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Drawing Lessons for Beginners

Medha Godbole
Drawing is a skill that needs practice. You can guide those interested in it, but cannot imbibe that artistic sense in an individual. The same thing applies to other fine arts. Here are some drawing tips.
For great painters and legends like Vincent Van Gogh and Michelangelo, drawing probably came naturally. Undoubtedly, they were born with a knack for art. However, not everyone is as lucky as these greats were, who knew what their calling was from the word go.
Some have to develop this art of drawing and painting from a young age to reach the level that these people did. Here are some basic drawing tips for people who are beginning to learn the art of drawing.

Grips for Pencil Sketching

Grips for pencil is the most fundamental aspect when it comes to drawing lessons. To draw a sketch, a pencil needs to be held in a basic tripod grip. It is the grip with which we normally hold a pencil. Here, the position of the pencil is upright, which is better suited for sketching than the side of the pencil. This is mostly used while sketching.
There is another grip which is used to add more effect to your sketch, which is the extended tripod grip. Here, although the way you hold the pencil is the same, the difference is made by where it is held. This grip involves holding the pencil further ahead, approximately near its midpoint.
The triangle formed by the fingers and thumb is the same in this grip as in the plain tripod grip. However, this type gives you more flexibility. Its advantage is that larger movements of the pencil tip are facilitated even by smaller finger movements.
Another grip which exposes the side of the pencil tip is the overhand grip. This involves holding the pencil lightly against the fingers, supported by the flat of the thumb. It is perfect for shading and when the drawing surface is vertical. It allows free and expansive marking.
The last type is the underhand grip. The pencil is held between the 'V' of the thumb and palm, supported by the index finger, which controls the tip.

Doodling Away

The next step is to doodle and scribble on paper using these grips. If you have a new pencil, you need to know what all it can do. Thus, scribble on a sheet of paper. Get the feel of the texture of the lines or doodles made by you using that pencil. This is called 'mark making'. Exploring the medium is the basic objective here.
After this, try wire drawing. This is a fun activity where you do not have presumptions about what you are going to draw. For this, grab a piece of scrap flexible wire, unwind it, and mold it into any 3 dimensional shape you want without hurting yourself.
Draw as you see this wire. Perceive it as a line in space and draw it. It can be completely flat as long as you get the hang of the abstract shape. While drawing, keep your lines as continuous and relaxed as possible.

Blind and Pure Contour Drawing

Blind contour drawing is meant to improve hand-eye coordination. It is primarily making the outline of the subject without looking at the paper. The outcome does not matter till you observe it minutely. Observation is the key. Start off by observing and drawing your own hand.
On the contrary, pure contour drawing has clearly-defined edges, by looking at the paper. Here, the lighter lines and sharp lines imply a lot of things. Line weight is a crucial factor here.
One more variation is cross contour drawing. It has vertical and horizontal lines across the form. These lines help visualize the basic texture of the surface of the object. The 3-D aspect of the surface is portrayed in a 2-D manner by this method.
These are the things you should begin with, with regards to drawing. When it comes to coloring, you can experiment with mediums like crayons or color pencils on various surfaces like a watercolor paper, matte board, and so on. Observe the different texture of colors and hues created on each of these with the same crayons.
Apart from all this, there is an allied subject to drawing and that is painting. Painting lessons, like drawing lessons, are also available online. However, it is better to just have a go at the brush and the paintings and go to a teacher for honing your skill.
There are many aspects involved in drawing, and practicing is the only way you can uncover the thrill of it. As the great Van Gogh says, "If you hear a voice within you saying, "You are not a painter," then by all means paint... and that voice will be silenced."