Even if you think that drawing and sketching is not something you can do, we are here to tell you that you’re quite likely wrong. All you need is a bit of practice and guidance. Drawing is something that can become an emotional outlet for you and something you can get good at only through practice, so let’s learn how to draw a bunch of cool new stuff.
Ultimately, any creative activity, whether it’s drawing, painting, crafting, writing, and so on, requires practice. Without practice, you don’t get to learn from mistakes, you do not get to improve. So, even if you think that you’re no good at drawing, we’re here to encourage you to get your hands on that pencil and to try. At least try.
How to Sketch: Drawing for Beginners
To help you get started drawing, here are 50 super helpful drawings for beginners’ techniques. While these may look easy to make and they are just beginner lessons, please note that mastering these shapes and shades will help you advance your skills and put you on the right path to draw like a pro.
1. Learn to draw curly hair
teaches you how to draw curly, textured hair starting from just a squiggly line measured out between two tapered parallel ones. They clearly map out how to add dimension and depth to each curl by adding another slightly staggered wiggly line and building the strand from there.
2. Drawing for beginners lesson: sky and clouds
guides you through the beginner process of filling your paper with a smoky, smudged effect in order to create a sketched out sky that has depth just like the real thing, rather than just leaving the top section of the drawing blank, matte, and flat. Smudging with a cloth helps to give you more control of how evenly you rub that portion of the drawing.
3. Learn to sketch animal fur
points out that drawing shaggy animal fur isn’t always the same as trying to draw human hair. Animals with fur coats have hair that sits in thick, often uneven layers, while human hair flows and moves more easily. Believe it or not, these things can actually be reflected in how you draw each strand!
4. Draw & sketch fruit
suggests using fruit as a practice for still life drawing, allowing you to perfect your shapes, strokes, shadows, and highlights while the object of your study sits still and accessible to you. If you really want to practice, try drawing the same fruit from different angles!
5. Sketch an eye exercises
shows you that the trick with sketching eyes is shading properly so they appear to have some life to them. If you simply draw a flat, un-angled sketch of an eye shape without paying attention to reflections and depth, the person you’ve created will look as though they have no depth or emotion.
6. Sketch a mouth
Learning to sketch features step by step lessons are the best way to eventually piece together an entire face! First, try learning to sketch a mouth and a set of lips by following the steps on . Once you mastered those, you’ll be able to start playing with lip and mouth shapes to create people who look very different and have different characteristics or physical traits.
7. Draw straight hair lesson
reminds you that even the straightest of hair sits at angles and moves in different directions, rather than just laying straight and flat against a person’s head and face as you might see in a quick sketch of a stick figure. Drawing for beginners learning strands in which the individual hairs are discernible is the main task.
8. Learn how to sketch a tabby cat
shows you how to draw a simple tabby cat that makes a great (and totally adorable) beginner sketch for putting what you learned above about animal fur to good use. You’ll also get practice shaping a facial structure that isn’t just the average human face.
9. Sketch a spaniel dog
teaches you how to sketch a dog in a cartoon style, rather than a life mimicked method. We think this is awesome! You can adjust what you learned drawing this dog later on when you decide to learn about sketching dogs that look more immediately realistic too.
10. Sketch trees step by step
Okay, so we know you’ve probably been drawing trees in some capacity since you were old enough to pick up a pencil, but now it’s time to make them look like the real thing! guides you through the process of shading and angling that will help you create a wilderness scene as nice as this one.
11. Learn how to sketch a glass of water
If you’re really looking for a challenge when it comes to realistic drawing and reflections, then check out how suggests drawing a glass of water. It takes some practice, as it’s a little more complicated than the 2D version you might have drawn in primary school where the surface of the water was just a straight line, but you’ll feel as though your skill has greatly improved by the time you’re finished.
12. Learn How to Draw Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seuss has been a favorite for children for decades now, so Cat in the Hat is one of the beloved characters. With this, you’ll learn how to make one of the most adorable Cat in the hat drawings we’ve ever seen. There are less than 20 steps to make this drawing, and you’ll want to jump right in, like we have.
13. How to Draw a Robot
If you want to learn how to draw a cartoonish robot, then this is your solution. It’s all about geometric shapes and creating a really cute character. Then, of course, you need to properly color it in, but we’re sure you’ll manage just fine after following this tutorial from .
14. Draw a Magnolia
Magnolia flowers are absolutely stunning. Not only do they smell divine, but they also look absolutely gorgeous! The folks at are going to help you through the whole piece, starting with the stem, building up through the leaves, and then, finally the petals of these extraordinary flowers.
15. Draw a Spaceship
We don’t know about you, but we are fascinated by spaceships. Whether it’s your kid that’s asking for an awesome spaceship, or you’re just passionate about space yourself, we need to know how to make one. So, is helping us out with a nifty tutorial that’s super easy to follow!
