built, to create depth in the artwork.
This tutorial includes everything a beginner would need to know about the coloured pencil medium. Find the best coloured pencil supplies and get some inspiration for what to draw with coloured pencils. Then also learn about the basic techniques and the drawing process from start to finish.
The Best Drawing Books for Artists
Read the best drawing books for artists.
If you want to brush up on your drawing skills, or learn something specific, pick up some drawing books. We’ve reviewed a range of books, from anatomy books, to figurative workbooks that you can use as sketchbooks to practise in.
Drawing Techniques
Read 17 drawing techniques for beginners.
When we first start out with drawing, we learn how to join lines, curves and shade by applying pressure to the pencil. However, there is another dimension of unique techniques that can be used for shading, to create texture and focus in a drawing. The blog post, 17 drawing techniques, will walk you through each techniques, giving instructions on how to use it in your own artwork. Discover techniques like hatching and stippling, which can be used to create depth in ink drawings and etchings, as well as with pencil.
How to Draw on Toned Paper
Read about how to draw on toned paper.
Toned paper is a great way to add contrast into your artwork, and it can speed up the drawing process by establishing a mid tone base. The paper can come in different shades such as grey, sepia or brown, and serves as a neutral tone for your artwork, upon which, you can build shadows with a dark pencil and highlights with white pencil.
In this tutorial, learn how to draw on toned paper with ease, picking up tips for drawing people and animals using this paper type. Learn about the different kinds of toned papers available and how to choose the right one for your project. Discover the best tools and pencils to use when working with toned paper, as well as techniques for blending colours together. Finally, find out how to bring your drawing to life with subtle details and highlights.
The Best Sketchbooks for Artists
Read about the best sketchbooks for artists.
A sketchbook is an essential tool for artists wanting to practise their skills, create composition sketches, experiment with new materials and try drawing exercises. What makes a great sketchbook will depend on your preferences—you may want a book with bright white, smooth, thick pages that you can use with graphite or marker. Or you might want a book that you can fill with gouache paintings as well as drawings. Find a sketchbook for your needs in our review. Learn about page thickness, paper weight, surface texture and binding type to find the perfect book.
Drawing Exercises
Read about drawing exercises that will help improve your skills.
Drawing is something that must be practised in order to improve technique and understanding of the medium. Even if you don’t have the time or resources to attend art classes, there are several drawing exercises that you can do on your own. These exercises will help build up hand-eye coordination, teach you how to draw basic elements and get comfortable with different materials and techniques. This blog post outlines a range of fun yet focused drawing exercises to improve your skills in pencil, charcoal, pastel and ink. Learn about gesture drawing to improve your figure drawing skills, contour drawing to improve your line work and much more!
Sketchbook Ideas
Read 40+ sketchbook ideas to fuel your creativity.
Looking for ideas to fill your sketchbook with? A sketchbook is your personal space to experiment, make mistakes and try something new. Read this article for a range of sketchbook ideas that you can use to fill your pages, no matter your skill level or drawing style. From doodles, lettering and character designs to landscape paintings and still life drawings, find inspiration for what to draw in your own sketchbook.
How to Draw Textures
Read about how to draw textures.
Texture is an important part of any artwork and can be used to create a sense of realism or expressiveness. Find out which tools work best for drawing textures, and learn some basic exercises that will help build a better understanding of how to draw realistic textures. This article covers a range of topics including the basics of texture, choosing the right tools for drawing textures such as pencils, charcoal and pastels, techniques such as hatching, crosshatching and stippling, scumbling layering techniques and blending tools.
A Complete List of Drawing Styles
Read about over 20 different drawing styles.
There are many different types of art and many kinds of artistic expression! Drawing styles can range from realistic to abstract, and each has its own benefits and challenges. Read this article to learn more about the various drawing styles available, from realism to cartooning, comic books to street art. Get an overview of popular and lesser-known drawing styles, with an explanation of the tools and techniques used for each style.
Coloured Pencil Blending Techniques
Read about coloured pencil blending techniques.
Blending is one of the most important techniques for creating realistic artwork with coloured pencils. This tutorial will introduce you to several different ways to blend colours together in coloured pencil artwork. Learn about the various types of blending tools, including stumps, tortillions and paper towels. Discover tips for layering colours to create smooth blends and how to use solvents or wax-based pencils. Find out about colourless blenders and how they work with coloured pencils. Get a better understanding of how to apply the various blending techniques and when to use them. With these tips, you’ll be able to create beautiful coloured pencil art with your own unique signature style.
Figure Drawing
Read about drawing figures and learn essential tips for success.
Drawing people can be challenging but also highly rewarding. Learn how to draw figures with confidence using this helpful tutorial. Understand the basics of proportion and anatomy, and get tips for drawing different body types as well as facial features. Discover essential techniques such as gesture drawing and contour drawing, which can help you capture movement in your drawings. Find out about building up tonal values when sketching a figure, creating depth in the drawing and bringing it to life with details. Finally, get advice on shading techniques to make your figures look realistic. With these tips, you’ll be able to draw people of any age, gender and body type with confidence!
Loomis Method for Portrait Drawing
Read about Andrew Loomis’s method for portrait drawing.
Andrew Loomis was a renowned American illustrator and author of best-selling instructional books on drawing, including the classic volume “Drawing the Head and Hands”. In this book, he introduced a simple yet effective approach to learning how to draw portraits. Read this tutorial to learn about the Loomis method, its key principles and how it can be adapted for drawing from photographs. Get a better understanding of facial proportions, facial features and techniques for rendering the face in graphite or charcoal. With these tips, you’ll be able to draw realistic portraits with ease!
One Point Perspective
Read about how to draw in one point perspective.
Perspective drawing can help artists create a sense of depth and realism in cityscapes, landscapes and interior drawings. One point perspective is a technique that uses linear convergence to create the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface. Read this tutorial to learn more about the basics of one point perspective, including its key principles and techniques. Find out how to construct a one point perspective drawing with the help of horizon lines and guides, shading tips for adding realistic details and advice on composition. With these tips, you’ll be able to draw in one point perspective like a pro!