Tag Archives: tutorials


by Lucy Chambers
JAM Contributing Writer

If you cannot draw, it just means you haven’t learned yet! Learning to draw is about mindset, practice, and joy. It is one of those wonderfully rewarding activities that does not discriminate by age or location. Drawing can be engaged in anywhere, by anyone. There are a few things that you need to get started.

The artistic mindset

The 2.1 million paid artists in the United States all started somewhere. Luckily, in the virtual age that we live in, we have access to online tutorials and blog posts that sole purpose is to help with some aspect of improvement. Anyone can learn to create thoughtful portraits or stunning sunsets. Many people start by accessing a comprehensive site that shows them step by step how to complete a specific task – like a clear tutorial on drawing curly hair. Then they progress on to adding color and creating a design. Following a tutorial shows you that you can achieve when you are drawing; that is the beginning step to building your artistic mindset.

Use your mind differently

One step to learning to draw is to harness the power of your mind to achieve a calm, concentrated state. A creative zone can be created by your mind, and it is what professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls ‘flow’. He states that a feeling of flow leads to a ‘loss of inner-critic’. When you use your mind to create flow when you are drawing, you can engage more fully in the creative process, and your mind often rewards you by releasing dopamine, which is a chemical that makes you feel good. Therefore, step number one to creating flow is to turn off the mobile phone – or eliminate distractions. Next, you must work on a piece of drawing that is at the right skill level for you. Aiming for something too ambitious too soon will not achieve flow and will, instead, plunge your brain into anxiety, where you may become distracted and even bored.

The creative mind needs a team

Learning to draw sounds like something that needs to be solitary. In actual fact, you may respond better if you are surrounded by like- minded people, building a sense of community and engaging in the same creative task. Drawing with your children, your grandmother and even your date can keep your spirits high, and they can sometimes celebrate success where you are slow to see it yourself. Some people have found that organizing craft or drawing parties softens their entry into the creative scene and makes the experience accessible for all.

Anyone can learn to draw. With a continually developing mindset that sets you up for success, and a community to support you, it can be a truly joyous all-encompassing activity. Why not get started today?
