Learning To Draw As An Adult (What You Should Know)
Learning to Draw as an Adult (What You Should Know)
Drawing is a fun and low-pressure hobby you may have engaged in as a child, but it is also a skill you can also cultivate as an adult. It is a skill you can pick up at any age, as long as you are willing to put in the work and time.
You might be beginning to draw as an adult and asking yourself, “Can I teach myself how to draw?” The answer is yes. With the correct supplies, plenty of practice, and determination to succeed, you will be able to draw in no time.
There are also several benefits to drawing, such as stress relief, memory enhancement, and improved creativity. No matter what your age, you will reap the benefits of drawing, so why not start drawing now?
Nicole Swalm: Drawing for Adults
What are the 5 Basic Skills of Drawing?
There are five basic skills for drawing that artists use that can help you create a masterpiece in no time. They include:
1. Edges
Edges help you determine the shape of your drawing. Understanding edges can help you draw a realistic object versus one that is hard to define.
2. Space
Space refers to the area an object occupies (positive) and the area surrounding the object (negative). For example, imagine a donut with a hole in it. The donut itself takes up positive space, but the donut hole would be considered a negative space within the object.
3. Light and Shadows
Adding light and shadows to your drawings will add depth and definition to your drawings. This also means focusing on colors and how lights and shadows play on these colors in your drawings. This is best done by being aware of the colors, light, and shadows in the world around you.
4. Relationships
This refers to the relationship one line has with every other line in your drawing and how they look together. Being aware of the relationship between these lines will determine how they work together and whether they form an accurate depiction.
For example, if you are drawing a cat next to a person, the cat should be smaller than the person to draw an accurate depiction of a person and a cat.
5. The Whole
The whole is how you integrate the above four skills. When you draw a donut, you want to be aware of its shape as well as the space in the donut hole. If you are drawing someone eating a donut for breakfast in a cafe, you will want to be aware of how light and shadows would affect the scene as well as the donut’s relationship to the person and the rest of the scene.
Nicole Swalm: Art for Adults
How to Develop Your Drawing Skills
You can begin to develop your drawing skills by learning the fundamentals, which are:
Form
Form is your ability to see beyond the 2D, and artists who excel in this can create realistic drawings that pop off the page. You can work on this skill starting with three-dimensional shapes such as spheres, cylinders, and so on.
Composition
Composition refers to how the different elements of an artwork are arranged and work in relation to each other. It will differ based on an artist’s style. For example, one artist may focus on art that emphasizes one subject of their drawing. Another artist may draw equal attention to their art’s subjects.
Anatomy
Anatomy is an important skill for professional work since it is useful for drawing any living thing. Studying anatomy can help you understand the body and how it works, but it is not required knowledge for drawing. However, it is good to know if you wish to develop your drawing skills.
Can You Teach Yourself How to Draw?
Yes. There is plenty of content online that can help you learn to draw, such as YouTube, Udemy, and more. If you are willing to put in the time and effort, you can successfully teach yourself how to draw.
Nicole Swalm: Art Skills
Start Drawing Today
It is never too late to learn how to draw. No matter what your age, if you are determined to draw, you can teach yourself. You can start by teaching yourself the five basics of drawing, and then move on to developing your skills through the drawing fundamentals. Start practicing today and reap the benefits.
