Practice Drawing From Life

• 1). Find a subject or figure around your home such as a stack of books, a lamp or a pet animal. Warm up before drawing a picture of your subject by sketching outlines quickly. Press lightly with your pencil and don't erase any of your mistakes. Focus on sketching the basic outline of your subject quickly. Continue to sketch until you feel comfortable enough to draw your subject.
  
  
• 2). Draw the outline of your subject. Focus on creating smooth lines with your pencil and avoid placing unnecessary marks on your paper. Look at your subject regularly and take note of areas that are challenging to draw, such as depth and complicated patterns. Work as quickly as possible to develop your drawing speed.
  
  
• 3). Redraw the outline of your subject multiple times, changing the angle at which you draw each time. Practice getting a handle on measuring the depth, proportion and structure of your subject. Always press lightly with your pencil and avoid erasing as much as possible. Continue to practice until you feel comfortable with the form of your subject.
  
  
• 4). Observe your drawing subject and add shading to the outlines drawn previously. Start by lightly shading in the darkest areas of your picture. Gradually darken your entire picture, working from the darkest portions to the lightest. Erase parts of your shadows to bring out your highlights. Work as quickly as possible and practice shading without hesitation.
  
  

Practice Drawing From Memory

• 1). Think of a favorite picture you've seen and sketch its outline quickly onto paper; avoid erasing whenever possible. Use mapping techniques to build the frame of your subject's outline. If you are drawing a figure, use circles and lines to map out the subject's head, limbs and body. If you are drawing an inanimate object, map the object with simple shapes such as squares, circles and triangles.
  
  
• 2). Draw the final outline of your subject. Use the sketch drawn previously as a guide and practice creating the organic shape of your picture. Look over your drawing's proportions regularly to find areas that are warped or overly exaggerated. Adjust any faults you find and continue to create your outline with smooth, confident strokes. Avoid erasing and avoid taking too much time on parts of your picture. Practice working quickly and confidently.
  
  
• 3). Darken the outline of your picture using your pencil. Practice bringing out the definition of your subject by drawing parts of the outline thicker than others. For lines that are closer to the foreground, draw them dark and bold. For lines in the background, draw them thin and light. Erase smudges and extra markings wherever found in your picture.
  
  
• 4). Review your picture and make notes of areas that seem off or disproportional. Redraw your picture from memory several times, focusing on working quickly and accurately with each new drawing. Continue this process for 20 to 30 minutes. Take a break afterward and make notes of areas you've improved upon and areas that still need improving.
  
  

Study Artwork

• 1). Look at pieces of art from other artists. A gallery of art pieces can be found by following the link in the Resources section. Find a genre of art that appeals to you most and look at pictures that stand out to you. Take notes on the techniques you see used in the artwork. Look for the types of pencil strokes used, shading techniques, line width and the design layout of the piece.
  
  
• 2). Write down any information you can find about the artwork. Note things like the mediums the artist used, the motivation for the piece and the name of the artist who created the drawing. Record anything about the picture that you would like to use in your own work.
  
  
• 3). Look at 20 to 30 pictures in one sitting. Pick your favorite five and practice drawing them yourself. Work lightly with your pencil and focus on using the techniques you discovered in the artwork. Do not try to create a finished drawing; focus on practicing the new techniques and styles you've found.