Starting to Draw: A Journey into a Magical World

Beginning to draw is like entering an eternal magical world where we release our negative energy, rid ourselves of worries, and unload the burdens that weigh us down. In doing so, we regain our energy, activate our determination, and refine our senses and emotions. Drawing is not as difficult as it may seem, and it doesn’t require complex lessons or intensive workshops. With just a few sheets of paper, colored pencils, brushes, and some paint, we can express ourselves simply, free from complications and stress. It all starts with getting to know basic shapes and practicing simple exercises that teach beginners the foundations of drawing.

As we approach the mid-year break, it’s a perfect opportunity for young people, especially students, to learn the beautiful and creative hobby of drawing. This practice can greatly impact their personalities and may even uncover a hidden artistic talent that no one had noticed before. In this context, Nadormagazine spoke with Yasmin Jamil Aziz, a visual artist and gallery owner, to discuss the basics of drawing for beginners.

Learning to Draw: Not as Hard as It Seems

Yasmin Jamil Aziz tells Nadormagazine: Learning to draw is not a difficult or impossible task, and it doesn’t just rely on natural talent or innate creativity. Anyone can learn the fundamentals of drawing and start enjoying this wonderful hobby in a simple, non-complicated way. It all begins with understanding basic shapes and concepts and practicing some hands-on exercises that will serve as the foundation for creating more complex and beautiful works. Every person, by nature, has an appreciation for beauty and harmony, and some individuals even possess the ability to assess the proportions of shapes and how well they fit together in a space. From this point, any beginner can draw and express their creativity simply by learning the basics of drawing.

The Basics of Drawing for Beginners

Understanding Shapes

When starting to draw, it’s natural to focus only on the outlines of things, thinking that drawing is just about making pretty lines. But the key lies in understanding the internal shapes and how to draw them in space. The line alone is not everything; behind every point that forms a line lies a structure that gives meaning and coherence to the drawing. Therefore, it's important to familiarize yourself with basic geometric shapes, like cubes and cylinders, which are essential for understanding the essence of any form. A simple bottle, for instance, gradually transforms into a series of interconnected shapes as you practice drawing it in different positions and perspectives.

Avoid Overusing Geometric Tools

A common mistake when learning drawing is the over-reliance on geometric tools. Relying too much on tools like rulers and compasses can prevent you from developing the control and stability of your hand and will not help you build confidence in your own skills. While there are times when a ruler is helpful, the goal is not to measure everything precisely but to be able to draw freely without worrying about every line being perfect. In fact, it’s often those small "mistakes" that lead to the most interesting and natural lines.

Proportions and Visual Centers

After drawing basic shapes, we move on to understanding essential concepts like proportions between components and the placement of the center of balance in shapes. These principles are the foundation of drawing, and understanding them from the beginning makes the difference between amateur and professional drawings. For example, when learning how to draw a face, it's not just about the general shape but knowing how to place the eyes, nose, and mouth in the right spots so everything stays in harmony. It’s about training the eye to recognize proportions without the need for a ruler or measuring tools.

Starting with Simple Subjects

Yasmin emphasizes the importance of simplicity in the beginning. You don’t need to create complex works or attempt to replicate difficult compositions right away. It’s always best to start with simple objects like bottles, boxes, or fruit. This approach helps you master basic shapes before moving on to more complicated subjects. By gradually improving your ability to observe and sketch objects from various angles, you’ll develop a strong understanding of how things change in appearance as their positions and perspectives change. Patience is key in this phase—your drawing won’t be perfect right from the first stroke, and that’s okay. Drawing is a skill that takes time to refine.

Controlling Space in Your Drawing

When drawing a group of objects or compositions, you might find it difficult to achieve balance on the canvas. The composition might feel too small for the available space or, conversely, too large. To avoid this, it’s important to sketch lightly and leave room for adjustment as needed. This allows for corrections and refinements without ruining the artwork.

Perspective Exercises

One of the basic exercises in drawing is placing simple shapes inside boxes and trying to replicate them. Although this might seem dull at first, it’s an essential technique for developing the ability to visualize objects from different angles. Once you understand how to see a bottle or candy box from the top, bottom, or diagonally, you’ll grasp the concept of perspective and will be able to draw more diverse compositions, ranging from everyday objects to complex structures like cars, houses, or even trees. This is when shapes begin to emerge on paper with meaning—things appear farther away, closer, bigger, or smaller. This is simply perspective in action.

Progressing from Simple to Complex Compositions

With practice, you’ll realize that mastering basic shapes enables you to create more complex drawings. For example, drawing a human figure, a car, or even fantasy characters becomes much easier once you understand the basic outlines (the external lines) that make up each composition. For instance, the hand is simply a collection of cylinders, rectangles, and spheres arranged correctly. By learning how to break down complex objects into simple shapes, you’ll be ready to unleash your creativity.

Finally, Yasmin stresses that patience and a gradual approach are key to avoiding frustration. Every step you take will help you develop skills that you can apply to any artistic project you envision. Drawing is a journey that begins with small steps, and it’s not just about perfect lines or accurate features—it’s a process that teaches you to see the world in a new way, to observe everything in detail, and to confidently express your thoughts on paper.

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