Drawing is a fun and relatively inexpensive hobby that can produce beautiful results. If you’ve spent a lot of time admiring art or you’re looking for a new hobby, you might be asking yourself: can I learn to draw as an adult?
Sometimes it may feel like artistic talent comes from a magical place or that you’re born with it, but that isn’t true. Skill and mastery come from practice, just like with any other activity.
Materials to Get Started
It can be intimidating trying to figure out what materials to buy, especially since most art supplies or craft stores have dozens or hundreds of options for drawing mediums and types of paper.
Pencil and Paper
Technically speaking, all you need to get started withdrawing is a pen or pencil and some paper. But if you’re looking for a step up—some necessary materials to get you going—a good place is a small pack of six to eight graphite pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, and a pad of drawing or sketch paper.
Packs of pencils come with labels like 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, etc. These letters indicate the pencil’s hardness, which influences how dark they will appear on paper. This enables you as the artist to create different values for shading.
What to know exactly what your pencils can do? Check out Can You Draw and Color with a Regular Pencil.
Drawing and sketch paper pads are relatively inexpensive, with sketch paper typically being the more cost-efficient option and drawing paper thicker and higher quality. Drawing paper will work well with most dry mediums, pencils included.
Other Materials
Drawing tools are varied, but some other primary mediums include charcoal, pastels, markers, colored pencils, pen and ink, and watercolor or acrylic paints. All of these mediums are relatively easy to work with and are reasonably priced. They’re also easily found at local art supplies or craft stores.
Make sure you buy the appropriate paper for your medium. Most of these can be used with drawing paper, but watercolors, for example, are very wet and require thicker paper specifically for absorbing liquid without wrinkling.
Digital Art
Most computers and tablets have drawing applications or programs. These can vary widely in price, from free with your device to hundreds of dollars. Online tutorials and reviews can help you determine if digital drawing is right for you and what programs might work for your skill level, interests, and budget.
Where Can I Learn to Draw?
Knowing where to start can be the most challenging part of learning any new activity. Fortunately, there are loads of options for learning how to draw, and many of them are easy to access, and some are even free!
Free Online Tutorials
A quick search online can yield hundreds of video tutorials and step-by-step guides for drawing everything under the sun (and beyond)! One of the big pros of online videos is that they’re easy to pause and rewind if you need a little more time to work on a skill. You’ll also find helpful tips on using virtually any artistic medium and recommendations and reviews for art supplies.
There are also photos to use for reference material; make sure you’re not violating any rules about intellectual property! You might need the photographer’s permission to use an image as a reference for your art.
Local Classes
Check on social media sites for your local libraries, community centers, and art supply stores for local art classes or workshops. Sometimes these classes are taught in a single session, and other times will meet regularly for a few sessions to study a particular subject or technique. You might even find some classes that are tailored toward adults learning to draw.
Most of these classes are taught by local artists and help support your local artistic community. Some courses are free, but most will charge you a small fee plus supplies, if applicable.
Online Classes
Online classes can be hosted locally or available on a more comprehensive online platform. Online platforms charge a fee to access courses for various artistic topics, including drawing, painting, photography, knitting, and more. The online videos for these courses might be more detailed than free tutorials, and like those, make it easy to pause and rewind. Some also come with their online community.
Make sure to do your research on the website and the instructor to ensure you find an experience that is right for your skill level, topic, and budget.
Books
Books on how to draw are plentiful and easy to find at a local bookstore or art supply store. Books don’t benefit from video demonstrations but contain step-by-step photos and are tailored for beginning or advanced artists.
Some come with their kits of supplies to complete projects contained inside. Some focus on a specific artistic subject or medium, and some have a broader scope for beginners to master the basics.
Art School
We don’t recommend you apply to art school when you’re just starting, but after you’ve built your skills and established that you love art, you might consider art school, regardless of your age.
If you’re looking to learn how to draw as a hobby, forking over the dough for a degree doesn’t make much sense. But if you’re looking to turn drawing into a profession and commit to building your skills, there are over 300 accredited fine art schools in the United States alone!
Tips for Beginning Artists
Once you have some starter materials and some guidance, there are a few things to keep in mind as you venture into the drawing world.
Practice, Practice, Practice
I’m sorry to say that there is no overnight way to get “good” at drawing. Regardless of what method or institution you choose to teach you techniques, the best way to get better at drawing is to practice!
Some people might progress faster than others, but it still takes time to hone your skills and get used to how different drawing mediums behave and react. How much time you dedicate will determine how fast you master each skill and progress to the next. Focus on one object or technique at a time, then begin combining your skills as you get comfortable with them.
Don’t Get Discouraged!
You may find yourself dissatisfied when your drawings don’t match your subject or the picture in your head in the early phases. This is normal, and with time your vision will come through!
Don’t compare yourself to others, especially others who have been drawing for a much longer time than you. Anyone you know who is a skilled artist has probably spent hundreds of hours with a pencil to paper, often from early childhood.
Learning to draw as a child is usually easier because we haven’t developed that harsh inner critic yet. But that doesn’t mean that learning as an adult is impossible, just a little more work.
Do your best to silence your inner critic. You can learn as much from your mistakes as you can from your successes, and sometimes more. Embrace any flaws you perceive in your work. Love all of your art, even your “bad” art. No art is truly “bad,” and all art is beautiful!
Experiment
Don’t be afraid to experiment or step outside your comfort zone. Trying different mediums, techniques, and subjects will grow your skills. Free yourself from concern about the finished product and focus on the process. Sketching—drawing in a fast and loose way—is an excellent way to practice and free yourself from the stress of a polished finished product.
Trying to copy exactly what you see in real life, in a reference photo, or in a class can help you learn, but don’t forget to imagine and play! One of the best and most satisfying parts of art is bringing our imaginations to life. Whenever possible, step outside the box or your comfort zone!
Have Fun!
It’s one thing to enjoy a finished piece of art, but the process of creating art should also be fun. Relax and let loose, enjoy the feel of your drawing implemented on the paper, and lose yourself in the details of the world around you. If you become frustrated, take a break and try another time again.
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