I want to learn how to draw. What are the best online tutorials for an absolute beginner?

For an absolute beginner, the best tutorials are usually the ones that teach how to see and construct things, not just “draw this cute thing step by step.” A good path is to build fundamentals first, then specialize.

Best beginner-friendly online drawing tutorials

1. Drawabox — Best for learning fundamentals from zero

Best for: pencil control, 3D thinking, perspective, confident lines

• Free, structured lessons with exercises
• Starts with very basic skills (lines, shapes, boxes) and gradually builds toward complex objects
• Good if you like having homework and a clear curriculum

A common starting recommendation is Drawabox’s Lesson 0/1 because it focuses on foundational skills rather than copying finished drawings.Proko

Start here if: you have never seriously practiced drawing before.

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2. Proko — Best overall video instruction

Best for: learning realistic drawing, anatomy, shading, and form

Proko’s free beginner material covers:

• line quality
• shapes and forms
• proportions
• shading
• gesture drawing
• perspective basics

Its “Drawing Basics” course is designed to teach foundational concepts for drawing from observation and imagination. Proko You can also start with the introductory video “Learning How to Draw,” which explains the skills involved in learning the craft.YouTube

Start here if: you prefer watching an instructor demonstrate rather than reading lessons.

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3. RapidFireArt — Best for quick wins

Best for: portraits, pencil techniques, beginner projects

Good for learning:

• eyes, noses, faces
• shading techniques
• realistic pencil drawings
• simple exercises

Start here if: you want to make recognizable drawings quickly while learning.

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4. Ctrl+Paint — Best for digital drawing beginners

Best for: tablets, Photoshop-style workflows, digital painting

It focuses on:

• brush control
• layers
• values
• digital painting basics

Start here if: your goal is drawing on an iPad or drawing tablet.

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5. Betty Edwards — Best for learning to see

Best for: people who say “I can’t draw what I see”

The approach emphasizes observation skills, such as noticing shapes, angles, proportions, and negative space.

Start here if: your biggest problem is that your drawings don’t look like the object in front of you.

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A simple 8-week beginner path

Weeks 1–2: Control and observation

• Lines, circles, ellipses
• Simple objects
• Drawing what you see

Use:

• Drawabox
• Proko line and shape lessons

Weeks 3–4: Make things look 3D

• Boxes
• Cylinders
• Perspective
• Basic shading

Use:

• Drawabox
• Proko Drawing Basics

Weeks 5–6: Draw real subjects

• Fruits
• Household objects
• Plants
• Simple animals

Practice:

• 15–30 minutes daily from reference photos

Weeks 7–8: Pick a direction

Choose:

• Portraits → Proko
• Characters → construction + anatomy lessons
• Comics → perspective + gesture
• Digital art → Ctrl+Paint

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Minimal supplies

You only need:

• HB pencil
• 2B or 4B pencil
• eraser
• printer paper or sketchbook

A good beginner habit is 30 minutes a day rather than occasional long sessions.

If you want the shortest route, I’d suggest:

1. Drawabox for fundamentals
2. Proko Drawing Basics for deeper understanding
3. A project you personally enjoy (characters, portraits, landscapes, etc.) to keep practicingProko+1

I can also suggest a beginner path specifically for anime, realistic portraits, digital art, cartoons, or concept art if you have a style goal.

Starting your drawing journey can feel overwhelming with thousands of videos and opinions out there . The best approach for an absolute beginner is to focus heavily on fundamentals (lines, shapes, perspective, and observation) rather than trying to draw finished masterpieces right away.reddit.com+2

The top-recommended, high-quality online tutorials and free resources tailored specifically for absolute beginners include:

• Drawabox : A completely free, structured online course focused on training your hand to draw confident lines and teaching your brain to think in 3D space using primitive forms like boxes and cylinders. Note: It is famously rigorous and "robotic", focusing heavily on mileage and discipline, but it builds an unbeatable foundation.reddit.com+1
• Ctrl+Paint : Though geared toward digital painters, the first section of their free video library is arguably the best bite-sized, numbered introduction to traditional visual fundamentals (line, value, form, and perspective) on the internet. The videos are short, simple, and painless.reddit.com
• Proko (Drawing Basics on YouTube): Hosted by animator and artist Stan Prokopenko, the free "Drawing Basics" playlist breaks down contour drawing, measuring, anatomy, and shading into entertaining, highly digestible, professional-grade lessons.
• Alphonso Dunn (YouTube): An incredible educator who teaches pen, ink, and sketching basics from the absolute ground up. His tutorials on mark-making, cross-hatching, and seeing light and shadow are phenomenal for traditional pencil-and-paper beginners.
• Line of Action : Once you grasp basic shapes and want to practice hand-eye coordination, this free tool lets you practice timed gesture and figure drawing using reference photos with customizable filters.

