To make things easier, think about negative space as nothing more than another collection of shapes. In order to draw accurate shapes, you need to understand both of these concepts and how they work together. Or, maybe it’s within the object like a bagel. Sometimes this negative space is just what’s outside of the object, like with a beach ball. The space it doesn’t take up is called negative space. Still delicious, but not a bagel.Įvery shape takes up space. Without that empty space, you would have a hamburger bun or a ciabatta roll. A bagel is defined by the warm, fluffy dough, but it’s also defined by the hole in the middle, or the empty space.

When we say the word “space” we’re referring to the space that your object takes up and the space that your object DOESN’T take up. These edges are what help you determine the shapes you need for your drawing. Understanding how edges work and being able to draw them accurately is the difference between drawing a hand that looks like an egg and drawing a hand that looks like it could pop off the page as a real hand. A basic line drawing, a stippling piece, an intricate still life, a flowy landscape, they all need to understand how edges work in order to show you what’s actually happening and the shapes that are supposed to be depicted. Take a look at a drawing and you’ll see that every definable shape is just a collection of edges, or sides. If you’re interested in checking out some of the best digital supplies to make your drawing life easier, click here! 1) Edges: 5 Basic Skills of Drawing Let’s dive into the specifics of each one of them. Heck, I’ll be spending the rest of my life just trying to master these 5 basic skills. Think about how expansive an idea like “light and shadows” is.Įven though 5 skills doesn’t sound like a lot, each one of the skills takes a long time to master. But, you’ll notice that each of these skills covers a lot of territory. You might be wondering how 5 skills can be the backbone of all types of drawing. These are the 5 basic drawing skills every artist needs to know. These 5 basic skills of drawing make up the components of a finished work of art when put together.

The 5 basic skills of drawing are understanding edges, spaces, light and shadow, relationships, and, the whole, or gestalt. Looking at intricate drawings, it can be easy to forget that ever great work starts with a pencil and paper and these 5 basic skills. These skills make up the foundation of creating any piece of art, whether it’s a landscape, portrait, still life, or cartoon.

All artists, regardless of skill level, use 5 basic skills when creating their drawings.

Hand drawing for beginners