16. Draw a dragon
Ok, this one is certainly more child-like, but when you’re just starting out to draw, you’ll want to tackle easy projects. So, this really cute dragon can be a good start for that and we have a guide on how to make one from .
17. Cartoon Penguin
Making a cartoon penguin can be a really cute project, especially if your kids are asking for one! Plus, you can learn together by following the tutorial from . Their little penguin is neatly tucked under a warm scarf, which is just adorable.
18. Draw Cherry Blossoms
Cherry blossoms are absolutely gorgeous and we cannot wait to see them again. However, you need to keep in mind that they’re not the easiest to create. Thankfully, the folks at can help every step of the way, so if you’ll follow the guide you’ll manage to create a really cute drawing.
19. Butterflies
Butterflies are stunning creatures and drawing them is not always the easiest thing to do, especially if you’re going for a realistic feel. So, this cool is going to help you understand the anatomy of the butterfly and their wing patterns, so you can create a beautiful drawing. We love how detailed this tutorial is and how it explains everything, so you should definitely check it out.
20. The Human Body
How about we dive into something a little it more serious like drawing the human body? The human body is extremely complex, but the features are roughly the same. The first thing you need to have a handle on when drawing a body is the proportions. So, dive into this tutorial from and learn everything there is to know.
21. Leaves
The next project we propose is for you to learn how to make leaves! Yes! Leaf doodles are super cute and they can be super useful later on, when you’re drawing bigger pieces. Not only do you get to practice, you also get to figure out which shapes you like better. This cute tutorial from s will help you out and you’ll get a few good ideas from it, we’re sure.
22. Hole Optical Illusion
Ok, this one may be a bit more advanced than what we’ve seen so far, but it’s fairly easy to do once you understand how it all works. It’s a game of proportions and shapes, so get all the details from . We’re sure you’ll love the result as much as we do.
23. Angel Wings
Wings are always super cool and we particularly love doodling them. But, if you really want to learn how to make some nice angel wings you can follow the tutorial from , as they take you every step of the way, teaching you how to get the shape right, how to add in the feathers, and more. Later on, you’ll just have to adapt it for your own projects.
24. Easy Roses
Roses have a lot of petals, which makes them a bit more difficult to draw. But if you’re not looking for a super realistic drawing, shared an easy guide on how to make some. It’s easy to follow and you’ll learn yet another cool drawing.
25. Sunflowers
If you want to draw a cool sunflower, then has the details for you. They tell you when to go soft, when to press your pencil in harder, how to sketch it all before bringing in the color. It’s a cute project if you want to go for it, and you can even follow it to create a field of sunflowers.
26. Naruto
Do we have any Naruto fans around here? If you want to learn how to draw Naruto, you can follow this tutorial from and you’ll know just how to build it all up. Ultimately, it will help you draw other characters too, so it’s going to be useful even if you’re not a big fan of this particular character.
27. Snowflake
If you want to draw a snowflake, well, we have a tutorial for you from . It’s a pretty easy tutorial to follow and it’s perfect for beginners. Once you get the hang of things, you’ll certainly start expanding this to create your own snowflake shapes. After all, no two snowflakes are the same, right?
28. Girl
Drawing people may seem like a difficult thing to do, but we have a really cute and easy-to-follow tutorial from . The tutorial takes you step by step through the whole process and we’re sure you’ll find it just as lovely as we did. It’s such a cute drawing to make and you can definitely try to expand and experiment once you have the basics down.
29. Dinosaur
Let’s face it… knowing how to draw a dinosaur can be super useful when you want to amaze someone with your doodles. Even better if you have kids that are passionate about dinosaurs! So, this really cute tutorial from can help you create your own dinosaur – a T-Rex. Whether you believe they had scales or feathers, the tutorial has you covered.
30. Bear
How about you learn how to draw a bear? These creatures are absolutely fantastic and we’d love it if we learned how to create one from scratch. So, the folks at are here to help us out with a very detailed guide on how to make our own pretty bear.
31. How to Draw Teeth
If you want to learn how to draw teeth, you can check out this tutorial at which will tell you all there is to know, from the actual sketch to how to properly shade them in and how to blend the crayon. It’s a detailed tutorial, and even if it’s a more advanced drawing, we’re sure you’ll manage with practice.
32. Draw Hair Underwater
If you want to draw someone underwater, even a siren, for instance, you’ll need to know how to draw hair underwater. So, we found this exact tutorial on and it’s stunning! It’s also not that difficult to draw if you know how to do it. So, jump right in!
33. Mandala
Mandalas may seem super complicated, but with a bit of patience you can create your own. Mandalas are not only fun to create, but also fun to color in. So, we found this cute tutorial on (which it is!) and if you’ll follow it, you’ll know more about the basics of drawing mandalas.