Community Perspectives

When looking for community advice on starting out, self-taught artists often emphasize sticking to structured basics rather than jumping around random tutorials:reddit.com

For me it's the best ressources for beginners regarding the most fundamental part of the fundamental. Loved it, if it weren't for Drawabox, I would probably have stopped drawing 10 years ago.

If digital, ctrlpaint.com was where I started and it is really good, head out to their free videos library, they have it numbered to make it easier for beginners to follow. It may seem too basic but be patient.

To help tailor this, are you planning to learn traditional media (pencil and paper) or digital art (tablet and stylus), and is there a specific style (like anime, realistic portraits, or cartoons) you eventually want to tackle?

If you're starting from absolute zero, I’d avoid jumping straight into “how to draw faces” or anime tutorials. You’ll improve much faster by learning observation, lines, shapes, perspective, proportion, and basic shading first.

My top beginner picks

1. Proko – Drawing Basics — Best overall

   • Free foundational lessons from artist Stan Prokopenko.
   • Covers line control, shapes, proportions, perspective, value, and observation.
   • Proko specifically recommends this course for people new to drawing, and the course is structured around foundational concepts.www.proko.com
   • Start here if you want one resource to follow.

2. DrawABox — Best for disciplined practice

   • A structured, free curriculum designed around fundamental drawing skills.
   • Particularly good for learning to think about objects as 3D forms and developing confident lines.
   • It can feel repetitive, but that's intentional: it's more like a training program than a collection of entertaining tutorials.www.proko.com

3. SchaeferArt beginner drawing course — Best for traditional pencil drawing

   • Brandon Schaefer's beginner material emphasizes observation, simplification, perspective, shading, and drawing from real objects.
   • A good choice if your goal is realistic pencil drawing rather than illustration.www.classcentral.com

4. Ctrl+Paint's free library — Best if you want digital art

   • Start with the traditional drawing section before getting deep into digital painting.
   • It covers visual measuring, proportion, contour, block-ins, negative space, constructive form, and still life.www.ctrlpaint.com

The path I'd recommend

Don't try all four simultaneously. I'd do:

Weeks 1–2: Proko Drawing Basics
→ lines, shapes, observation, simple forms

Weeks 3–4: DrawABox
→ boxes, cylinders, perspective, 3D thinking

Weeks 5–6: Proko + simple still lifes
→ proportions, shading, value

After that: specialize
→ portraits, figures, animals, landscapes, cartoons, or digital illustration.

One important rule: spend roughly as much time drawing as watching tutorials. A 10-minute tutorial followed by 30 minutes of practice will teach you much more than watching three hours of art videos.

If you tell me what you ultimately want to draw (realistic people, anime, cartoons, landscapes, animals, etc.), I can give you a 30-day beginner drawing curriculum with specific tutorials and daily exercises.

Learning to draw as an absolute beginner can feel overwhelming with so many resources online, but the key is starting with structured fundamentals like line control, basic shapes, and perspective.reddit.com+1

Here are the best free and accessible online tutorials and courses tailored for total beginners:

Top Structured Online Programs

• Drawabox: This is a heavily recommended free, step-by-step course tailored for absolute beginners. It focuses entirely on the core mechanics of drawing: building spatial awareness, confident linework, and understanding 3D volumes rather than just copying what you see. It requires patience and lots of mileage with basic exercises, but it builds a rock-solid foundation.reddit.com+2
• Proko (Intro to Drawing Basics on YouTube): Stan Prokopenko’s channel offers some of the highest-quality art instruction available. His beginner videos break down the visual language—covering line, shape, perspective, value, and edges—in an entertaining, highly visual way that makes complex ideas digestible.youtube.com+1

Watch this foundational breakdown from Proko to understand the core visual elements every beginner needs to start drawing:

9:31Intro to Drawing BasicsYouTube · Proko · 1.2M views · 3 years ago

Best YouTube Channels for Practical Skills

• Alphonso Dunn: Fantastic for learning pen-and-ink, shading, and hatching techniques. His tutorials start from absolute scratch and teach you how to control your pen, see value, and render light and shadow properly.
• Mark Crilley: Famous for his real-time drawing demonstrations and approachable style [5]. He walks through everything from basic proportions and shading to drawing faces, hands, and objects from scratch, making it ideal if you prefer a follow-along, demonstration-heavy approach.
• Moderndayjames: If you want to demystify perspective (1-point, 2-point, and 3-point), this channel breaks down spatial drawing and environments in a way that is remarkably easy for beginners to grasp.

Community Feedback & Advice

“Drawabox https://drawabox.com is one of the best free courses on getting into perspective and structure. There are lot's of beginner lessons. Linework exercises for example, great warm-up for the long term to improve your control over lines.”

To help narrow this down, let me know:

• Are you interested in a specific style (like realistic portraiture, anime/cartooning, or architectural sketching)?
• Do you prefer traditional media (pencil and paper) or digital drawing (tablet/iPad)?