I’ve been drawing and making art ever since I was 3 years old.
My blog Stray Curls has hundreds of drawings and illustrations.
My whole online business is built on drawing and writing.
I like drawing.
That is kinda obvious.
And I’ve spoken to a lot of creative people because I’ve always wanted to know why people like drawing.
What is it that pushes people to pick up a pencil and start drawing?
It’s a hobby that almost everyone enjoys.
Whether you’re talking on the phone and doodling with your spare hand, or you’re sketching cubes and trees in your notebooks in class, drawing is a beautiful hobby.
In this post, I want to talk about why I like drawing and what are the benefits of drawing.
Let’s get started, shall we?
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Table of Contents
13 reasons why people like drawing
1. Drawing is very relaxing and peaceful
Growing up, I remember drawing sporadically.
It was just a hobby I engaged with from time to time.
But during school, or exams, I’d draw more.
I’d find a way to draw much more complicated pieces like intricate characters from video games and so on.
I didn’t pay much attention to why I was drawing all the time but it was only later I realized that I was drawing because it was peaceful.
Drawing brings a lot of peace.
It’s a very mindful activity that helps you disengage from the world.
Drawing is very similar to journaling and meditation. And this is one of the reasons a lot of people like drawing.
2. Drawing improves focus
A lot of people draw while listening to music.
But it is almost impossible to draw and simultaneously listen to someone talk at the same time.
Because when a person is drawing, their sole focus is on their canvas or their art.
Drawing, sketching, or painting can be very immersive.
That’s why most people listen to music while they’re drawing.
They’re not really listening to the lyrics, the music helps us get in the zone so we can draw without getting disturbed by external noises.
Drawing is overall a very intricate activity that requires a lot of brain space and when you sit and draw every day, you will inherently improve your focus.
This is one of the main benefits of drawing.
3. Drawing helps you develop a lot of patience
Drawing like most skills needs time to be mastered.
Nobody is born an artist or a musician – although most people believe that talent is inherited.
You may be born with an innate love for art and drawing, but if you want to become an artist or get better at drawing, you have to practice daily.
Drawing really helps people become more patient.
A piece of art can easily takes hours, weeks, or even months to finish!
Art is revered in today’s day and age because it is the time that is put in that is being appreciated.
People admire works of art that have taken months or years to make.
And because it’s a skill that takes time to learn and develop, it is really appreciated.
4. Drawing helps you better your motor skills
Because you are constantly working with your hands and using your brain and hands simultaneously to create art, you are improving your hand-eye coordination.
Drawing relies on an artist to have very good control of their fingers, hands, and wrists.
And the more you draw, the better your hand-eye coordination becomes!
Your muscles in your fingers and your arms get stronger.
According to Escreo, drawing really helps develop fine motor skills in children.
It also helps develop fine motor skills, which are the smaller muscles in the hands and fingers, which are essential for writing, drawing and other precise actions that need refined hand-eye coordination.
Escreo
People like drawing because they love using their hands to create.
5. Drawing helps you learn many things
Because you are primarily drawing from life, you learn about many things.
For instance, drawing will help you learn the following subjects better:
Human Anatomy: When you learn to draw people, you have to strengthen your basics of human anatomy. So, you end up learning different poses, different people and their fat distribution, the difference between male and female bodies, and so on. There are so many books that can help you get better at learning how to draw human anatomy.
Facial expressions: Learning to draw faces and emotions will help you become a great artist. This is what Animation Companies spend good money on because conveying emotions via facial expressions is priceless. This is a good book I found for drawing expressions.
Lighting: In order to convey depth in your drawings, you’ll end up learning how light works and how to draw bright and contrast areas in your drawing. This involves a bit of Physics! This online course I took really helped me understand how to use light and color.
Color theory: Color theory is extremely important for telling stories. I am currently taking this class to understand how to color my illustrations better.
