So today I decided to finally try that “draw women step by step” thing I kept putting off. Grabbed my sketchbook—the cheap one from the dollar store, honestly—and a random pencil lying on my desk. Didn’t even sharpen it properly at first, big mistake. Figured since it’s “for beginners,” how hard could it be? Spoiler: way harder than I thought.
Starting Off Like An Idiot
First step in the tutorial said “start with basic shapes.” Okay, cool. Drew a circle for the head. Mine looked like a lumpy potato. Whatever. Added a line down the middle for symmetry. That line? Crooked as heck. Erased it roughly three times before saying screw it and leaving it slightly off-kilter. Tutorial talked about “oval for the ribcage.” Mine ended up like a squashed football. Ugh. Already felt my jaw clenching.
Then came the hips section. Tutorial said “draw a curvier oval below.” Yeah, right. My pencil decided to make an awkward boxy shape instead. Eraser was getting a workout already. Couldn’t get the proportions right. Head too big? Body too long? Felt like drawing Frankenstein’s prom date.
Fighting With Lines And Shadows
Next part was blocking in basic forms. Chest? Shoulders? Pure nightmare fuel. Shoulder slopes were supposed to be “gentle curves.” Mine looked like jagged mountain peaks. I kept pressing too hard with that crappy pencil, leaving deep grooves in the paper. Tutorial warned beginners to “use light lines first.” Didn’t listen, obviously. Facepalm moment.
Added guidelines for facial features. Eyes should be halfway down the head? Apparently my halfway point was ambitious. Nose went wandering off center. Lips looked like squashed worms. Erased violently. The paper started fraying. Took a deep breath, mumbled some not-so-polite words, and tried again.
The “Aha!” Moment (Sort Of)
Started roughing in hair. Finally something forgiving! Scribbled some messy strands. Didn’t look like the tutorial’s flowing locks—more like tangled seaweed—but hey, progress. The tutorial kept saying “keep it simple,” so I stopped trying perfect curls and just indicated mass.
Clothing folds… yeah, no. Just added basic shirt lines. Focused on shoulders to hips flow. Erased some necklines like five times. Finally got something resembling a human silhouette! Added tentative elbow bends and knee caps. Stick-figure flashbacks intensified.
Where I Landed
Three hours vanished. Paper smudged gray. Nerves frayed. But finished with something vaguely woman-shaped! Not winning awards, but recognizable as a person. Key takeaways for my fellow strugglers:
- Light lines FIRST. Seriously. Save your paper.
- Shape sizes matter way more than you think.
- That eraser is your best friend and worst enemy.
- Accept the wobbles. Mine looked alien at Stage 2.
Bottom line? Tutorials lie. They say “simple.” It ain’t. But pushing through the potato-head phase felt good. My left-over drawing looks like a tired barista at 6 AM, but it’s mine. Would I do it again? Tomorrow, probably. Need better pencils though. And maybe therapy for my eraser hand.
