Leonardo da Vinci needs no introduction. He was a damn good artist. In fact, many art historians and artists have brandished him with the title of ‘the most technically gifted artist that’s ever walked the earth.’ Leonardo was a master at using lines and shading to create realistic drawings, and his techniques are still great today.
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, many designers, artists, and illustrators strive to improve their drawing and sketching skills. The ability to draw technically well is like a guitar player who can play extremely fast. It’s an added string to your bow.
Whether it supports your career or provides relaxation, you will only enjoy drawing even more if you dedicate time to improving your skills. If you want to learn how to draw like Leonardo da Vinci, follow these simple steps.
To kick things off, try a daily drawing challenge for a week, a month, or even longer. You may want to get a sketchbook to keep with you at all times, in case you find yourself suddenly inspired by your surroundings. Some new supplies may also motivate you to get into a good drawing rhythm.
Practice sketching everyday objects while keeping your goals in mind. If your goal is to learn to draw realistically, try drawing a toothbrush with hyper-realistic details. Your skills will improve day after day, then you can start drawing more complicated subjects.
You probably learned how to draw shapes during your first few art classes and, once perfected, moved on from this practice as your skills developed. But almost everything you will ever draw like an artist can be made from shapes. Shapes can help create realistic and consistent designs, create unique patterns, and utilize space effectively. In order to better understand how they should execute a move, professional athletes often look at its components. To practice a difficult progression, musicians break it down into separate sections, then string them together. The same concept applies to drawing. Start by practicing the shapes, and move on to what the shapes will create.
If you’re in an art class or studying something you don’t usually draw, stepping outside your comfort zone is always a good idea. Remember, if you’re not failing, you’re not learning. Maybe you’ll find inspiration through an online drawing class or a YouTube tutorial or by visiting a new place. You have to commit time and effort to improve your drawing skills. Imagine what you could achieve by taking a week of drawing classes.
Keeping track of your old artwork and drawings by filing them month-to-month or year-to-year is a great way to view your progress. If you draw daily, you may even see quite an improvement from the past few weeks. By spending time reviewing your old work you can take notes on the progress you see, any style trends that are emerging, and look for areas that have the potential for improvement. Revisiting past artwork can be an excellent way to reconnect with old styles or identify something you’d like to work on.
In addition to starting with the basics (shapes), designing repeating patterns like icons, symbols, or other combinations of shapes can be a great exercise to practice your skills. Try using only circles, or creating a pattern with a variety of components. Repeating a pattern across a page or all over a page helps develop fine motor skills and pen or brush control. It’s difficult to do without getting fatigued, but when it comes time to draw an intricate pattern, shape, or subject in the future, you’ll be prepared! This skill also has real-life applications like wallpaper and textiles, so you could make something fun while you’re at it!
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