The Artist's First Steps

DRAWING REFERENCE: A photograph of two or more people.

YOU'LL NEED: drawing paper 9x12 inches or copy paper, pencil, eraser.

Hi and Welcome!

Drawing a group of people can seem challenging at first, but it becomes much easier when you start with simple shapes. In this lesson, you'll learn how artists organize several figures within one scene and use their understanding of shapes to create a drawing that feels balanced and believable.

Today You Will

Practice drawing a group of people from real life or a photograph. You'll use just a few lines to establish the placement of each figure and then refine the drawing by adjusting the lines, proportions, and details.

What You'll Discover

1. Shapes Help You Plan a Scene

Before drawing details, artists look for the large shapes that make up each figure and decide where those figures will fit on the page. This helps create a strong composition.

2. Artists Refine Their Drawings

Drawing is a process of observation and adjustment. You may d...

DRAWING REFERENCE: A photograph of a person or use your imagination!

YOU'LL NEED: drawing paper 9x12 inches or copy paper, pencil, eraser

Hi and Welcome!

Did you know that artists can draw many different kinds of people using the same simple shapes? By changing the size, shape, and position of a few basic forms, you can create all kinds of characters and poses.

Today You Will

Learn how to use ovals, trapezoids, rectangles, and triangles to create different types of people. You'll discover how small changes to these shapes can completely change the way a figure looks.

What You'll Discover

1. One Set of Shapes, Many Possibilities

The same basic shapes can be used to draw children, adults, tall people, short people, and many other kinds of figures.

2. Shapes Can Show Movement

By tilting and changing the position of your shapes, you can create figures that look like they are walking, reaching, sitting, or standing.

3. Proportions Change a Figure

Making shapes longer, shorter...

DRAWING REFERENCE: A photograph of a person standing.

YOU'LL NEED: drawing paper 9x12 inches or copy paper, pencil, eraser

Hi and Welcome!

People are one of the most popular subjects to draw because they help us tell stories with our art. In this lesson, you'll learn a simple way to draw people by building them with basic shapes.

Today You Will

Learn how to use ovals, rectangles, trapezoids, and triangles to create a shape person. 

What You'll Discover

 1. How you can make a shape figure and add clothing details to make anyone you want.

2. How you can change the shapes positions to make your character move and bend to show action.

Why This Matters

People are often the main characters in our drawings. A simple stick figure can show that a person is present, but it cannot tell us much about who that person is. When you build figures with shapes, you create a body that can wear clothing, carry objects, and show details that help tell your story. 

Enjoy this lesson and have...

DRAWING REFERENCE: APPLES AND ROUND FRUIT

YOU'LL NEED:  drawing paper or copy paper torn to a few inches larger than the size of your object, pencil, eraser, apple or other fruit

Hi and Welcome!

You've already learned how to find the shapes of objects and use them to create more accurate drawings. Today, you'll discover a new way of seeing that artists use all the time.

When we look at an object, such as a piece of fruit, we usually focus on the object itself. Artists call these the positive shapes. But there is another important shape to notice—the empty spaces around and between the objects. These are called negative shapes.

By studying both the positive and negative shapes, artists can check their drawing and make it more accurate. Looking at the empty spaces may feel unusual at first, but it can help you see your drawing in a completely new way!

Today You Will:

• Draw the shapes of the fruit or objects you see.
• Look for the empty spaces between and around the objects.
• Comp...

DRAWING REFERENCE: small oranges

YOU'LL NEED: 2 sheets of paper torn to about 6x6 inches, pencil, eraser, two Mandarin oranges or similar fruit object.

Hi and Welcome!

Today you'll learn an important skill that artists use to make their drawings look more realistic.

When we think about an orange, we might imagine a perfect circle. But when we carefully observe a real orange, we notice that it has unique shapes, bumps, curves, and details. Artists learn to draw what they actually see, not just what they know about an object.

In this lesson, you'll practice comparing sizes and distances to help place your drawing in the correct position on the page. I've included a cut orange to make the arrangement more interesting and to give you different shapes to observe.

Remember, you can also use fruit pieces, slices, or different arrangements to create your own unique drawing.

Today You Will:

• Carefully observe the fruit arrangement.
• Compare sizes and distances between objects and the e...

