How Can a Beginner Learn to Draw? Start One Step at a Time

Want to help a child learn how to draw? See how simple step-by-step drawings can help beginners start with familiar subjects and practice at their own pace.

By Ricardo Demi · Published September 17, 2026

When children say they cannot draw, they may simply not know how to begin. They see the finished picture. They see their blank page. And the distance between the two looks enormous. Step-by-step drawing makes that distance smaller.

Don't Start With the Finished Picture

Imagine asking a beginning artist to draw an entire animal from a completed illustration.

There are ears, eyes, legs, a body and many other details to think about at once.

Now break that same picture into a sequence.

The task changes.

Instead of drawing everything, the child only needs to complete the next step.

Build the Drawing Gradually

Step-by-step drawing shows how a picture develops.

The child adds one part and then another until the separate lines and shapes become a recognizable object.

How to Draw Everything was created for beginning young artists and contains simple, clear step-by-step guides for its drawings.

Let Children Choose What Interests Them

Learning does not mean every child has to draw the same subject.

Choice can make drawing more enjoyable.

The book contains 111 different drawings, including animals, flowers, foods, gifts, and other themes.

A child can start with whichever picture looks interesting.

Practice Matters

Seeing how something is drawn and actually drawing it are different things.

Children need an opportunity to try.

The book provides two types of practice for each drawing and space for children to work on their pictures.

They can also return to a drawing later and try it again.

Don't Make Every Drawing Look the Same

The example provides a guide, not a requirement that every child's picture be identical.

A child can change details and choose colors for the finished drawing.

The book specifically allows children to color the pictures they create.

Keep Drawing Manageable

For a beginning artist, learning to draw does not need to start with complicated techniques.

Start with one picture. Follow one step. Then the next. Finish the drawing. Practice it again.

Then choose another of the 111 things to draw.

That is a much less intimidating way to approach a blank page.

What is in the book

111 step-by-step drawings in seven themes: animals, flowers, nature, foods, gifts, clothing, and more
Two kinds of practice for every drawing: a dotted outline to trace and blank space to draw your own
The black line shows the current step, the gray line what is already drawn
Finished drawings can be colored in
104 pages, for ages 5 and up

Frequently asked questions

How can I teach my child to draw step by step?

Start with a simple picture and divide the drawing process into smaller stages. Let the child complete one stage before moving to the next instead of asking them to reproduce the entire finished picture at once.

How can a child learn to draw without getting frustrated?

Begin with manageable drawings and focus on following one step at a time rather than making the picture perfect. Repeating a drawing also gives children another opportunity to practice without treating the first attempt as a final result.

Is step-by-step drawing good for absolute beginners?

Yes. Step-by-step drawing gives beginners a clear starting point and shows them what to add next. How to Draw Everything uses simple, clear drawing guidance and was created for beginning young artists.

Why is practice important when children learn to draw?

Practice lets children repeat the process rather than simply look at an example. How to Draw Everything includes two types of practice for each drawing and space for children to work on their own versions.

Should children copy a drawing exactly when learning?

No. A step-by-step example can show children how a picture is constructed, but their finished drawing does not have to be identical. Once the basic picture is complete, children can add their own details or colors.

Try it before you buy

Ten pages from the book are free to print, with no account and no email: the steps at the top, tracing and practice below. If they work for your child, the book has 111.

Books Free coloring pages to print