Easy things to draw?

Drawing can be easy and fun... but sometimes you struggle to decide what to draw. So, here is a list of ten things you can draw around without going spare:

1. Mickey mouse and other cartoon characters

It’s not as hard as you think! In fact, I think this is one of the best things for a beginning artist to draw. And, there is everything you need to know about drawing them at http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2009/09/preston-blair-lessons.html .

2. Your hand

Always a good stand in... try to draw the outline of the hand at first. You might want to pick up a copy of Betty Edwards drawing on the right side of the brain.

3. Pencils and pens

Pencils and pens are made up of cylinders... don’t try to draw too much detail, put them in a jug, and check out the negative spaces between them.

4. A flower

Don’t get too brave... look for something with a few petals, or grasses... outline the main shape which is a sphere on a cylinder. Then add the details.

5. Your car

Your car can look complex, but it is two rectangles on four cylinders... start simple and then add the complex stuff as you get better!

6. People on the TV

Don’t try to be fancy; a person is just a round head on a cylinder body after all! Start with a gesture... just a scribble showing how the object is moving. After that, try to bulk them out with simple forms.

7. Buildings

This is a really good way of testing out how good you are at perspective!

8. Tree

More than anything else, you recognise a tree from its silhouette... start with a tree in winter, trying to draw its trunk...

9. Your nose

It’s always fun to draw noses... they are not so easy though!

10. A spoon

A spoon is made up of a convex shape. Think of the inside of a sphere... and a handle which is basically a rectangle. It looks difficult but isn’t once you realise the main shapes!