This material is a clear instruction for those who were instilled in childhood: you have no talent. We will tell you where you can learn how to draw beautifully, what to read and watch and where to get inspiration from.

Draw with what?
A pencil. The easiest and most understandable tool for drawing you will need anyway. Even if you want to learn how to paint, you’ll need a simple pencil to draw a sketch. Not all pencils are the same. Some are for drawing, others for drawing, and others for everyday tasks. Too hard pencils (3H, 4H and more) are better not to choose: they are easy to scratch and tear paper.
Watercolour. Water-soluble ink is known for its lightness, transparency and wide range of shades. However, drawing with watercolors is quite difficult: you need to learn to use its properties and have a good idea of how the ink will behave on the paper. On the other hand, if you put enough effort into it, you will learn how to draw in one of the most impressive techniques.
Gouache. It’s a dense matte ink, which is diluted with water. It’s perfect for the first steps in drawing. Thanks to the dense texture of gouache, darker shades can be easily covered with darker ones. This is very important, because then all the errors and defects can be corrected. Another good news: gouache is inexpensive.
Pastel (dry). These crayons are used to create drawings in soft colors. Due to its texture pastel is very easy to grow, which allows you to create beautiful transitions between shades. You should immediately prepare your fingers and table (at least) to be stained with dust and crayons of pastel. The finished pastel pattern is easy to grease, so the pigments on the paper will need to be fixed with a varnish or a clamp.

Markers (“copycats”). We asked Anna Rastorgueva, an illustrator and teacher, to tell about this relatively unknown instrument to most people. Because she draws with markers and does it perfectly. We are not talking about text dividers or simple markers, but about alcohol markers, which, thanks to their base, do not deform paper and allow to achieve smooth transitions between shades.

There are many manufacturers of such tools, and there are Japanese brands, and German, and Chinese, and Korean, and Russian. The price also varies – from 160 to 600 rubles per piece, so that even a beginner author can pick up a small set for the start.

Palettes of this type of markers are unusually wide, an average of 300 colors, so in order not to get confused, you can buy a ready-made set, selected, as a rule, on a specific topic: architecture, nature, manga.

Anna Rastorgueva, illustrator, teacher.
What if I don’t know what to paint?
If you don’t know what to draw, but you really want to – copy, draw and repeat after others. There’s nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, it’s a normal process. Take a picture that you like, put it in front of you and start.

Video tutorials help well. Unlike the “draw a circle, draw sticks, add details – it’ll make a great canvas” tips, these videos don’t lie. You’ll see exactly how the drawing is created. Why is gre hard?

Remember: Creativity is an international thing. Don’t be afraid to look at YouTube channels of English-speaking bloggers, even if you don’t understand what they say.

Is gre hard? NO!

Try to start with these channels:

Proko. Absolute must-have for anyone who wants to learn to draw. The artist clearly, simply, clearly explains the most difficult thing – how to draw a person. It’s the base and base, so the channel will surely bookmark in your bookmarks.
Mark Crilley. The artist works in cartoon style, so those who want to learn how to draw cute, cute drawings, will find here everything you need. The artist shows different techniques and in detail, frame by frame, demonstrates the simplest techniques to create a spectacular drawing.
Sycra. The channel will please everyone who loves Japanese cartoons and wants to learn how to draw anime. Video lessons cover the topic from and to: body structure, facial features, costumes and everything else.
Bob Ross. Bob Ross is a legend on American television. Perhaps the most inspiring program in the world was created by this man, who for 11 years taught people to work wonders on canvas. You don’t have to understand what Bob says with a soft voice, but you can’t resist the talent of an artist who penetrates you right from the screen.

In general, the choice of topic is the second fundamental question after the choice of material. And it is not necessary to limit yourself to traditional genres: portrait, still life or landscape. Nowadays, daily household sketches are gaining in popularity. Like photos in Instagram, artists fluently capture exciting topics in their notebooks, publish them on social networks, learn and communicate together. The subject of interest can be absolutely any object – from macro-squetching insects to travel journals deployed in every detail. How to choose 1st grade worksheets?

Anna Rastorgueva, illustrator, teacher.
What should I read to learn to draw?
“You can paint in 30 days,” Mark Kistler. One of the most famous books about drawing. As many years of observation have shown, after reading it and, importantly, following the instructions, everyone learned to draw.

“Discover the artist,” Betty Edwards. Doubting people can be immediately informed: this book has already taught to draw about 2 million people who considered themselves “armless”. For those who do not believe in their own strength at all and think that all the artists know some secret of beautiful paintings, we say: yes, the mystery exists. It’s hidden in this book.

“A sketchbook that will teach you how to paint!” Robin Landa. Since Robin is a teacher himself, he knows what students draw best in the pages of textbooks. That’s where the fantasy comes into play! So he created a book where you can (and should) draw. And in the course of things to learn.

I want to draw, but I do not have the time or the extra means.

The first step can also be taken without much investment or effort. Download apps for creativity and get started now.