34. Beach
Drawing the beach isn’t necessarily the hardest thing to do, but the sea waves really need some practice. Over on YouTube, we found this great which helps us understand exactly what has to be done and how to achieve all this.
35. Anime Hair
If you’re into anime, then learning how to draw anime hair makes perfect sense. Of course, anime drawing is a specific genre, if you want, so it comes with its own rules. Thankfully, on how to draw multiple hairstyles so you’ll have a wide range in your arsenal.
36. Draw Male and Female Faces
When it comes to drawing, you’ll need to have knowledge of both male and female anatomy. So, this time around, we’re focusing on drawing faces for men and women. This instructive tutorial from will help you out with the details, understanding the differences and more.
37. Grown-up Dragon
We’ve already seen how to draw a dragon that’s really basic – more for kids than adults, and now we’re going to dive in and check out how to make a proper dragon that you may very well fear. shares this tutorial and we’re super impressed. Let’s try this together!
38. Draw a Dog
We want to be able to draw anything, so let’s draw a dog! We have these really cool tutorials on how to properly draw dogs step by step from . They’re super instructive and will help you figure out many things about how to build your drawing.
39. Draw Nature Scenery
Next, you may want to try to learn how to how to draw a beautiful nature scenery. on YouTube is teaching us how to make a nice drawing with a lake and some trees reflecting in the water. It’s a really cute and easy tutorial that you’ll follow and create your own scenery. Once you learn how to make it, you can try another scene.
40. Draw a Bird
is teaching us a really cool way to draw a bird in crayon over on YouTube. It’s a pretty picture and the video makes it fairly easy to follow, so draw your own and let’s see how they turn out. Keep in mind that since you’re only just beginning, it will take a while to get the exact same result.
41. Sketch a Horse
Horses are notoriously difficult to draw, so we have a really cute project for you. It’s not extremely detailed, which makes it easy for a first attempt. It’s fun to do and you can always build from there and add more details as you grow as an artist. Watch this video from .
42. Deadpool
We can’t really have a list of drawing ideas for beginners without some superheroes, right? So, how about Deadpool? We just love this character and Ryan Reynolds is really perfect for the role. So, we found a cool tutorial on on YouTube and we really think you should join us in watching it and trying to follow the steps.
43. Girl Portrait
Portrait work is difficult, but when you know the basics, it should be easy to follow. This YouTube tutorial we found is fairly easy to follow and it’s so beautiful. Even though it may be a bit more difficult to get exactly like so, it’s a nice goal to have. Check out the tutorial from .
Drawing Tips and Tricks for Beginners
44. Drawing Technique – Shading
One of the things you need to know when drawing is how to properly build shade. The light source, the depth of color in dark places, the lightness in lit areas, and so on – these are things you need to handle if you want to draw realistic pieces in any capacity. Get the guide from
45. Avoid Smudging When Drawing
shows you the best drawing technique for avoiding smudges on your drawings particularly if you prefer sketching in pencil! This tip works for everyone, but it’s especially important for left-handed artists. People who draw with their right hand might smudge their work if the piece is big enough that you have to reach across it, but left-handed people reach at an angle that sets their hand over their strokes more often.
46. How to Hold and Control Your Pencil
reminds you that holding your pencil properly is crucial for controlling it and making it perform the way you want it to. The most control you have, the more precise your lines and details will be. They’ll even give you beginner tips on when and where to apply pressure while you draw.
47. Drawing Techniques – Shapes
We stumbled over this really cool guide on how to draw basic shapes. Why is it important to learn this? Well, because those shapes will help you build everything you want to, whether we’re talking about humans, machines, or flowers. Once you’re familiar with the basics, you’ll know how to work on more advanced projects. Over on the , we found a guide you can download in ebook form.
48 . Draw & sketch techniques: light and shadow
shows you how to show distance and perspective in a drawing by using simple, easily mimicked shapes to highlight how shadows and light change depending on how you want the object you’re sketching to be positioned.
49. Drawing for Beginners: Sketch a Face
Have you practiced your facial features like crazy and now you feel like you’re ready to put them all together? Well, you’ll need to put them somewhere that makes sense, so take a look at and learn how to draw basic face shapes before you try to construct a whole person!
50. Drawing Techniques – Break Down the Shape
One of the secrets to a cool drawing, especially for beginners, is breaking down the shape you want to create into smaller geometrical shapes. In this way, you’ll find it easier to maintain proportions. The folks at explain how all this works, so read their guide.
Final Thoughts
Even if you may never draw at an expert level, it’s a beautiful hobby to have and, as long as it makes you happy, you should keep at it. We hope you enjoyed these 50 tutorials and tips and tricks for beginners and we expect to see some of your creations, which you can share with us over social media. Drop us a comment below and tell us which tutorial you liked best!
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