How to Draw Real Things
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditFrustrated by your inability to draw? Think the ability to draw well is due to 'natural talent'? It's not. It's practice, and a few pointers. Use this guide and learn how to teach yourself better drawing habits.
Steps
Before beginning, make sure that before you start drawing that you turn off all distractions (like cell phones and TVs if you are inside).- Look at the object, hold in your mind what it looks like, draw THAT specific shape. Look, hold, draw. Repeat. Often people look at an object and draw memories of it, but these memories are incorrect and result in unrealistic images.
- If you're having trouble holding an image of your subject in your mind, flick your eyes quickly between the subject and the drawing. It will help you make a relative comparison.
- If you're having trouble holding an image of your subject in your mind, flick your eyes quickly between the subject and the drawing. It will help you make a relative comparison.
- Draw the complete silhouette of the subject first. Get that right and you'll find it much easier to work out what goes where. You will often find it easier to draw the shape of the negative space around an object than the edge of the object itself.
- For example - when you draw an eye, don't draw the pupil first and then the rest; Instead just draw the white part of the eye, and you will have automatically drawn the entire eye.
- For example - when you draw an eye, don't draw the pupil first and then the rest; Instead just draw the white part of the eye, and you will have automatically drawn the entire eye.
- When you're drawing properly, you should forget yourself and take your time. Forget the passing of time. Allow yourself to become completely absorbed, like you're driving a car. You'll enjoy it more, and you'll draw better because you've become completely focused.
- One trick to prevent drawing your assumptions is to get a picture from a magazine, turn it upside down, and draw it. This technique tricks your brain into thinking it's looking at something new instead of something you think you're familiar with. In this way you can draw what you actually see - unique shapes - instead of drawing what you've always assumed the subject looks like.
- If you want something to look real you can't only make harsh, defined lines - they're unnatural. Use a pencil and draw softly, if that is what suits the subject. The bottom line is to draw exactly what you see.
Video
Speed drawing of a realistic portrait.Tips
- Find books on drawing real things like portraits, people, etc. Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is an excellent book. You don't need to buy the book - borrow books from libraries. Go through a lot of books to save yourself the money.
- You can also tape your paper to the wall and draw the shadow of the object first.
- Collect pictures of people, friends,and family from magazines. You can use these for practice and for examining things.
- Never throw out your old drawings. It's great to see how you have improved, and if you practice then you will improve!
- Have everything you need so you don't need to get up while you are drawing .
- Practice, practice, practice! Set aside some time each day if possible to sketch out whatever! And remember, practice makes a man perfect!
- Don't be afraid of drawing quickly and making mistakes. The inevitable difference between the actual object and your drawing of it is what gives drawings value. Don't erase - just don't stop drawing. Don't assume that a good drawing must be a precise and perfect one. You will learn quicker if you let go of perfection, because you will do more drawing.
Warnings
- Don't buy all the supplies in the beginning. All you need is a relatively decent sketchbook (one you can have with you at all times ideally), a soft pencil (a 2B is recommended, as is charcoal) and a quiet space with an interesting view. The one thing worth spending a bit of money on is a chunky mechanical pencil (pacer) which cost about $2 because you can change the type of lead it holds.
- Drawing takes a lot of practice and it gets really frustrating sometimes. Understand that all you need to do to be able to draw is to be able to remember what the subject looks like long enough to get similar marks onto a piece of paper.
- Don't allow yourself to get frustrated. Just know that the difficult part is learning to think the right way. If you can master your thought process, you can learn to draw and do anything else besides.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Rubber
- Sharpener
- A hard surface to place your paper
- Things to draw
- A quiet place, that's open, so that you can actually breathe and move around a bit
- Make sure you can see what you are doing, if not, you might need more light.
- An eraser in case you make a mistake
- Apractice piece of paper to see if what your drawing is going to be hard or easy
- jot down some key features of it(practice makes perfect)!
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