Get a blank sheet of paper. (If you're using a computer, open a blank image with your favorite graphics application.) A good, clean, white sheet is usually preferable.

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Hong, 1996.) Yes, I do have arms.

Unless you're planning on drawing something abstract or expressionistic, you probably also will need a subject to draw. In this example, being the narcissistic person I am, I'll attempt to caricature myself.

Begin by sketching out the basic form of the subject. Since I'm not constructing anything here out of derivative circles, squares, or triangles, I'm not quite following Rule 1.

Here I'm using a the scratchboard tool from Fractal Design Painter. For those of you without equivalent graphics software, using paper and pencil works too.

Notice that I don't bother bisecting the head with extraneous guidelines to determine the placement of the eyes, mouth, and nose (or, in this case, the glasses). I just place everything down. No extra clutter, no extra lines to erase later. It's that easy!

Once the basic form is down, rough in the rest of the sketch, adding important detail. Don't worry about the sketchiness of the lines; they'll be covered up with smoother lines later.

Madly draw dark, heavy lines all over your sketch. Make sure there is no remaining evidence of what the intended subject was. Return to Step 1.

Carefully trace over the existing lines to darken and to smooth them. Fill in the remaining detail as you go along. Accentuate important features and hope that the other ones, mistakes especially, magically will go away.

Become increasingly frustrated. It's inevitable. Applying the techniques of Step 4, return to Step 1.

To speed up the scratch-out process a bit, here I switched from the scratchboard tool to a thick felt marker. This is solely a matter of preference, however, so feel free to use whatever instrument you like. For those of you working on a computer, the "paint bucket" tool common to many graphics applications works nicely.

Commission a real artist to do the drawing for you. Offer large quantities of cash. Beg. Repeat, offering additional goods, services, or Star Wars memorabilia as necessary.

You're done! Now you know all the techniques not to draw just like me!