If you’re learning how to draw better, this is for you! Today you will learn how to draw anything you want, using just a few basic shapes. And Jess will share some foundational drawing tips with you.
When you start drawing, it can get really tricky… things are the wrong size, wrong shapes, they don’t fit on the page, and it’s a frustrating experience. What you need in your art kit, along with all your pencils, are STRATEGIES. Things you can rely on time and time again to support you!
Today’s drawing strategy is about using one of the elements of art: SHAPE. Specifically, using basic shapes to first structure your artwork before you get too caught up with all the details. Circles, squares, rectangles, diamonds… real basic stuff. Put them down first, then build your drawing on top.
In this video, Jess shows you how to use basic shapes as a framework for your drawing. We use this technique to draw a cute cat picture, but you can use it to draw figures, landscapes, still life, objects… it’s perfectly adaptable!
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather Your Supplies: Grab your drawing tools — pencil, eraser, paper, reference photo, plastic sheet protector and permanent marker.
- Identify Basic Shapes: Look at the subject you want to draw and break it down into its most basic shapes. For example, a cat’s body might be an oval, the head a circle, and the legs rectangles.
- Start Sketching: Begin by lightly sketching these basic shapes onto your paper. Don’t worry about details yet; focus on getting the proportions and placement right.
- Refine Your Drawing: Once your shapes are in place, start adding curves, softening lines, and including details. This is where your drawing starts to come to life!
- Finalise Your Artwork: After you’ve built your drawing from the basic shapes, you can go over it with a darker pencil, add shading, or even colour it in.
Video Chapters:
- Introduction to using basic shapes in your drawing
- What to use for your drawing
- What you need for your drawing
- Find the basic shapes in your image
- How to start your drawing
- Start your good drawing (soften lines, add curves and details)
- Conclusion
If you’d like to follow along, here is the cat picture for you to save and print out.
