Skipping the Foundation Steps on drawing and painting

The Pitfalls of Skipping Foundation Steps in Drawing and Painting (With Recommended Exercises & Resources)

I’ve seen so many people start painting without any foundation. A few of them actually did pretty well—and why is that? I don’t know. Maybe talent exists, or maybe they just have a good eye for capturing things, strong visual memory—who knows?

In my case, I firmly believe in practice and more practice to get better. But here’s the thing: while those people were pretty good at copying what they saw, they lacked real knowledge. And I truly believe that to become a better painter, you need knowledge.

Have you ever heard that phrase: “We paint what we see, what we know, and what we want to see”? It’s completely true. If you skip the fundamentals, your progress will be much slower—because without a solid foundation, even talent can only take you so far.

Neglecting foundational skills can lead to frustration, poor technique, and slow progress.

Why Foundation Steps Matter

The foundation steps in drawing and painting are essential because they teach:

  • Observation skills – Learning to see shapes, proportions, and values accurately.
  • Hand-eye coordination – Developing control over lines, strokes, and brushwork.
  • Understanding form and structure – Breaking down objects into basic shapes before adding details.
  • Perspective and composition – Creating depth and balance in artwork.
  • Color theory and value – Knowing how colors interact and how light affects form.

Without these basics, artists may struggle with:

  • Unintentional distortions in proportions.
  • Flat or lifeless drawings due to poor shading.
  • Weak compositions that lack balance.
  • Difficulty in rendering realistic textures and lighting.

Common Foundation Steps Found Online (With Recommended Exercises)

Most art tutorials and courses emphasize these core exercises. Here’s how to practice them effectively:

1. Basic Shapes & Forms

  • Exercise: Draw simple shapes (circles, squares, triangles) and convert them into 3D forms (spheres, cubes, cylinders).
  • Recommended Resource: Drawabox (Free Online Course) – Focuses on construction drawing.

Why is it so hard to capture shape and volume?

2. Line Control & Contour Drawing

  • Exercise: Practice straight lines, curves, and hatching daily. Try blind contour drawing (drawing an object without looking at the paper) to improve observation.
  • Recommended Resource: “The Natural Way to Draw” by Kimon Nicolaïdes – Great for contour exercises.

3. Perspective Drawing

  • Exercise: Start with 1-point perspective (e.g., drawing a road or hallway), then move to 2-point (e.g., buildings).
  • Recommended Resource: “Perspective Made Easy” by Ernest Norling – Simple, practical guide.

4. Value & Shading

  • Exercise: Create a 10-step value scale (from white to black) and shade simple forms (sphere, cube) under a light source.
  • Recommended Resource: Ctrl+Paint (Free Digital Painting Tutorials) – Covers lighting basics.

Why you should Start Painting in Black and White?

5. Anatomy & Proportions (For Figure Drawing)

  • Exercise: Practice gesture drawing (30-second to 2-minute poses) to capture movement. Use websites like Line of Action or Quickposes.
  • Recommended Resource: Proko’s Figure Drawing Fundamentals (YouTube/Paid Course) – Excellent for beginners.

Consideration in the Structure of the Face

structure of the face

6. Color Theory

  • Exercise: Paint a color wheel and experiment with complementary colors (e.g., red & green, blue & orange).
  • Recommended Resource: “Color and Light” by James Gurney – A must-read for painters.

7. Composition & Focal Points

  • Exercise: Analyze famous paintings and sketch thumbnails to study their compositions.
  • Recommended Resource: “Framed Ink” by Marcos Mateu-Mestre – Focuses on visual storytelling.

How to Learn Efficiently Without Getting Bored

  • Combine fundamentals with fun projects – Practice shading by drawing your favorite objects.
  • Follow structured courses – Websites like Proko, Drawabox, or Ctrl+Paint offer step-by-step guides.
  • Analyze other artists’ work – Study how professionals use fundamentals in their art.

Conclusion & Next Steps

Instead of skipping steps, integrate them into enjoyable exercises to build a strong artistic foundation. Here’s a simple 30-Day Practice Plan to get started:

  1. Week 1: Basic shapes, lines, and simple perspective.
  2. Week 2: Shading forms and gesture drawing.
  3. Week 3: Color mixing and composition studies.
  4. Week 4: Apply all fundamentals in a final sketch or painting.

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