Sally Learning to draw at 40? I can think of worse things to spend an evening on than a pencil sketch that nobody else ever has to see. Yet there’s something about starting art as an adult that makes it feel like a test.
You sit down, draw a wonky outline and immediately start judging it. At school, you might have been put in the “not artistic” camp. Twenty-odd years later, that verdict can still turn up when you open a sketchbook.
I’d like to make the beginning a bit less loaded. You can have a go without buying a studio’s worth of equipment, sharing the results online or deciding what sort of artist you want to become. Here’s the first month I would suggest.
Learning to Draw at 40: Where Would You Begin?
With something small that stays still. A pear on a plate will be much more cooperative than your dog, however lovely the dog is.
Start on paper you don’t feel precious about. I would happily use the back of an unwanted printout for a first attempt. There is a particular sort of paralysis that comes from owning a lovely new sketchbook and not wanting to ruin page one.
An HB pencil, rubber and sharpener will get you going. If there happens to be a 2B pencil in the house, put that beside them for darker marks. There’s no need to order anything else tonight.
And give yourself a comfortable place to sit. Enough light, room for your elbow and a surface that doesn’t wobble will do more for the evening than expensive pencils.
But Isn’t It Too Late?
No. Adult beginner classes exist for people who haven’t done this before. You won’t be required to show a portfolio of childhood masterpieces to enrol.
The more useful question is what you would enjoy learning. Some people want to sketch a garden; others fancy drawing the buildings they see on holiday. You might simply like half an hour with your phone out of reach.
University of the Arts London offers exercises on what to draw as a beginner. Have a look if you’re unsure what a beginner can actually practise. You can work on looking and making marks long before you tackle a portrait.
I wouldn’t promise that being older makes learning easy. But you don’t have to catch up with someone who has drawn since they were six. They are doing their hobby. You are starting yours.
The First Ten Minutes: Draw Your Mug
Choose a plain mug and leave it where you can see a little of the inside. Before making a mark, look at the opening. From your seat, it probably isn’t the circle you know it to be.
Make a few light marks to show how much of the page the mug will occupy. Don’t begin with an exquisitely detailed handle, then discover there isn’t room for the rest of it. I’ve always liked the sensible idea of dealing with the biggest problem first.
Sketch the outline lightly. Glance between the object and the paper. If the mug looks very squat in your drawing, compare its height with its width. You can move a faint line without leaving a big dark scar.
Now look for a darker patch on one side. Add a little shading there, leaving the brightest part of the mug as plain paper. You can stop at that. No pattern on the china, no background, no perfectly drawn spoon.
Date the page. Underneath, write one observation: “I made the rim too round,” perhaps, or “the handle is smaller than I thought.” Those notes will help much more than a score out of ten.
A Month of Drawing, in Small Enough Pieces
I’d pencil in three sessions a week, about fifteen minutes each. That’s my suggested starting point rather than a magic formula. If evenings disappear on you, try ten minutes while the house is quieter in the morning.
First Week: Three Ordinary Objects
A mug, a piece of fruit, a spoon. Draw each on a different day. Your task is to get the whole thing on the page and notice where your outline differs from what you’re looking at.
Don’t throw the attempts away immediately. Put them in a folder if you dislike seeing them. You’ll want something to compare with later.
Second Week: Put Two Things Together
Try the mug with a lemon beside it. Before getting absorbed in either outline, compare the two heights. Where does the lemon finish against the mug?
Leave their positions alone until you’ve finished. Moving the lemon halfway through creates a puzzle you didn’t need. If there’s time, have another go at the same arrangement on a fresh sheet.
Third Week: Find the Shadow
A single lamp makes this easier to see than light coming from several directions. Put your object nearby and notice which bit is darkest. Then look at the shadow on the table.
Try using just three tones: the white paper, a pale shaded area and a darker one. You may be surprised by how much shape that suggests. A shiny object will be harder, so perhaps save the polished teapot for another day.
Fourth Week: Choose a Subject You Care About
By now you may be fed up with the mug. Fair enough. Draw a favourite shoe, a houseplant or a little view from one of your own holiday photographs.
Allow a second session if it needs one. Then, before putting the month’s work away, return to the mug once more. Compare the first and latest attempts. What can you see now that you missed then?
There might be a clearer outline, or the mug might sit more convincingly on the table. Equally, you may find that shading still leaves you baffled. That’s a good question to take to a teacher.
When You Don’t Like Anything You’ve Drawn
Have you chosen something too fiddly? A hand holding a glass is an awful lot to ask of yourself when you haven’t yet drawn the glass on its own.
Go back to one object for a session. Or draw it much larger so you’re not trying to make tiny corrections with the point of a pencil.
I would also stop scrolling through other people’s finished work just before practising. You don’t see their discarded sketches, and comparing your Tuesday-night attempt with somebody’s best drawing isn’t especially useful.
If you miss a week, carry on with whatever was next. No catching-up marathon required. There are more hobbies for women over 40 on the site if you decide you would rather try something else, too.
Would a Beginner Class Help?
It might, particularly when you keep making the same mistake and can’t work out why. A teacher can look at the page and the subject together, which a recorded lesson can’t do.
Try your council’s adult education listings or a local art studio. Ask a fairly blunt question: “I’ve barely drawn since school. Will this class teach me from the beginning?” A session advertised for all abilities may or may not be what you need.
Also ask what’s included in the price and what you would have to bring. A cheap class stops looking cheap if you need a long materials list before week one.
You can keep drawing private, of course. Taking a sketchbook to a café could be a pleasant little outing; I’ve put more ideas in my guide to solo dates for women over 40.
A Few Questions About Starting
Paper or Tablet?
For me, paper would win at the beginning because it’s already there. If you own a tablet and know the drawing app, there’s nothing stopping you from using it. I just wouldn’t buy one to find out whether you enjoy sketching.
Do You Have to Practise Every Day?
No. Make a date you can keep, even if that’s twice a week. You can always add another session once you’re enjoying it.
How Soon Will You Be Good?
There isn’t a sensible date I can give you. “Good” might mean recognising your cat in a sketch, or it might mean selling portraits. For the first month, I’d concentrate on seeing a bit more accurately and knowing what to try next.
One Page Is Enough to Begin
Learning to draw at 40 doesn’t need a big declaration. Put the mug down, find your pencil and make the first few marks. You can work out what comes after that once there’s something on the paper.