No matter what you’re learning to draw, your observational skills will automatically increase ten-fold as you keep observing and drawing.
I started noticing color themes in movies and it felt amazing to see how color theory is applied in everything – from illustrations in books to video games and movies.
For instance, I noticed how in Shawshank Redemption, the colors blue and gray were prominent throughout the entire film.
I researched it and found out that the Director wanted people to feel empathy for the main character so he focussed on sad tones like gray and blue throughout the film.
The more you learn to draw, the better you will be at observing your surroundings.
This is one of the major benefits of drawing.
7. It reduces anxiety and stress
A lot of therapists ask kids to draw in their therapy sessions.
Why?
Because drawing helps people relax and reduce stress.
People feel more at ease when they can pick up a pencil and just draw whatever they’re feeling.
It’s like journaling but you don’t have to think much. You’re mainly moving your hand and creating art on paper.
A lot of people draw to ease their stress.
I’ve done it all my life and I can honestly say that I feel very relaxed after drawing.
I have suggested drawing and coloring to so many of my friends who feel stressed.
And after they’ve picked up some adult coloring books and coloring pencils, I’ve heard that it’s made such a tremendous difference to their lives!
8. It’s a pretty easy skill to pick up
This skill doesn’t require much thinking.
Drawing uses the right side of the brain more – which is also responsible for creativity.
Unlike writing or playing music, where you have to form words or sentences or coordinate multiple functions, you are basically forming a picture with strokes.
People can make great progress in drawing quickly as compared to most other skills because this is a skill that can be self-taught or with the help of an instructor.
I myself know many professional artists that are self-taught.
One of my favorite artists – Loish, is self-taught.
It amazes me to know that a person can pick up this degree of drawing just by practicing it enough at home.
Her book – The Art of Loish is one of my favorite books to read when I want inspiration to draw.
9. Drawing is extremely versatile
Art is versatile.
You can do practically anything with your drawing skills. For example:
- You can become a watercolor artist.
- You can create webcomics with your art.
- Painting can be done in many forms.
- Drawing is very flexible – you can use traditional or digital art.
The possibilities of drawing are endless. You can even pursue limitless careers like:
- Storyboard artist
- Children’s Book Illustrator
- Pencil Portrait Artist
- Animator
- Video game character developer
This is one of the biggest reasons why people love drawing and want to make a full-time income with their art!
10. Drawing makes you more creative
Drawing gives your brain good exercise because you are constantly thinking of:
- What do I draw?
- How do I draw this?
- What colors can I use to make this pop out?
- How do I represent this character?
- What poses can I put my character in?
So, artists are extremely creative.
They are either drawing or are thinking about drawing most of the time. And people who draw have a unique sense of self.
So, you’ll be able to spot an artist in a crowd.
11. Drawing helps people express their emotions
Drawing is a visual art.
It helps break away from the monotonous and adds so much to the world of text and scripts.
People like drawing because they can express with pictures what words can’t.
It’s a unique type of expression and just like how a novel is very autobiographical, you can also tell a lot about the artist just by looking at their art.
You can tell by an artist’s brushstrokes if they were angry or tranquil when they painted it.
Just by looking at the colors of a piece, you can identify the emotions in that piece of art.
And one of the major benefits of drawing is that you find different ways to express how you feel, apart from talking and writing.
It’s a whole other world of pleasure.
12. Social media loves art
This is a very honest article.
And yes, most people like drawing because they get a lot of likes and followers on Instagram.
It’s very easy to grow an Art account on Instagram these days and art is something that gains very good traction on social media.
Posting your art on social media is also a great way to hold yourself accountable and get honest critiques from your followers.
You definitely need to develop a thick skin in order to survive on social media but it’s worth it.
Posting your art on Instagram helps you gain a following, build a target audience and help your art get out into the world.
People love drawing because they can show their art to the world. And social media has helped us get followers from all over the world!
