Free drawing lesson

How to draw your first sketch, step by step

For beginners · 40 minutes

A simple facade with a window: from the first lines to a light watercolor wash. You don’t need to know how to draw, only to sit down and look.

What you need

1
Pick a subject
Find a simple house: a facade with one or two windows and a roof. Sit where you can see all of it and look for a minute without drawing.
2
Frame and composition
With a thin line draw the ground and a vertical in the middle: that shows you where the house will stand. Draw a bit larger so it fits on the page.
3
Big shapes
With a light pencil draw blocks: a rectangle for the wall, the roof, the window, the door and the sign. No details yet.
Lessons like this one, step by step, are also in the SketchMap Atlas app: Home → Art courses & workshops. Open this lesson in the app
4
Line
Go over the shapes with liner and add details: shutters, window frame, roof tiles, the sign and climbing plants. Don’t erase mistakes, correct them next to it, that’s a living line.
5
Light and shadow
Decide where the light comes from. On the opposite side add hatching: under the roof, on the wall beside the window.
6
Color
Cover the wall, roof, shutters and greenery with a thin watercolor wash. Leave highlights as bare paper.

Drawing details before the big shapes are right: block in the wall, roof, window and door first.
Erasing every wobbly line. Fix it next to the line instead, that is what makes a sketch alive.
Colouring too early or too thickly: keep the first wash thin and leave white paper for highlights.