Drawing or Painting: Where Should Beginners Start?

​

Do you want to join Painting or Drawing Classes for Beginners in Berlin?

​

Maybe you’ve always been curious about art, maybe you’re looking for a creative hobby, or maybe you simply want a way to relax after work. Many adults feel the desire to start painting or drawing at some point, but one question appears again and again: Should I start with drawing or painting?

​

You might have heard people say that drawing must come first. Others recommend jumping directly into painting and exploring color. From my experience teaching painting and drawing workshops in Berlin, I can say something reassuring: drawing and painting are not competitors, they are two doors into the same creative world.

Both approaches can help you develop your creativity, your artist eye and your confidence. And often, the most interesting learning happens when you move freely between the two.

​

​

Drawing and Painting: Two Languages of the Same Art

​

Drawing and painting are often presented as two separate disciplines, but in reality they share many of the same foundations.

​

Both help you develop essential artistic skills:

• hand–eye coordination

• understanding composition

• working with line, structure, color, value, and surface

• observation and attention to detail

• expressing and communicating your emotions and thoughts

 

Whether you are drawing with charcoal or painting with acrylics, you are still learning how to translate what you see and what you feel into visual form. This is why the relationship between both practices is so powerful.

​

Drawing improves painting skills, because it trains your eye to see structure, proportion, and balance. But painting improves drawing skills too. Working with color, gesture, and larger shapes often helps my students loosen up and see forms in a more intuitive way.

​

In the next sections we’ll explore how each approach develops different aspects of seeing and creating.

​

​

But First: What Is the Difference Between Drawing and Painting?

​

So what actually makes drawing different from painting? The most direct difference is the materials and how they are applied to the surface. Drawing usually involves dry materials that create lines, marks, or soft shading. Some of the most common drawing tools include:

• pencils

• charcoal

• chalk

• markers

• graphite sticks

• colored pencils

• wax crayons

• pastel

• ink

 

Painting, on the other hand, usually involves liquid or semi-liquid pigments that are applied with a brush, knife, sponge, or other tools like rubber or cloth. Common painting mediums include:

• acrylic paint

• oil paint

• watercolor

• encaustic (pigment mixed with wax)

• spray paint

 

The line between drawing and painting is not always strict. Pastel, for example, can behave almost like painting when layered richly. A marker is actually liquid and there are so many (alcohol based, water based, acrylic, permanent, chalk…) that they are both used on drawing or painting, even in street art. Many artists combine both approaches and materials within the same artwork.

​

The difference is less about strict categories and more about how the material invites you to work. Drawing tools often encourage precision, structure, and line. Painting materials often encourage gesture, color, and surface. But as you will soon discover, the two approaches constantly influence each other, which is exactly why learning both can be so rewarding.

​

​

Learning to See

​

One of the most important things beginners discover when they start drawing or painting is that art is not just about the hands, it’s about the eyes. Learning to draw or paint means learning how to see differently.

​

When we look at an object in everyday life, our brain simplifies it. We recognize it quickly: a cup, a face, a tree. But when we draw or paint, we need to slow down and observe more carefully.

​

We begin to notice things like:

• the angle of a line

• the relationship between shapes

• where light becomes shadow

• how one object relates to the space around it

 

This shift in perception is often the biggest breakthrough for beginners. In my drawing and painting classes in Berlin, many students discover that the real skill is not producing a perfect image, but learning how to observe with curiosity and patience. Once you start seeing like an artist, both drawing and painting become much easier, and much more enjoyable.

​

​

Starting With Painting: Learning Through Color and Gesture

​

While drawing is often associated with beginners, painting is actually an incredibly intuitive way to start. Instead of focusing on lines, painting encourages you to think in shapes, colors, and surfaces. In my classes, I often encourage students not to “draw with the brush.” Instead of outlining objects first, we begin by placing large color shapes.

​

This approach helps students:

• simplify what they see

• focus on the overall composition

• work more freely and intuitively with paint

• it also reduces the pressure of trying to get every line perfect

 

By blocking in shapes and colors first, the painting gradually finds its structure. Details can come later, but the image already has energy and life. For many beginners, this method makes painting feel more playful and less intimidating.

​

​

Drawing or Painting From Life

​

Another exciting exercise in my classes is working directly from observation, also known as drawing or painting from life. This could be a person, still-life or any object in front of you. What I personally love about drawing or painting from life is the freedom it gives you.

Unlike working from a photograph, you can:

• move around the subject

• choose your own framing

• adjust your point of view

• decide what elements deserve more attention

 

In other words, you become the director of the image. This process trains your eye in a very natural way and often leads to more spontaneous, expressive results. That’s why life drawing sessions and observational painting are such powerful learning tools for beginners and experienced artists alike.

​

​

Working From a Photo Reference

​

Painting or drawing from photographs has its own advantages, many visual decisions have already been made: the framing, the focus, the lighting. This can actually make things easier, because the structure of the image is already defined, you can concentrate more on:

• style

• technique

• color choices

• your personal interpretation

 

In my classes we sometimes use photographs of artworks as references. This allows students to study how other artists use color palettes, composition, or brushwork. It’s not about copying perfectly, it’s about learning from the visual decisions that other artists have made.

​

Both working from life and working from photos are fantastic ways to expand your comfort zone and explore new possibilities.

​

​

Which One Is Better for Beginners?

​

The honest answer is simple: Neither is better, we use similar approaches in both. Drawing and painting develop different aspects of the same creative process. Drawing can strengthen your observation and structural understanding. Painting can help you think in color, gesture, and atmosphere. When you combine both practices, your learning accelerates naturally. The goal is to remain curious and keep experimenting: drawing with a brush, or using color principles with your drawing materials (markers, watercolor pencils, pastells, crayons…) 

​

​

Curious to Start?

If you’ve been thinking about trying painting or drawing, check my painting and drawing classes for beginners in Berlin.

​

If you’d like to explore your creativity in a supportive environment, you’re very welcome to join one of the sessions. We work in small groups, in a relaxed atmosphere, and beginners are always welcome. Classes are available in English, German, and Spanish, and all materials are provided.