Creating art is a natural part of being human; it's something that separates us from most other creatures on Earth. Many of us have early memories of getting started with finger painting, scribbling with crayons and colored pencils, gluing bits of colored paper onto each other, and other early creative explorations. But with the decline of direct art instruction in most public schools in the United States, many young people don't progress beyond those initial creative years.
That means it's often up to a creative kid, young person, or adult beginner to take matters into their own hands and find whatever resources they can to teach themselves how to draw. Luckily, there are a lot of free resources for learning how to draw online – and we've pulled together a bunch of them to get you started. Here's a practical guide for young people, beginners, and improving artists to get started on their creative journey and learn how to draw.
Start with the Foundations: Perspective
Most art instructors will tell you that you have to build a strong foundation to build off of. That means things like value, perspective, and understanding basic shapes. For example: Perspective! It's one of the core essentials when you're learning to draw. Here are a couple tutorials from pros Monika Zagrobelna and Sam Yang:
Extension: Anatomy
One of the hardest things to learn to draw is the human body! Even if you're drawing stylized characters, knowing how hands, feet, and body parts all fit together in real life is important so you can build off of that. Here are a few great places to start:
Specifics: Character Design
If you're interested in something specific like creating your own characters, these tips and tutorials should help:
Specifics: Drawing Animals
Enough humans! What if you want to learn to draw animals? Going to the zoo or looking at your pet and drawing from life is important. But check out these tutorials from expert animal artists, like the legendary Disney animator Aaron Blaise, below:
Tips: Using References
Some artists might think you need to be able to just visualize everything in your head. But most artists recognize the importance of using references for inspiration! Here are a few takes on using references in your work:
A great resource: Skillshare
Did you know that a bunch of Wacom products come with a free three-month trial of Skillshare? There are tons of great courses and classes on there to help with your creative journey. Here are just a few we wanted to point out:
Want more resources for learning to draw?
Wacom is committed to supporting young and beginning artists in their creative journeys! Check out our Learning to Draw page for a wealth of resources – general tips and tricks as well as a specific collection of tutorials for character design and for manga & anime.
