Introduction to drawing
Drawing is when you use lines to make a mark on a surface. It could be a A quick drawing, often done to show what something will look like before it's made with other materials., a figure or a plan.
It is an important technique used today by many people and in many jobs, including A person who uses a skill or their imagination to make art, such as painting, sculpture, music or writing. and A person who makes plans for a project and creates a new style of product..
Who made the first drawings?
A period of time before history was written. cave art is one of the earliest forms of drawing. Many examples of cave art include drawings of animals and humans.
It is believed that cave artists used paints made from nature such as rocks, mud and berries to make their drawings.
The cave drawings of people and animals are made using simple lines and shapes.
Watch how to bring your drawings to life
Find out what drawing is and all the different ways to do it with Oliver Jeffers
Oliver Jeffers: We're doing one of my favourite things. Drawing!
Everything I do starts with drawing even if it turns out to be a painting.
So drawing means putting down lines and marks that make a picture.
All you need is something to draw with and something to draw on.
Sometimes it's fun to draw something that you see in real life. Or something that you think up in your own mind.
Drawing can bring your ideas to life or can show other people how you're feeling inside.
Did you know that human beings have been drawing for a very long time? The oldest drawings ever found were drawn thousands of years ago on the walls of caves.
Brody and Tida are doing some of their own cave drawings right now. So Brody, what are you working on?
Brody: I'm drawing animals.
Oliver Jeffers: Yeah I suppose that's the sort of thing people would've drawn in caves all those years ago.
And Tida, what about you?
Tida: I'm drawing hands of the cavemen.
Oliver Jeffers: These are both looking fantastic. I'm loving the colour you're bringing in there.
I don't know about you guys but I love drawing, what about you?
Tida: Yeah I love drawing.
Brody: I love it.
Oliver Jeffers: So, why don't you try some drawings of your own? I think I'm going to have a go at doing a cave drawing too.
Using shapes and lines to draw
Choose your Something you can use to draw, such as a pencil. and Items or objects that can be used to make things, such as paper. You could use a pencil or something unusual like a stick with some paint.
Look around you, e.g. the room or space that you are in right now or even what is right in front of you.
Choose something to look at and draw.
Use your drawing tool to draw the shapes and lines that you can see.
Of course, you can break the line at any point and carry on tracing your drawing.
Activity
Did you know?
The earliest known cave drawing of an animal is believed to be at least 45,500 years old. It was found in Indonesia.
Cave artists made paints from natural materials and blew them onto the cave walls.
To make handprints, they would have had to place their hands on the cave wall then put the paint over them.
The people who made these cave paintings would have used natural materials to make their art, such as:
- sticks
- an empty bone
- tall long grass
The famous artist Pablo Picasso was so impressed by cave art that he is thought to have said: "We have invented nothing" and that "none of us can paint like this".
Quiz
Glossary
Here are the meanings of some important words.
Sketch - A quick drawing.
Artist - A person who uses a skill or their imagination to make art, such as painting, sculpture, music or writing.
Designer - A person who makes plans for a project and creates a new style of product.
Prehistoric - A period of time before history was written.
Drawing tool - Something you can use to draw, such as a pencil.
Materials - Items or objects that can be used to make things, such as paper.
BBC Bitesize newsletter. External Link
Sign up to our BBC Bitesize newsletter to receive monthly news, stories and updates on latest Bitesize content.
More on Drawing
Find out more by working through a topic
- count2 of 5
- count3 of 5
- count4 of 5
- count5 of 5
