1. Buy yourself some good 'how to draw' books. My favourites are: "Figure Drawing Without a Model" By Ron Tiner and "Anatomy for the Artist" by Sarah Simblet.

2. Chose your medium. I'm a pencil person. You might prefer charcoal, paint, pastel, or printing. It's up to you.

3. Buy yourself a decent sketch book and use it!

4. Start with the basics. If you want to draw people make sure you get a good grasp of anatomy.

5. Draw anything that'll sit still long enough

6. Practice practice practice. People always bugger on about talent but when I first started I was as rubbish as you probably think you are.

7. Unless you are incredibly good or incredibly fast NEVER under any circumstances get your friends to sit for you. Firstly, they won't sit still and secondly, they might hate you when it doesn't go right. Use a photo.

8. If you're getting into art for comics and/or graphic novels a great way to get different facial expressions is to go onto actor fan sites and go to the 'screen cap' page which will have stills from movies and shows they were in....It's better than any posed picture. Alternatively take photos of a friend pulling faces.

9. Never give up. Never surrender.

For more information on art matters, see my blog.

Or if it all sounds like too much hard work, visit our shop.

Contact us at: mail@portraitperfect.org.uk