Learning to draw doesn't always require expensive classes or joining an art class. Sometimes, a pencil, some paper and a good free tutorial are enough to get started.
There are so many art resources online that finding the useful ones can be a little overwhelming. I’ve put together a collection of free art resources that have helped me while learning and practising drawing. Most of these are useful for beginners, especially if you enjoy traditional drawing and want to improve without spending money on expensive courses.
These are some websites and YouTube resources worth exploring:-
1. RapidFireArt – Free Drawing Tutorials:-
Link:- Rapid fire art- Tutorials
RapidFireArt is a useful place to begin if you want to learn traditional pencil drawing. The website has step-by-step tutorials covering subjects such as eyes, faces, lips, hair and shading. The instructions are broken down into smaller steps, which can make practising less intimidating for beginners. It also offers a free beginner drawing course covering fundamentals such as shapes, proportions, perspective and shading. If you prefer reading instructions while practising alongside them, this is a resource that worth checking.
2. Proko – Free Drawing Lessons on YouTube:
Link:- Proko - drawing lessons
If you prefer learning by watching someone demonstrate a technique, Proko has a huge collection of free art lessons on YouTube. The channel covers drawing fundamentals, anatomy, perspective, shading and many other areas. There are videos for beginners as well as artists who want to develop more advanced skills. Instead of only showing the final drawing, many lessons explain the ideas behind the process. I would recommend beginning with the fundamental drawing lessons before moving on to more advanced topics.
3. Farjana Drawing Academy:-
Link:- Farjana drawing academy - youtube
Farjana Drawing Academy is one of the YouTube channels I found helpful for practising drawings step by step. The videos are especially useful when you want to follow along with a reference instead of trying to figure out every step on your own.
One thing I find helpful is that the artist often gives measurements and proportions while explaining the drawing. That makes the process easier to follow because you don't have to guess where to start for every feature.
It is also useful for practising portraits and pencil drawings while slowly getting more comfortable with proportions.
4. RixCanDoIt – Grid Drawing:-
Link :- Rix can do it - youtube
There are many methods of drawing, and one of them is grid drawing. It is a simple technique that can help you copy a reference image more accurately by dividing both the reference and your paper into equal squares.
RixCanDoIt has a YouTube tutorial that explains how to use this method step by step. Instead of trying to draw the entire picture at once, you can focus on one square at a time and observe the shapes, lines and proportions within it.
I found this method helpful because it makes detailed drawings feel less overwhelming, especially when you are still learning about proportions. It can also be a good way to practise observing a reference carefully while gradually building confidence in drawing.
5. Draw like a Sir – Colour theory:-
Link:- Draw like a sir - youtube
If you want to move beyond just drawing outlines and start understanding colours, Draw Like a Sir has useful videos on colour theory.
His colour-theory content explains ideas such as hue, value, saturation, colour harmony and different colour schemes. The videos also discuss how colours can look different depending on the colours around them.
I found this interesting because colour theory can seem confusing when you first hear terms like complementary or analogous colours. Seeing the ideas explained through actual artwork makes them easier to understand.
So, if you are planning to work with coloured pencils, paints or digital colours later, this is worth exploring.
If you're planning to experiment with coloured pencils, watercolours or other traditional mediums, understanding colour relationships can make choosing colours much easier.
CONCLUSION:-
These are some of the free resources that have helped me explore drawing without needing to spend money on courses. You don't have to use all of them at once — even choosing one and practising regularly can make a difference.
And if you know any other free websites or YouTube channels that have helped you with drawing, feel free to drop them in the comments.
This post is a part of blogchatter half marathon
Impressive to know about so many art resources...both my grown children loved drawing when they were younger, and my mother used to love drawing too...
ReplyDeleteThis is helpful. We had tried art classes earlier but something like this which is self paced will help.
ReplyDelete