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How to Draw Properly: 3 Essential Techniques for Beginners

Feb 27, 2025

Drawing is the cornerstone of many artistic endeavors, from painting and digital art to design and illustration. However, for beginners, getting comfortable with a pencil and blank paper can sometimes feel intimidating or overwhelming. The good news is that drawing is a skill that anyone can learn and improve through regular practice and by focusing on simple, foundational techniques.

In this post, we’ll explore three essential methods tailored for novice artists who want to learn how to draw properly. By mastering these basics, you’ll gain more confidence in your ability to sketch objects, capture proportions, and understand how to translate what you see onto a two-dimensional surface. Let’s dive into the techniques that will set you on the right path in your artistic journey.

The Grid Method

  • What It Is: The Grid Method involves lightly drawing a grid of equal squares over your reference image and creating an identical grid on your drawing paper. You then replicate each square from the reference to your blank canvas.
  • Why Beginners Love It: This method is highly effective at training your eyes to notice details, shapes, and proportions without having to draw freehand right away. It simplifies complex images by segmenting them into smaller, more manageable sections.
  • How to Do It:
    1. Print or select a reference image you’d like to copy.
    2. Use a ruler to draw a grid of equally sized squares over the printed image.
    3. Draw the same number of squares on your paper, ensuring they match in size and spacing.
    4. Focus on transferring only what you see in each square, rather than looking at the entire subject at once.
  • Pro Tip: Keep your pencil lines light so they can be erased easily. After you finish your drawing, carefully remove the grid lines to reveal a more polished piece.

Contour Drawing

  • What It Is: Contour drawing focuses on tracing the outline or edges of a subject. In its purest form, you keep your pencil on the paper continuously while your eyes follow the edges of what you’re sketching.
  • Why It’s Great: This helps you develop sharper observation skills. You’ll train your brain to recognize the shapes and curves that define your subject, rather than relying on preconceived notions of what something “should” look like.
  • How to Practice:
    1. Choose a simple object—like a shoe or a mug—and place it in front of you.
    2. Start drawing the outer edge of the object without looking at your paper (or looking as little as possible).
    3. Move your pencil slowly as your eyes follow every turn and bend on the object’s surface.
  • Pro Tip: Begin with smaller, simpler items and gradually move to more complex shapes. Embrace imperfections—those mistakes actually help you improve your hand-eye coordination faster!

Basic Shading with Hatch and Cross-Hatch

  • What It Is: Shading transforms flat outlines into three-dimensional forms. Hatching uses closely spaced parallel lines to build value, whereas cross-hatching layers lines at different angles to create darker tonal areas.
  • Why It’s Key: Adding shading brings depth and realism to your drawings, helping you understand how light and shadow interact with different forms.
  • How to Begin:
    1. Practice drawing simple shapes (like cubes, spheres, or cylinders).
    2. Decide where your light source is and shade the opposite side using parallel lines (hatching).
    3. For darker shadows, add another layer of lines at a slight angle (cross-hatching).
  • Pro Tip: Vary the pressure you apply with your pencil. A lighter touch creates softer midtones, while a firmer stroke creates darker shadows. Experiment with different pencils (e.g., HB, 2B, 4B) to find your preferred shading style.

Conclusion
Building a strong foundation in drawing doesn’t happen overnight. It requires patience, consistent practice, and a willingness to learn from your mistakes. By familiarizing yourself with the Grid Method, contour drawing, and basic hatching techniques, you’ll establish solid fundamentals that will serve you well as you progress to more advanced styles and tools. Keep experimenting with different subjects, pencil grades, and practice sessions—before you know it, you’ll see substantial improvement in your artwork.