How to Start Illustrating: Drawing Tips for Beginners
If you're just starting out with illustration, welcome! Whether you're dreaming of turning it into a career or simply exploring it as a creative outlet, the early stages can feel exciting—and a little overwhelming. There’s so much to learn, from techniques and tools to building your confidence as a creative.
But here’s the good news: you don’t need to master everything at once. The key is to start small, experiment, and enjoy the process. In this guide, I’ll walk you through some essential drawing tips to help you build a solid foundation—and explore your creativity with more ease and less pressure.
1. Start with Doodles
Doodling is where a lot of creative journeys begin—and for good reason. It’s pressure-free, playful, and a great way to warm up your hand-eye coordination. Let your mind wander. Sketch whatever comes to you—shapes, faces, objects, patterns. Don’t worry about whether it’s “good.” Right now, it’s just about showing up.
2. Play with Line Work
Line art is the backbone of many illustration styles. Experiment with line weight—using thicker lines for emphasis and thinner ones for detail. Try continuous line drawings, cross-hatching, or scribble sketches to find what feels natural to you. It’s amazing how much character you can express with just a single line.
3. Explore Colour with Intention
Colour is one of the most powerful tools in your creative toolkit. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try bold palettes, soft gradients, or monochromatic schemes to explore different moods and storytelling effects. If you're new to colour theory, check out my guide to mastering colour to get started.
4. Building from shapes
When you're unsure how to draw something complex, break it down into basic shapes. Most objects—animals, people, everyday items—can be simplified into circles, rectangles, and triangles. This technique makes it easier to sketch accurate proportions and can help you build more dynamic compositions over time.
5. Add Texture for Depth
Texture can elevate your work from flat to full of feeling. Whether it’s rough pencil shading, grainy digital brushes, or crosshatch patterns, adding texture helps bring your illustrations to life. Different brushes and layering techniques will give you different results—so test a few and see what fits your style.
6. Light and Shadow Matter
Understanding light is a game changer. Even basic shading can give your illustrations depth and dimension. Think about where your light source is and how it hits your subject. Practice with simple objects first—a ball or a cube—and then move on to more complex forms.
7. Create Characters with Personality
Characters are often at the heart of illustration. Focus on facial expressions, posture, and little quirks that make them feel real. What are they feeling? What story are they telling? The more personality you can pack into your characters, the more engaging your illustrations will be.
8. Don’t Skip the Background
Backgrounds don’t need to be complicated, but they do matter. They ground your illustration and help tell the story. Whether it’s a full scene or a simple gradient, think about how it supports your subject. Even a minimal background can elevate the work if it’s thoughtfully considered.
9. Try Different Perspectives
Want to take your drawings to the next level? Play with perspective. Drawing your subject from above, below, or at an angle can instantly add energy and interest. It might feel tricky at first, but with practice, you’ll get more comfortable seeing and sketching things from different viewpoints.
10. Keep the Momentum Going
Growth comes from consistency, not perfection. Keep drawing, keep exploring, and keep learning. Follow illustrators you admire, study their techniques, join creative communities, and share your work. Your style will evolve naturally as you keep showing up.
Tools to Help You Get Started
When you’re starting out, you don’t need every tool under the sun—but having a few reliable ones can make the process easier (and more fun). Whether you’re working traditionally or digitally, here are some beginner-friendly options to explore:
For Traditional Drawing
Prina 76 Pack Drawing Set Sketching Kit – Absolutely everything you need to get started when drawing with pencils. It includes graphite and colour pencils in charcoal, watercolour, and oil based. The value for this pack is incredible, which is likely why it’s amazon’s choice in the category.
Tombow Dual Brush Pens – Ideal for experimenting with line, texture, and colour. Tombow are THE brush pens for artwork. For more versatility and to level up your brush game, go for the full colour range.
Moleskine Art Sketchbook – When people think of sketchbooks, they usually think Moleskine, and it’s for good reason. Their high-quality paper and beautiful surface for pencils, pens, and light washes, makes them hard to beat. If you’re looking for a slightly more affordable option on a larger surface, Artisto are also great, although less durable when it comes to watercolour.
For Digital Illustration
iPad + Apple Pencil – A portable, beginner-friendly option when paired with Procreate.
Wacom Intuos Tablet – When it comes to dedicated drawing tablets, you can’t go past Wacom. This is an excellent affordable and reliable option for beginners using a desktop setup.
Drawing Software
Procreate – Perfect for iPad users. Simple to learn, powerful enough to grow with you.
Adobe Fresco – Offers vector and raster brushes in one app. Great for versatility.
Clip Studio Paint – Ideal for comic artists, illustrators, and anyone who loves detailed control.
Tip: Start with what you have—and upgrade when you’re ready. There’s no right or wrong tool. The best one is the one you’ll actually use.
Wrapping Up
Starting your illustration journey doesn’t need to be complicated. Focus on building your skills one step at a time, get curious, and allow space for experimentation. You’ll grow faster than you think—especially when you enjoy the process.
If you’re looking for more practical resources to support your creative career, The Creative Toolkit is packed with templates, guides, and tips to help you build a sustainable freelance business, from pricing and outreach to portfolio curation.
Your creative journey is uniquely yours—so let it be full of colour, curiosity, and confidence.
