How i improved my drawing skills

A lot of people often talk about how someone who draws well has real talent and so on, but the truth is, talent is nothing but a person’s real interest in a particular hobby that is fueled by hours and hours of practice and consistency…

I’ve always loved to draw since a very young age. I started out the same way as most artists do and that is drawing by reference. This helps you greatly when you’re trying to learn and improve. For the longest time i felt guilty for drawing used references because i felt like i was copying. Of course i was, but what i didn’t know was, by doing this, it would bring me to the point i am now. You need reference to understand shading and movement. Studying the real world will teach you things that nothing else can.

First of all, you need to get rid of the idea that you are bad at drawing. Yes, there is good art, yes, there is bad art – but if you keep to the idea of “I’m so bad at drawing”, i firmly believe it will hold you back.

I’ve been drawing for years now initially with the intent of making it a career, but as time went by, as a hobby and an outlet. In my own journey, i found that, at least while starting out, the quickest method to improve is to make as many sketches you can. Yup, there is no “secret”… It’s all practice! It seemed slow and frustrating at first. I learnt how to get good control of my pencil.

To start with, i learnt to make definite circles, straight lines: vertical, horizontal, inclined (forward and backward). Then i went on to drawing things from my surroundings : cups, bottles, chairs and almost everything. This is where your observation and visualisation plays an important role. Then i started using colours along with these.

I followed the 3 P’s :

Passion

Practice

Patience

I kept making 20-30 sketches everyday. Sometimes rapid.. To increase my speed. This improved my strokes and confidence. I always kept all my drawings so that in a few years i can look back and realise how much i have truly progressed.

I slowly started to note a change in my inner perception to colour, tone and proportions. Learning basic principles, such as one & two point perspective and mastering those immediately gave my artwork a professional air.