How to Draw Anything with Powerpoint from Udemy

Learn in less than 3 hours how to create any graphic using PowerPoint.

Do you need to create graphic designs for your presentations, videos and more, but you don't have design skills? No problem. I don't have either. But thanks to the process that I teach in this course, you will be able to create pretty much any illustration that you want inside PowerPoint alone. No need for any other software.

It's pretty simple: you won't create anything from scratch. Rather, you will reproduce an illustration on top of any existing picture. At the end, it will look like a really nice custom graphic object. I tried to make it short, so in a few hours you will be able to master this technique that I now personally use for my online courses and YouTube videos. But of course, you can apply it in any other context.

We are going to recreate two amazing things in this course: the Crew Dragon capsule by SpaceX and the Airbus A380 aircraft. You will learn how to reproduce any shape that you want, how to set the right colors and how to create shadows, depth and 3D effects to make everything look even cooler.

[Created by Business Disruptors]

What's inside

Learning objectives

Create any object inside powerpoint
Reproduce any shape that you want

Easily set the right colors
Generate 3d/depth effects

Create any object inside powerpoint
Reproduce any shape that you want
Easily set the right colors
Generate 3d/depth effects

Syllabus

Introduction to the course

Introduction

(Optional) Download my .PPT files here

Project 1 - Crew Dragon by SpaceX

Setting your "base" image that you are going to reproduce is the first step

Learn how to create absolutely ANY shape that you want inside Powerpoint. No limitations!

Learn how to easily set the right colors and improve them so they don't look too "basic"

Shadows and Highlights are extremely important and there are several techniques that you can use to recreate them

Learn more techniques to create 3D or depth illusions

This is a very important feature that we didn't use in the first project

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Teaches a practical method for creating custom graphics within PowerPoint, which is useful for professionals who need visuals but lack advanced design skills

Focuses on reproducing existing images rather than creating from scratch, which may limit creative exploration but offers a quick solution for specific visual needs

Explores techniques for creating shadows, depth, and 3D effects, which can enhance the visual appeal and professionalism of presentations and other visual materials

Uses SpaceX's Crew Dragon and the Airbus A380 as case studies, which may appeal to learners interested in aerospace and aviation or who want to learn through concrete examples

Relies on PowerPoint, which may be limiting if learners need to create graphics for other contexts or prefer to use more specialized design software

Covers animation techniques, which can add an extra layer of engagement and dynamism to presentations and videos, making them more captivating for audiences

Reviews summary

Create illustrations in powerpoint via tracing

According to learners, this course offers a simple yet powerful technique for creating custom illustrations directly within PowerPoint. Many find the method clever and highly effective, providing an amazing shortcut for producing graphics without needing complex design software. The instructor is consistently praised for being clear and easy to follow, making the process accessible even for non-designers. Students appreciate that the course is short, concise, and gets straight to the point, making it perfect for busy professionals who need practical, time-saving skills for presentations, online content, and more. However, several reviewers note that the title "How to Draw Anything" might be slightly misleading, as the technique is primarily focused on reproducing (tracing) existing images and feels limited to certain types of illustrations (like technical or structured objects) rather than general freehand drawing.

Included examples are good for learning.

"The examples (SpaceX, Airbus) are interesting..."

"The examples are followed step-by-step which is great for learning the method."

"the examples are good to follow along with."

"The examples are well-chosen for demonstrating the method."

Instructor explains concepts clearly.

"The instructor is clear and the examples are detailed."

"the instructor explains everything clearly."

"the instructor's voice is easy to listen to."

"The instructor is clear and the step-by-step process..."

"The instructor knows his stuff and explains it clearly."

Short course is effective for busy learners.

"The course is short and gets straight to the point."

"I appreciate that it's short and doesn't waste time."

"Perfect for busy professionals."

"The course is concise and the examples are good..."

"A fast and effective way to create custom visuals for my online content. ...I completed the course quickly..."

"Short, sweet, and highly effective! Learned a valuable skill in under 3 hours."

Practical skills for presentations, online content.

"I've already used this technique to create graphics for my blog posts."

"Highly recommended for anyone looking to up their presentation game."

"Perfect for busy professionals."

"Exactly what I needed! A fast and effective way to create custom visuals for my online content."

"Highly practical and time-saving."

"Perfect for creating graphics for presentations and social media."

Course teaches a clever, effective method.

"I never knew you could do this in PowerPoint!..."

"A very clever technique shown here."