This is one of the reasons I like drawing. Because the internet has helped me get discovered and grow as an artist.
13. It is insanely fun!
Most people like drawing because it’s fun.
That’s it.
The answer is just that simple.
Drawing is a lovely hobby and this is the main reason I like drawing!
It is one thing that many people (including me) resort to when they’re bored.
Drawing can kill hours.
On top of that, drawing, sketching, or painting produces a lot of happy hormones (the scientific word is endorphins) and this is why drawing is good for you.
Art is the one language that can bond people from all over the world. No matter what country you are from or what language you speak, art unites people.
It is a language of peace, creativity, and color.
Final Takeaway – Why do people like drawing?
Drawing is an easy skill to pick up.
It makes people happy.
It’s also very beneficial for people who are very handsy and just love working with their hands.
Drawing works with visual mediums. And so, it’s a hobby that is definitely NOT going to die anytime soon. That’s for sure!
If you love drawing and are constantly drawn to the stationery section in your mall, don’t feel afraid.
Embrace drawing and make it part of your routine!
Frequently asked questions
What do you call someone who likes drawing?
A person who likes drawing and who draws a lot is called an Artist.
However, if an Artist starts specializing in one field of art, then their title will evolve.
For instance, I work with illustrations and digital art so I am an Illustrator and Digital Artist.
Here are a few more examples:
- A person who works with comics is a Comic Artist
- People who specialize in watercolor art are Watercolor Artists
- Artists who paint are Painters
All in all, we do remain under the bracket term – Artists.
What does it mean if you like to draw?
If you enjoy drawing, then you have the passion to draw and you should really start developing your skills because you could be an Artist!
Spend some time learning your art style and start practicing daily to become a better artist.
Drawing for the love of drawing is what will help you become a successful artist. And if you really have the drive, you can even make a full-time income from it.
If you have any questions about drawing or digital art, please leave them in a comment below, and I’ll be more than happy to help you out!
Resources to become better at drawing:
If you’ve reached the end of the post, then congratulations – you really do have a strong love for drawing, and you should most definitely pursue it!
I understand taking an art course or studying art professionally isn’t feasible for everyone, especially if you already have a full-time job or are a student juggling many classes.
However, many people study drawing and art on the side as a side-hustle until they can make a full-time income with their art.
I’m going to share a couple of resources that helped me become a better artist.
Books that helped me learn more about drawing:
You can see all the books I recommend for beginner artists here.
But here are some more:
- How to Draw Anime ( Includes How to Draw Manga, Chibi, Body, Cartoon Faces )
- Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels
- Sketch Every Day: 100+ simple drawing exercises from Simone Grünewald
- Figure Drawing: Design and Invention
Books that taught me how to make money with my art:
- Draw What You Love: The Art of Simone Grünewald
- Becoming a Successful Illustrator
- Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, 16th Edition: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines
- Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist
Courses that helped me create better art digitally and gave me wonderful business ideas:
- Procreate for Beginners: Digital Illustration 101
- Daily Sketching for Creative Inspiration
- Female Cartoon Character Design with Procreate
- Character Creation from Observational Drawings
- Creating comics for Instagram
I credit my illustrating skills only to books and online courses mainly. I didn’t really have anyone to teach me, and my learning is entirely self-taught.
The best part about online courses is that you can draw and create while the teacher is doing the same in their courses.
And you get to compare your work to the teacher’s so you can correct yourself if you’re making mistakes.
If you enjoyed this post, you’d also like:
- The ultimate guide to finding your art style
- Is digital art easy? Traditional Art vs Digital Art
- 13 signs you are meant to be an artist
- 10 fun drawing gifts to give children below the age of 10
- 13 easy ways to make money online as an artist
- 9 best drawing books for beginners
- 13 silly drawing mistakes most beginner artists make
- How long does it take for people to learn how to draw? From Newbie to Pro
- How to become a full-time artist without a degree
- How to draw without a reference
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to help!
