How to Draw – A Beginner’s Guide – Part 1 of The Drawing Laboratory by Brent Eviston

This isn’t about talent. It’s about learning a skill. Brent Eviston’s course strips away the mystery and gives you a clear, repeatable process for drawing anything. You’ll start with simple shapes and build up to complete, detailed drawings of birds and botanicals.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• How to draw basic shapes like circles, ovals, and rectangles.
• How to simplify any complex subject into basic shapes.
• The basics of measuring and proportion for accurate drawings.
• How to use descriptive lines, contours, and value.
• How to manage your mindset and turn mistakes into learning opportunities.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: No prior drawing experience needed.
• Tools: Any drawing materials (pencil, paper, eraser).
• Hardware: None.

📝 Description

This course is the first part of Brent’s The Drawing Laboratory series, and it’s built for absolute beginners. Forget the idea that drawing is a magical gift. Brent breaks it down into a series of concrete, learnable actions. You’ll start by practicing circles and ovals, then move to straight-edged shapes, and finally learn how to see any subject as a combination of those forms.

The real magic happens in the measurement and proportion lessons. Brent teaches you a simple block-in method to get the structure of your drawing right before you add any detail. This prevents the frustration of a drawing that looks “off” halfway through. The course wraps up with two full-length demonstrations where you draw a cardinal and a botanical subject from start to finish, applying everything you’ve learned.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Absolute beginners who have never drawn before.
• Hobbyists who want to build a strong foundation in drawing.
• Artists looking to refresh their fundamental skills and improve their observation.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Brent Eviston is a master artist and instructor with over 20 years of experience teaching in studios, schools, and museums. He developed his unique approach by testing both traditional methods and his own techniques. His previous series, The Art & Science of Drawing, enrolled over 750,000 students worldwide. Brent’s teaching is clear, patient, and focused on building real, practical skills.

🏁 Final Result

• A completed drawing of a cardinal bird using the block-in and shading techniques.
• A completed botanical drawing demonstrating shape simplification and descriptive line work.
• A solid understanding of the foundational skills needed to draw any subject.