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Why draw?

Drawing can be used as a tool for thought, creativity, discovery, wellbeing and social engagement – and the beauty of it is that anyone can draw!

We have gathered together a selection of drawing resources from our partner collections to inspire you. Whether you are a teacher looking for drawing activity ideas for the classroom, you would like to experiment with drawing at home, or you are interested in finding out more about drawing materials and techniques, we hope you find these resources useful and inspiring.

Lotus Sketch

Lotus Sketch 2015

Jiao Ye

The Priseman Seabrook Collections

Explore drawing materials and techniques

Make your own sketchbook with The Hepworth Wakefield
All ages

One of the first things you might need is a sketchbook. Find out how to make your own sketchbook from recycled paper with The Hepworth Wakefield.

Make your own sketchbook

 

Ideas for drawing in the classroom from the Ben Uri Museum
Primary students

From exploring materials and what they can do to experimenting with different styles, the Ben Uri Museum have provided lots of ideas for teachers for experimenting with drawing in the classroom.

Art skills for teachers

 

Have a go at perspective with Stoke Museums
Primary students

Want to make a landscape look 3D? This resource from Stoke Museums shows you how to use perspective with step-by-step instructions.

How to draw perspective

 

Drawing activities from Edinburgh Museums
Primary and secondary students

Explore videos from Edinburgh Museums for some great ideas for experimenting with drawing and mixed media. Draw the outdoors, a cityscape or create your own special place using drawing techniques. Find them on Edinburgh Museums' website or on Vimeo using the links below.

Bring the outdoors indoors

Draw a cityscape

Create your own special place (with the moon!)

Three Bridge Evening

Three Bridge Evening 2019

Kate Downie (b.1958)

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh – City of Edinburgh Council

 

Resources from the National Portrait Gallery
Secondary students and lifelong learners

Find out about different drawing materials and investigate drawings from the National Portrait Gallery collection.

Investigating drawing

These instructional videos from the National Portrait Gallery provide drawing tips for young people on all sorts of techniques from sketching a basic portrait to using oil pastels for skin tones.

Watch the Make Art videos

 

Glasgow Life drawing resources
Secondary students

Glasgow Life has developed some useful downloadable drawing resources for secondary students with suggestions for exploring line and using coloured drawing materials.

Continuous line drawing

Abstract line drawing

Drawing with coloured pencils

 

Royal Academy sketch club
Lifelong learners

Are you interested in having a go at drawing but want some ideas and tips? These artist-led videos from the Royal Academy provide sustained drawing sessions on various themes from life drawing to abstract drawing.

Watch the Sketch Club videos

 

Botanical art with Kew Gardens
Lifelong learners

Find out about botanical drawing and get some tips from the experts with these resources from The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

What is botanic art?

How to be a botanic artist

 

Memory System for D'Arcy Thompson – Moth Life Cycle

Memory System for D'Arcy Thompson – Moth Life Cycle 2012

Lindsay Sekulowicz (b.1984)

University of Dundee Fine Art Collections

Experiment with drawing

Drawing doesn't have to be about creating an exact rendition of your subject or making a perfect, finished work of art. Experimenting with approaches to drawing can help free up how you draw and lead to new ideas and inspiration. From fun activities for the very young to drawings inspired by the senses, explore these activities at home or with your students in the classroom. 

 

Tate Kids drawing activities
Families and primary students

From mark-making to getting surreal, explore these fun drawing activities from Tate Kids.

Draw a surreal creature

Make your mark

Draw a friend

Draw a dancer

 

Liverpool Museums ready, set, draw!
Families

Find ideas for using artworks or objects as the starting point for drawings with this resource from Liverpool Museums. (Great for exploring your local art gallery or collection with children or young people.)

Explore the ready, set, draw! resource

 

Art UK resource: Experimental drawing
Primary and secondary students and families

A collection of ideas for experimental exercises from continuous line drawings to drawing music.

Experimental drawing resource

Untitled 2*

Untitled 2*

Will Alsop (1947–2018)

The Nightingale Project

 

Make a drawing robot with the Royal Academy
Families and all ages

Expect the unexpected with this sketch-bot activity!

