Start Drawing!

Everyone is creative. Yes, you. And drawing and painting can be learned. But I thought I'd start with some simple helps which I use.

You need a soft pencil (not a normal HB, an art pencil of 2B (it will say on the pencil)), and a squishy rubber.  You will not need a ruler, this is art not maths.

It's ok to start small. A teeny wee picture has it's own charm and doesn't take long or get tricky. If small is fiddly, draw bigger. Use paper bigger than you think you need and lightly draw a blob, box or line to show where your picture is going. That way you won't end up squashing it in.

Ideally, draw from something in front or you. Or use a photo if that isn't practical. Please don't copy other people's pictures, you have your own originality.

Look carefully at the object or image. Look for the shapes it is made up of. Is it round, square, triangular? Look at the sizes of different bits and the proportions. Looking is the most important part of drawing.

Now draw these shapes very lightly onto your paper. Try not to rub out too much. If it is going wrong it is always better to start again because you have already learned from your first go. Once things start to look right you can draw over them more strongly, but don't go too dull and heavy. Don't worry if your lines are wibbly or wonky, your picture will still look good. Now add in some detail. Again, look carefully to see how the shapes work. Are they curly, boxy? Is there a pattern on the object? Draw it on lightly.

Carry on doing this until you have included as much as you like. It may a simple drawing or it may be very detailed, it's up to you. Look at your drawing and feel pleased. You did this!