Taking up art for the first time can be an exciting experience.
Drawing is a creative, diverse and easy way to help you relax, express yourself and even develop skills that can advance your creativity and future career.
But where do you start and is it possible to learn to draw for free?
The great news is you don’t need much money or any experience to get started. A pencil or pen and a few of sheets of paper is all you need to start working on the basic drawing techniques. And with the help of the internet, you now have access to hundreds of free drawing tutorials, beginner courses and lessons.
Why Learning to Draw Online is Smart & Easy
Weekly drawing classes at an art school have a lovely social aspect, but unfortunately these also come with a heavy price tag.
Parents and aspiring artists often don’t have the money for expensive art classes and they may find it tricky to juggle budget and activities around a normal school day.
Learning to draw online means no more travelling to attend to classes and learning from the comfort of your own home.
With a boundless list of online art projects for kids, beginner courses or art technique videos, you can use the internet to establish the basics of drawing in a way that’s not only comfortable for you, but with a bit of effort you can do so for free.
Learning to draw online is probably the best route for any beginner as it allows you to explore and discover art before you invest thousands of Rands on paid drawing lessons, courses or art materials.
Not only will you learn how to draw basic shapes, but you’ll also learn how to create textures and depth of field, work with light and shadow and in the process also discover what you enjoy drawing the most. You can find an online specialist in almost anything: pencil drawing, watercolours, oils or pastels.
Not only is learning to draw easy with the help of free resources, but it is also something that will benefit you in one of the following ways:
- It helps you to relax and release stress while you escape in doing something constructive and creative.
- It is used in therapy and healing because it’s effective at getting rid of anxiety.
- It improves overall creativity and problem-solving capabilities.
- It is a safe way for people to express themselves and share their ideas with the rest of the world.
- It helps with brain development and memory.
- It’s fun!
Online learning allows aspiring artists to draw what they want, when they want to and take as much time as they want to master something before moving on.
They can also search for and compare the techniques of different artists and how they approach topics like shape, point perspective, shadowing etc.
You can also get your own private drawing tutor here on Superprof. You’ll be able to benefit in all of these ways, the only difference is the tutor will be able to focus completely on you while they work at your pace, answer your questions and prepare classes that suit your level of drawing, ambitions and interests.
Blogs, Media and Websites to Learn Drawing
Many professional artists now have an online drawing course or pre-recorded drawing lessons that you can access on their websites. The cost of these vary, but some of them offer free art lessons for complete beginners.
Fine arts students, online art teachers or experienced artists now showcase their art teaching skills online, and in this way they create interest around their more advanced, paid classes.
Discovering online art resources is quite easy and an internet search for free drawing lessons for beginners will give you a list of options to browse and choose from.
Your goals and what styles interest you will determine the artists, schools or blogs you'll be drawn to and the type of courses you'd be interested in.
Some artists will specialise in pencil drawings while others would have a preference for other materials such as pastels. Many beginners might feel discouraged if they are not good at drawing from the outset, however, it takes practice to master drawing styles. Most of online tutors will first take you through basic drawing techniques and skills before they gradually progress to more complex methods.
You can find some more information around the best drawing websites for learning here.
Why not search for inspirational artists on social media too? Many artists display their work and sometimes share their techniques on Instagram, while Pinterest is one of the biggest sources of inspiration for hobbyists and artists across the globe. Facebook is great for meeting people with the same interests as you, so you'll be surety find a few art groups there.
Service-swopping is a concept where people exchange their services with others online. If you are good at something, like speaking another language, you can exchange this skill for an art lesson with someone who wants to learn that language. That way both of you get to learn something new and it won't cost you money.
Art and Drawing Video Tutorials on YouTube
YouTube is another excellent, free, visual resource to help you while you learn to draw. You find a wide variety of drawing exercises or tips on drawing almost anything with a quick search.
YouTube videos are ideal if you are struggling to draw something specific —like an eye, or a person in motion— because most artists will take you through their process step-by-step.
There are thousands of videos about creating manga and anime characters as well, so if you dream about working in gaming or creating animated films, the ability to create stunning characters will put you one step ahead of your competition.
Read this article for more ideas on resources or free places to learn drawing.
Learning to Draw With the Help of Tech and Apps
Apps are also fantastic resources for beginners to use.
With hundreds of apps out there you’ll just have to find one that’s suited to your objectives.
Are you looking for art projects for kids, or are you interested in mastering human anatomy or landscapes in your drawings?
Each app has a different audience and it’s recommended that you check out reviews to see what how other students have experienced an app before you spend any money on it.
Apps are created to keep you engaged and by using an app you'll get in the practice you need to help improve your drawing.
Just like YouTube videos, apps generally also have a step-by-step approach and some even offer different levels of classes or videos for students with different proficiency levels. Most apps also allow you to try them out for free for a limited period. Once you get to a certain point or want to unlock more lessons, they might start to charge you for these services.
Here are some apps you can check-out and try on Android or iOS:
- WeDraw App – Want to draw Anime and Manga characters? This is the app to help you create striking and colourful characters for animation and manga.
- How to Draw App – Follow an easy step-by-step guide to draw almost anything. From animals to people and objects, it’s the perfect app if you are still learning to draw.
- What to Draw – The best app if you are not sure what you want to draw. It provides you with inspiration and ideas to get you going and the necessary guidance on how to get there.
- Sketch a Day - Join a community of artists, be part of a daily drawing challenge and share your drawing with everyone while also seeing theirs.
Technology has also made digital drawing possible.
This means that with the help of an iPad or drawing pad you can draw and import images into programs to create animation or other digital design elements.
For those artists more interested in the digital form, you can learn to draw using programs like Adobe Illustrator Draw, Procreate or Autodesk Sketchbook. You'll be amazed by what you can learn through these innovative drawing apps and programs.
What to Look for in Online Drawing and Sketching Classes
We know you are eager to learn and launch yourself into bigger drawing challenges like creating a correctly proportioned human body. Most drawing teachers and experienced artists will; however, advise you to start with the basics.
It might feel like a waste of time or boring, but it’ll provide the foundational drawing skills necessary to ensure you have a solid grasp on most aspects before you advance and build on that knowledge.
Here are some of the foundational art aspects you should look for when seeking a beginner’s course:
- Forms, shapes and understanding edges
- Understanding and drawing objects in space
- Light and Shadow
- Relationships of elements to each other
- Colours: complimentary and contrasting colours, and how to mix them.
There’s also nothing wrong with trying a few different teachers, apps, or classes until you find the instructor, course or solution that works for you. There are enough free trial options and classes available for those just starting out, and maybe you'll fall in love with a specific teacher's methods and end-up doing a longer course.
Which Drawing is Best for Beginners?
Here are some ideas on what to draw if you are still a little unsure of yourself:
- Still life drawings of items in and around your house are a good starting point.
- You can also try to recreate or enlarge existing art. Many young artists will redraw existing images in a bigger size.
- Mimic an art student and go sit in a park or somewhere outside and draw what you see.
There’s no point in doing it if you do not find it enjoyable, so if these tips and the teachers' rules aren’t working for you, we’d like to encourage you to do your own thing and play around before you give up.
Make the experience fun!
It’s also important to consider other art forms beyond drawing, like oil painting, watercolours or even something like clay modelling.
Experiment with colours, manipulate shapes, and play with form once you have the basic concepts down.
And remember that practice make perfect, so try and set 15 to 30 minutes aside every day.
You can also read more here about how you can become better at drawing.
The resources and help available to you while you learn how to draw, are endless.
So, grab your pencil and paper and let your creativity guide you.
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