Drawing is the basis of all 2D art making. That’s a bold statement but I believe that if you know how to draw then painting and sculpture become easier. Mind you I said “easier” not easy! Cause both those things are still very hard.

So below are some steps to learning how to draw and get good at it.

• Step 1 — Find a blank piece of paper and something to draw with.
• Step 2 — Think of something you want to draw.
• Step 3 — Draw it.
• Step 4 — Repeat all the above steps everyday for the rest of your life.

It’s that simple. Right about now you’re thinking that I’m full of it. But ask yourself this, when you were a kid and you drew your hero’s, was it any more complicated than that? In all likelihood it really wasn’t. You just drew whatever you wanted and you probably didn’t care what other people thought. You just knew it was cool. So, let’s stop stressing about what you want to draw and draw the cool shit you loved as a kid and the things you love now.

I know what you’re thinking though. You’re saying to yourself that you want to draw really well. Enough so that it’ll look like the artists that you admire. You want to make art that is as cool as those artist. Right? That’s where the hard work comes in because it might take a long time to get as good as you think you want to be.

Then again maybe you’re in love with a simple art style and it won’t take you that long. But one thing is certain, if you don’t draw or practice you’ll never be any good.

But if you don’t like drawing then you should just stop now and find another hobby or career like sculpture, poetry, music or photography. I have to say this because I’ve known a lot of people that think drawing isn’t really that important. And you know what? They all struggle getting better and getting work.

So, how do we learn to draw? The first two steps are true. Then there are few other steps we can put between step 2 and 3. Step 2a… You should find some reference. Your reference can be in the form of a coffee mug, a pillow, a flower, an actors head shot, an action figure— grown ups call them collectibles. The idea is to draw your reference.

There’s no shame in copying. We learn by copying. As we grow up we copy other people whenever we need to do something we’ve never done before. We even learn how to be adults by copying other adults. As long as our species has been around we’ve copied each other to survive in this crazy world.

When I was a kid and I did copies of my favorite comics. Professional artist and teachers call those “Master Studies”. I bet you did master studies as well.

Draw often and never stop drawing. Although that can sound tedious, the better you get at it the more amazing and awesome you’ll be! Draw something you love or you’re interested in. Draw what’s in your imagination. Draw everything and everywhere. Draw when you’re having a good day and when you’re having a bad day. Mostly, have fun drawing.