DRAWING REFERENCE: Pears and apple with leaf

YOU'LL NEED: drawing paper 9x12 inches or copy paper, pencil, eraser, fruit (pears)

Hi and Welcome!

Today you're going to learn one of the most important drawing skills artists use!

Almost anything you see can be drawn by first looking for simple shapes. Artists don't try to draw every detail right away. Instead, they identify the basic shapes they see and then combine those shapes to build a drawing.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use simple geometric shapes as building blocks. By combining and changing these shapes, you can create drawings that look more and more like the objects you are observing.

Don't miss this important idea: artists build drawings from shapes!

Today You Will:

• Look for simple geometric shapes in an object.
• Combine shapes to create a basic drawing.
• Adjust the shapes to better match what you see.
• Create a simple line drawing using shapes as your guide.

As you practice, you'll begin to notice that man...

DRAWING REFERENCE: apples or other round fruit 

YOU'LL NEED: 2-3 sheets of paper, pencil, eraser, a template for a 3 inch circle (like a jar, a cup, a can, or a roll of tape) and apples of different varieties

Hi and Welcome!

Great job practicing your hand movements in the last four lessons! Now it's time to start drawing like an artist by carefully observing real objects.

Artists learn to draw by looking closely at the world around them. Instead of drawing from memory or imagination, they study real objects and draw what they see.

In this lesson, you'll use a piece of fruit, such as an apple, as your drawing reference. You'll begin by finding its basic shape and then adjust that shape to match the fruit more accurately.

A circle template can help you get started. Think of the circle as a guide, not a part of your finished drawing. As you look carefully at the fruit, notice where the edges curve inward, bulge outward, or change direction. Then make small changes to your circle ...

DRAWING REFERENCE: Flexible Bag

YOU'LL NEED: copy or drawing paper 9x12 inches, pencil, eraser, a flexible bag of cloth, plastic, or mesh, and fruit or large objects to put into the bag 

Hi and Welcome!

Welcome to our final lesson on how to move your hand to create smooth, confident lines. The more you practice, the easier and more natural drawing will feel.

In this lesson, you'll draw a flexible bag. Unlike a rigid bag that keeps its shape, a flexible bag changes shape depending on what is inside it. This makes it a fun challenge and a great way to practice observing shapes and edges.

If you can, find a bag at home and place different objects inside it. Try drawing the bag with blocks, balls, toys, or other items. Every time you change what's inside, the bag will look different, giving you a brand-new drawing challenge!

If you'd rather not draw your own bag, you can use the photo shown in the lesson video.

What You'll Discover

1. Start with the Objects Inside

Before drawin...

DRAWING REFERENCE: the rigid bag 

YOU'LL NEED: copy or drawing paper 9x12 inches, pencil, eraser, a bag that is either circular, an oval, a rectangle, or a square

Hi and Welcome!

Welcome to Lesson 3 in our drawing series!

So far, you've been learning how artists use simple lines to create drawings. Line drawings are the starting point for almost every kind of art, from sketches and paintings to detailed illustrations.

In this lesson, you'll draw a rigid bag—a bag that keeps its shape and doesn't have lots of wrinkles or folds. This makes it a great object for practicing shapes and edges.

If you'd rather not draw your own bag, you can use the bag shown in the lesson video.

Remember Our Three Goals

1. Look for the Edges

Artists carefully observe the edges of an object and draw the lines they see.

2. Start with Big Shapes

Focus on the largest shapes first. Don't worry about small details yet.

3. Draw Large

Use big hand movements and try to make your drawing fill most of the p...

DRAWING REFERENCE: backpack or other simple bag shape 

YOU'LL NEED: drawing paper 9x12 inches or copy paper, pencil, eraser, a backpack or bag

Hi and Welcome!

Welcome to Lesson 2 in our line drawing series!

In the last lesson, you learned about moving your hand across the paper and making your first line drawing. Today, you'll practice those skills again while drawing a different type of bag.

Every artist starts by learning to see and draw simple shapes. As you work through these lessons, you'll become more confident with your pencil and learn how to draw what you see.

You may feel a little awkward at first, and that's completely normal. Every new skill takes practice. The more you draw, the easier it becomes!

Your Goals for This Lesson

1. Look for the Edges

Carefully observe your bag and notice where the outside edges are. Draw lines where you see those edges.

2. Start with Big Shapes

Don't worry about tiny details right away. Artists begin with the largest shapes first and...