Whether you believe in them or not, angels are one of the most powerful symbols of religion and culture. That is why, since ancient times, many artists have dedicated themselves to creating drawings of angels for churches, books, paintings, and several other types of expressions.

Perhaps the most famous of angels is Gabriel, known as Saint Gabriel, or Saint Archangel Continue reading Drawings of Angels →

Drawing is an activity that has been a part of human culture for many centuries. Even pre historic men engaged in that activity, and it has always been considered as one of the main cultural expressions there are.

Drawing started on cavern walls, and it depicted life in those times. Hunting and surviving were common themes back then and drawing materials were simple, consisting of a mixture of vegetable liquids applied by hand or rudimentary instruments. Some of these murals have survived to this day, and they’ve been a great help in understanding how man lived and survived back then.

As time advanced, drawing became a religious and political icon. Priests and leaders used it to represent ideas, concepts, and power. Special drawings were made in people’s clothes Continue reading Drawing As An Activity →

When I was a child, we didn’t have videogames available at home. If we wanted to play videogames, we had to go to the arcades. And there weren’t many of them anyway.

So, what’s a kid got to do if he doesn’t like sports? Well, sit down in the park and make cool drawings.

You might not think so much of it today, but in those times, knowing how to make cool drawings was something that really made you popular in school. Everybody knew you for that and you always had requests. It was up to you to do them or not, of course, as it was very unlikely that someone would pay you for them.

I guess it would be strange to picture right now, but it was the equivalent of a Picasso Fonzi, I’d say. Only, instead of snapping your fingers and make the jukebox play music, you’d take out one of your cool drawings and make others laugh or be impressed.

Now, what were considered really cool drawings would change from person to person and even from grade to grade. For example, in my grade there was a guy who used to make drawings with demons. But these demons were different, they would use sweatshirts or jeans or Bermuda shorts, and they would do normal activities, like study or play soccer. We considered them cool drawings because they were funny and original. Imagine a teacher being afraid of a demon presenting an exam or a demon walking his dog at the park. In addition, they were very well done; with tons of details and following drawing techniques.

I like to think that I did cool drawings as well. They weren’t nearly as good as the cool drawings of demons, but they were amusing and my friends loved them. I did them in the form of comic panels and they told stories about me and my friends as well as jokes or pranks on our teachers. They were mostly stickmen, so they wouldn’t make anyone laugh unless he or she knew the people in them. With the years, I polished my style a bit, but it was always too simple, so I had to rely on the story or in jokes to make cool drawings.

In fact, I think the most important thing in cool drawings is the idea behind it, and how it makes you connect with something. I think that’s the reason why I like my favorite cartoons, like Dilbert, The Far Side, and The Simpsons.

Even with the possibility of color, there are a lot of artists that keep making black and white drawings. Some of these do it by need of the drawing technique they use, and some just because they prefer it.

There’s something about black and white drawings that is still captivating. Some people say that they are more shocking and impressive than their color counterparts. Others think they’re more beautiful. Yet others say it’s their simplicity that makes them attractive.

I’m not an expert in the subject, but I like to think that the reason I like them is similar to the reason I like books over their movie versions.

When I read a book, I can use my imagination to create all the characters and situations. It’s my mind who decides how tall they are, what type of clothes they wear, how many wrinkles their faces have, and how often they smile.

However, when a movie about a book comes out, it sort of forces you a standard image of a character on you. This might be good for the people who design and sell action figures, but for the ones that like to use our imaginations to make the characters come alive in our minds, it’s not that great.

With black and white drawings, something similar happens. Black and white drawings let us add our own details to the image. Hair has the color we want. Clothes have the texture and tone we feel it’s more appropriate. Black and white drawings let us fill in the blanks as we please. Color drawings don’t.

My favorite black and white drawings come from the book “The little Prince.” I like them because they remind me of my own drawing abilities and the things I used to draw when I was a child. In fact, the book starts with the author’s supposed first black and white drawings of boas eating elephants, which he assumed would scare people. It didn’t and made him abandon his drawing career at 6 years old, until he met the little prince years later, when he was an adult.

At the little prince’s request, he tried to draw a sheep for him, one that he could keep on his home. The author drew several sheep, none of which pleased the little prince. Finally, he made a black and white drawing of a box, and told the little prince that the sheep was inside. The little prince was very pleased.

Years after the book first came out, some editions started to print versions that substituted the black and white drawings with color ones. To me, it just isn’t the same book anymore. I guess, like the little price’s hidden sheep, it’s much better when your own imagination gives you the details.

A child’s first scribbling is something which it tries to express if you give a pencil in his hand. Drawing is relatively very simple and an easy skill and is something with which you can have great fun. It is also relatively not a very expensive hobby and can start with paper and a pencil. It can go on till acquiring costly pen and tablets – a computer hardware through which you can draw on your computer. It is very costly; however the precision for perfection is very high.

Unlike earlier days, getting information on drawing and sketching is very easy and inexpensive. You can search information on Google and get various sites which teach drawing. Also, nowadays this art form is liked by many youngsters. Like all other art forms, with constant and systematic practice one can become a great artist.

Listed below are few drawing tips which can help anyone improve their skill and become an artist. Reading and practicing these in your daily routine will improve your skill.

1. If you are drawing and you are right handed person, ensure that the light is from your left side. This will prevent your hand shadow falling on your paper.

2. First step when you practice drawing – you should practice drawing line, straight line, curved line, scribbled lines, and your hand should obey the command of your thoughts and visions. You should control your hand and you should be able to bring out what you want.

3. You should further develop drawing circles, oval shapes, crossed lines and bold and thick lines. Just like how a baby develops from crawling stage to walking stage, your art should also develop step by step.

4. These lines and curves are like pillars to a building. The foundation should be strong enough to have a good building; similarly these initial small lines and curves will go a long way in your career. You should also start controlling the stress on your pencil. You should be able to bring the correct darkness and thickness in the lines what you draw.

5. Initially you will not be able to draw a circle or an oval shape correctly, nevertheless don’t get discouraged. You should practice and practice until you get perfection. You should also keep all your drawings carefully from the start to know how you are improving. You could also date your sketches and preserve it for the future.

6. You should concentrate in the area where you feel you are weak. If you are not able to shade properly then learn more to do that. You can try out your own style of shading. Build your own individuality, never copy from another artist.

7. Last but not the least, use good quality materials. 4B and 6B pencils and good chart paper or note book with good quality paper should be sufficient to start with. Quality definitely matters hence never compromise on quality.

If you are a person who is interested in learning to draw you will be interested to check these Free Drawing Tutorials and also can search for tutorials from drawing search engine.