How to make a drawing robot

 

Jupiter Artland
Families

Have fun with these drawing-related activities from Jupiter Artland.

Picturing music

A line in the landscape

 

National Galleries of Scotland
Secondary students and lifelong learners

This video resource from the National Galleries of Scotland suggests ways of exploring the textures and marks you can make with pencils and charcoal.

How to experiment with drawing materials

Eight Lines 1995–1997

Eight Lines 1995–1997 1995–1997

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912–2004)

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust

 

Draw in the rain with Hepworth Wakefield
Primary students and families

Make a rainy-day drawing (using rain as a medium!) with this Get Creative video from The Hepworth Wakefield.

Make your own rainy-day drawing

 

Be inspired by sound with the British Library
All ages

Draw waves inspired by the British Sound Archive (do your drawings sound like waves?)

Drawing waves resource

 

Southampton City Art Gallery
Primary and secondary students and families

Create an abstract portrait inspired by artist Ray Smith with this activity from Southampton Art Gallery.

Ray Smith drawing activity

Transitional Object

Transitional Object

Ray Smith (1949–2018)

Southampton City Art Gallery

Drawing for relaxation and wellbeing

Mindful interactions with art and drawing can lead to a heightened sense of wellbeing. Take 10 minutes out of your day to relax and have a go at a mindful drawing activity. For more wellbeing art activities explore our wellbeing resources round-up.

 

Derby Museums
All ages

These simple drawing-for-relaxation ideas from Derby Museums' 'Create and Make' series can be easily tried at home.

View finding a scene

Drawing ceramics for relaxation

Drawing insects for relaxation

 

National Portrait Gallery mindful drawing exercises
All ages

Explore five artist-led activities inspired by five sitters from the National Portrait Gallery Collection.

Mindful drawing activities

Be inspired by…

Use the following activities to look at and be inspired by drawings and to get ideas for your own drawing projects. 

 

Drawings in The Fitzwilliam Museum
Primary students

These Look, think, do activities provide ideas for exploring and being inspired by drawings in The Fitzwilliam Museum collection

Rosa Bonheur, Pony in a Landscape

Barbara Hepworth, Study of Surgeon's Hands

 

Art UK's The Superpower of Looking resources
Primary students

The Superpower of Looking resource encourages visual literacy and inspires creativity... Have a go at the suggested drawing activities in the following lessons with your students.

Landscape: Peter Paul Rubens's View of Het Steen

History: Roy Lichtenstein's Whaam

Still life: Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin

Whaam!

Whaam! 1963

Roy Lichtenstein (1923–1997)

Tate

 

David Hockney at the National Portrait Gallery
Secondary students, 16+ and lifelong learners

This teachers' resource from the National Portrait Gallery looks closely at the portraits of David Hockney and suggests discussion points and activities for exploring his drawings with secondary students and 16+ age groups.

Teacher notes, Hockney

Watch highlights from the 2020 exhibition 'David Hockney: Drawing from Life'

Sir Peter Pears (1910–1986)

Sir Peter Pears (1910–1986) 1980

David Hockney (b.1937)

Britten Pears Arts

 

Arts Council Collection resources
Secondary students and 16+

Although developed as exhibition resources, these Arts Council Collection downloads provide images of artworks and lots of ideas for exploring drawing (and expanded drawing!).

Drawn from Life resource

On Paper resource

Reconstruction

Reconstruction 1947

Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975)

Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

 

Van Gogh at The National Gallery
All ages

Vincent van Gogh's iconic Sunflowers painting is the starting point for these activities, inviting you to take your pencil for a walk and explore nature.

Make and Create: a drawing inspired by Van Gogh's sunflowers

 

Cardiff Museums Drawing Group
Lifelong learners

Take a look at these wonderful drawings created by the National Museum Cardiff drawing group, who regularly draw and share their drawings – and during lockdown drew the ordinary everyday things they saw around them. Perhaps you'll be inspired to start a drawing group of your own…?

Explore the drawings booklet

Find out more about the drawing group 

 

Drawings on Art UK

Be inspired by a selection of drawings from our partner collections using the slideshow below, or browse more drawings on Art UK... where will your research, ideas (and drawing materials) take you?


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