Whether you’re new to the art world or an experienced creator looking to try a different medium, we’re here to show you some easy pencil drawing ideas that can help you to get started and have fun.

5 Easy Pencil Drawings to Try

Pencil Drawing #1: Kiwis

Kiwi Drawing
Kiwis are fun for both beginners and experienced artists!

Step 1: Draw the Outline

Pencil drawing
Outlining your work gives you a base to work from.

Start by outlining your kiwis as ovals and draw a semi circle behind them to create a stack of three. This will give you the rough outline before you start adding color.

Step 2: Color Your Kiwis

Kiwi drawing
Skillshare instructor Jasmina Susak demonstrates how to color your drawings effectively.

Drawing a simple fruit like a kiwi is a great way to make color pencil drawing easy. Now that you have your outline complete, shade in the green middle of each front kiwi before moving on to the brown outer layer of the back kiwi. 

Step 3: Add Final Shading

Kiwi coloring
Add shading to finish your drawing and make it look more realistic.

Finally, add the brown outer layer to your front two kiwis, along with some light shading at the front and darker shading where each of the three pieces meet in the middle. This will help your final picture to look more three-dimensional and realistic.

Pencil Drawing #2: Candle

Candle drawing
Candles are some of the easiest pencil drawings to start with as a beginner.

Step 1: Draw Your Candle Base

Candle drawing
Most candles can be broken down into simple shapes, a helpful technique for new artists.

Another easy color pencil drawing for beginner artists is a candle. To get started, draw the main ring of your candle and the lip around the edge to form the base. 

Step 2: Add the Flame

Candle drawing
Draw light guidelines that can be erased later as you complete your pencil outline.

Lightly sketch in the inner circle, flame, and wick. Don’t press too hard with your pencil as most of these lines will be erased once you start working with your coloring pencils.

Step 3: Bring In the Color

Candle drawing
Skillshare teacher Diane Flick shows how adding colored pencil to your drawing brings a new level of depth and excitement to your final piece.

Keeping to only two or three colors helps to keep your color pencil drawing easy, letting you build your confidence as you draw. Start with your lightest shades and work to the darkest as you copy the color patterns of your reference photo to create your final piece.

Make Pencil Drawing Easy!

Pencil Drawing: Basic Techniques to Improve Your Art.

Pencil Drawing #3: Highland Cow

Highland cow drawing
Highland cows are some of the simplest animals to draw when you’re just starting out.

Step 1: Outline With Your Reference Guide

Cow drawing
Sketching a rough outline gives you an idea of your cow’s shape and proportions.

Start your easy pencil drawing by lining up the key points of your reference photo—like the horns, nose, back, and legs—on your paper. This will help you to keep everything proportionate as you sketch out the rest of the animal.

Step 2: Add the Fur and Final Touches

Cow drawing
Short pencil strokes are the best way to create lifelike fur on your animal drawing.

Make short, small strokes all the way across the cow’s body to recreate the look of shaggy fur. Once the whole body has fur, add some darker shading inside the horns to give the appearance of daylight reflecting off of them.

Pencil Drawing #4: Apple

apple
Still life objects like fruit are a good way to practice shading and creating different light settings in your pencil drawings.

Step 1: Outline Your Apple

Apple
Skillshare instructor Emmy Kalia demonstrates how to lightly outline your drawing before adding color.

When you’re getting started with an easy color pencil drawing like an apple, you’ll want to sketch a rough outline of your reference photo or trace directly over the top. This will be your guideline as you start to add color to your picture.

Step 2: Shade From Light to Dark

Apple shading
Shading from light to dark allows you to gradually increase the intensity and vibrance of your drawing.

Moving from left to right, color in your apple from the lightest to the darkest color, pressing your pencil harder along the edges to give it a three-dimensional finish.

Step 3: Add Shadows 

Apple coloring
Adding shadows helps to give perspective to your drawing by showing where light would naturally fall.

The final step is to use your drawing pencil to lightly shade underneath and along the far left side of your apple to create a shadow. Lightly smudge your pencil marks with your finger to soften the final picture and give it a more realistic look.

Pencil Drawing #5: Eyes

Eye drawing
Eyes are easy to draw when you understand the basics of shape and shading.

Step 1: Start With Basic Shapes

Eye drawing
Start your drawing with simple shapes like ovals and lines.

Don’t think too much about your eyes being eyes when you’re getting started. Begin your pencil drawing by mapping out different shapes that make up the final eye, like straight lines and curves for the eyebrows, and ovals or circle for the eyeballs and eyelids.

Step 2: Add Shading

Eye drawing
Shading is where you can start to make your pencil drawing more unique!

Move around the edges of your oval and lines, lightly adding shading to match your reference picture. You’ll soon start to see your eyes taking on a more realistic feel before you complete your creation with the final details.

Step 3: Add the Finishing Touches

Eye drawing
Adding details to finish your easy pencil drawing will help your eyes look realistic.

Complete your eyes by drawing in small details like light patches in the eyeballs to show reflecting light, eyelashes to frame the eyes, and short pencil strokes to create lifelike eyebrows. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed these easy pencil drawing ideas and feel inspired to start working on your own creations!

Written By

Holly Landis

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