How do you learn to draw?

Answer 1

There's a few schools about that. The classic path is to understand the basic shapes (square/rectangle, triangle, circle), learn to add shadows to make them three-dimensional (cube, cone, cylinder, sphere), and then learn to recognize those shapes in what you see. Another school (as demonstrated in Betty Edward's Drawing in the Right Side of the Brain) begins with paying attention to the edges of things, noting the angle of these edge lines to a reference line, and copying these lines to the paper (using the edge of the paper as your reference.)

Either way, beginners often think of learning to draw as learning the process of making marks on paper. They want to know how to make a mark that says "egg" or "tree" and get frustrated because they can't build their library of object-marks fast enough. Artists stop being "beginners" when they realize what drawing is really about is how to SEE.

Answer 2

Starting to draw can feel intimidating, but with a few simple steps, you can begin to develop your skills! Start with the basics such as choosing a simple subject like a cup or an orange using a pencil. Spend a minute really observing it before you start drawing. Break the object down into basic geometric shapes such as a cylinder, square or circle. This is the foundation of drawing skills. 

Lightly sketch the shapes and forms that you see. Don’t worry about details yet. Gradually add more features, refining the shapes and adding texture. Create a value scale from light to dark using your pencil. This will help you understand shading. Practice different shading techniques like hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, and blending to create depth and volume. It will take time, but I will show you in step-by-step increments.