Learning to draw is a long and complex creative process. But it can be much easier if you avoid certain mistakes.
- Drawing everything you see
Even photographers create their own reality in their pictures, not to mention artists. Don’t draw every detail of the world around you just because it exists in reality. Be selective — include only those objects in your drawings that emphasize your subject. If you want to maintain clear photorealism in your painting, every tiny mistake (an incorrect angle of a detail, for example) will be very noticeable. That is why a beginner artist should abandon photographic accuracy in their drawings.
- Active lines
Lines create a drawing. Imagine that a small, shaded drawing of wrinkles on a woman’s face will enliven the face and make it look real. But if you press a little harder on the lines, the woman will become a grandmother. Give up clear contours and use light and shadow instead.
- Composition as a whole, not in detail
Start your painting with the overall structure! Don’t draw individual details if you can’t see the whole picture. You’ll have to erase it all later, and you’ll have put all your energy into the details, so the painting will not only be doomed, but it will also be particularly difficult for you.
- Drawing from memory or imagination
Most artists paint from life, and not just by seeing and remembering it; the entire process of creating a painting is accompanied by life. You may know and remember the structure of complex bodies, but recreating their curves will be very difficult. Pictures and photographs are perfect for this, not just life.
- Being a hostage to the plot
It is not necessary to draw an object in the place where it is located. You can combine different elements from different photographs into your new reality — into your drawing.
And finally, rushing and giving up halfway through are also huge mistakes. If you want to create the drawing of your dreams, beautiful and complete, don’t rush and don’t give up halfway through. If it doesn’t work out, wait, experiment, and don’t worry about the time you have to draw your masterpiece. If you are learning and not drawing to order, forget about time!