Some artists prefer to draw live subjects and scenery.
Some artists are lucky enough to be paid for producing art, but many "true" artists are not professionals. A true artist is simply someone who loves to make art and who practices it a lot. Skill and quality is in the eye of the beholder. This means that everyone and anyone has the ability to draw, paint or sculpt like a true artist. The more you practice drawing like a true artist, the more you will be a true artist.
Instructions
1. Select a subject and set up your drawing materials. You may draw from a photograph or from a live subject. Relatively inexperienced artists should choose subjects that have simple shapes, like a vase of flowers or an empty coffee mug. Once you've mastered simple subjects, then you may advance to more complex organic subjects like people and animals.
2. Study the picture or subject. Draw a few studies, or quick drawings, to familiarize yourself with the subject. Practice breaking down the subject into its most basic shapes. For example, if your subject is a vase of flowers, draw the basic shape of the vase, lines for the stems of the flowers and the outline of the leaves and petals. Learn to ignore the details and areas of highlights and shadows.
3. Draw an outline of your subject. Whenever possible, the lines should be long and sinuous, not sketchy. If you must use sketchy lines, use a pencil with a harder lead and draw a light under-drawing. Once the under-drawing has established the sketchy outline of the subject on the paper, you may draw a darker, less sketchy and more confident outline of the subject on top. Leave out details.
4. Add details. Allow your eyes to move back and forth rapidly between the subject and the drawing. Compare the subject to the drawing and make adjustments as necessary.
5. Add shadows. Start with light shadows at first and deepen them as you grow confident in the placement of the shadows. Do not make very dark marks on the drawing unless you are certain you want it to be there, as dark marks may not fully erase. Continue to move your eyes back and forth between the subject and the drawing, always comparing the two.
