Sandra Myers - Sketching For Beginners step by step

We all get hyped up and excited when starting a new hobby or interest. We want to do it all, we want to do it right now and be great at it. We start out with high energy and often end up frustrated when it doesnt turn out the way we envisioned it.

So, before you start, here are some nuggets of wisdom from someone whos been there.

1. You are harder on yourself than other people will be.

Take a deep breath and keep telling yourself you are still learning. One problem we all face is hitting the ground running thinking it will be easy and when its not, we beat ourselves up about the fact we cant grasp it. Take it easy on yourself. No one expects you to be Picasso out of the gate.

1. Step away if you need to.

Take breaks when you feel the need, and sometimes if you dont.

For every two hours you spend sitting and staring at the paper and drawing, you need to rest your eyes, mind, and exercise your body. Walk away from it and come back to your project in about 15 minutes.

1. The people online didnt get good overnight.

Some of us have the bad habit of comparing our work to the art we see online and getting mad or frustrated when it doesnt measure up to what we see. What we often forget is that the art we see online is the result of months and years of practicing techniques, pushing their limits and challenging themselves. Its best to compare the work youre doing now to the work you did when you first started out.

1. Its not speed painting.

Weve all seen speed paint videos and want to do that, but before you get the speed, youve got to get the techniques down and get used to strokes needed to make each piece of art.

1. Its not speed painting.

Weve all seen speed paint videos and want to do that, but before you get the speed, youve got to get the techniques down and get used to strokes needed to make each piece of art.

As your muscles get used to the strokes, you will get faster with your art. I hope these tips for keeping your head in the game will come in handy. They do for me. Now, we go to the shopping list of things you will need to get started.