Drawing is one of the major forms of expression within the visual arts. Drawing usually involves the making of marks on a two-dimensional surface. These marks are usually made with pencil or ink, but may be made with a variety of other media, including charcoal, chalks, crayons or pastels. There are several categories of drawing, including figure drawing, cartooning, doodling and shading. There are also many drawing methods, such as line drawing, stippling, shading and tracing. Drawing may be observational, with an emphasis on a realistic depiction of the subject matter, or may be more... Show more

Drawing is one of the major forms of expression within the visual arts. Drawing usually involves the making of marks on a two-dimensional surface. These marks are usually made with pencil or ink, but may be made with a variety of other media, including charcoal, chalks, crayons or pastels.

There are several categories of drawing, including figure drawing, cartooning, doodling and shading. There are also many drawing methods, such as line drawing, stippling, shading and tracing.

Drawing may be observational, with an emphasis on a realistic depiction of the subject matter, or may be more exploratory and imaginative. Good composition is usually important in a drawing and several drawings, called studies, may be made in preparation for a painting or other project.

A successful drawing combines many elements: composition, observation, control of media, experimentation, tone and shading, and perspective. A knowledge of these elements will help you in becoming proficient in drawing.

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