"Absolutely brilliant! The method is surprisingly powerful..."

"Fantastic course! It delivers exactly what it promises. Learn a simple yet effective technique..."

"Amazing shortcut for creating graphics! Saved me a lot of time..."

"Mind blown! I've used PowerPoint for years but never knew these capabilities existed."

Technique limited, not for all types of drawing.

"Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. The title 'Draw Anything' set my expectations too high."

"It's really just about tracing specific types of images using basic shapes. ... It's a very limited technique, not a general drawing skill."

"'anything' might be an exaggeration, but for technical or structured illustrations, it's very effective."

"the technique feels very limited to certain object types. The promise of 'draw anything' is misleading."

"It's not truly 'drawing anything' in a freehand sense, but for reproducing existing graphics or creating vector-style images from photos, it's excellent."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in How to Draw Anything with Powerpoint with these activities:

Review PowerPoint Shape Tools

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Practice using PowerPoint's shape tools to create basic geometric forms and combine them to make more complex shapes. This will build a strong foundation for the course's shape reproduction techniques.

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Open PowerPoint and create a new presentation.
Experiment with different shapes and their properties.
Combine multiple shapes using merge shape options.

Practice Color Selection in PowerPoint

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Experiment with PowerPoint's color selection tools, including custom color creation and eyedropper tool. This will help you accurately reproduce colors from your base images.

Browse courses on Color Selection

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Open PowerPoint and insert an image.
Use the eyedropper tool to sample colors from the image.
Create custom color palettes using RGB and HSL values.

Follow PowerPoint Shadow Tutorials

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Seek out and follow online tutorials specifically focused on creating shadows and depth effects in PowerPoint. This will enhance your ability to create realistic and visually appealing illustrations.

Show steps

Search for PowerPoint shadow effect tutorials on YouTube.
Follow along with a tutorial, recreating the shadow effects.
Experiment with different shadow settings to achieve various looks.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Recreate Simple Logos in PowerPoint

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Practice recreating simple logos using PowerPoint shapes and color techniques. This will reinforce your understanding of the course's core principles and improve your precision.

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Find several simple logos online.
Attempt to recreate each logo using PowerPoint shapes.
Compare your recreations to the original logos and refine your work.

Read 'Presentation Zen'

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Learn about presentation design principles to enhance the visual appeal of your PowerPoint illustrations.

View Presentation Zen on Amazon

Show steps

Obtain a copy of 'Presentation Zen'.
Read the book, focusing on design principles.
Apply the principles to your PowerPoint illustrations.

Illustrate a Complex Object

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Choose a complex object, such as a car or a building, and attempt to illustrate it in PowerPoint using the techniques learned in the course. This will test your ability to apply the course material to a challenging project.

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Select a complex object to illustrate.
Break down the object into simpler shapes.
Recreate each shape in PowerPoint and assemble them.
Add colors, shadows, and highlights to enhance the illustration.

Create a PowerPoint Illustration Tutorial

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Create a short tutorial demonstrating a specific PowerPoint illustration technique. This will solidify your understanding of the technique and help you communicate it to others.

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Choose a specific PowerPoint illustration technique.
Create a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
Record a video tutorial demonstrating the technique.

Career center

Learners who complete How to Draw Anything with Powerpoint will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Presentation Designer

A Presentation Designer crafts visually compelling presentations, and this course helps build a foundation in that field. This course's unique approach to creating graphics within PowerPoint directly translates to the needs of a presentation designer, who must often produce custom visuals to support narratives. The ability to reproduce any shape, set colors effectively, and add depth using the methods in this course directly applies to the work of a presentation designer. Mastering the techniques demonstrated using the Crew Dragon and Airbus A380 examples empowers designers to tackle various visual projects, making this course a practical resource for those looking to create presentations that stand out.

See salaries and explore the career path for Presentation Designer

Visual Designer

A Visual Designer creates engaging visual media for a variety of purposes, and this course helps build a foundation. This course's practical approach to generating graphics within PowerPoint provides a strong introduction to the craft of visual design. The skills in this course are directly relevant to the needs of a visual designer, particularly in terms of reproducing shapes, using color effectively, and creating depth. The course’s hands-on projects, such as recreating the Crew Dragon and Airbus A380, provide a practical learning experience for creating visual components from scratch, making this course a solid choice. Visual designers will find that the lessons are readily applicable to their projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Designer

Technical Illustrator

A Technical Illustrator creates illustrations for technical documentation, and this course helps build a foundation in this work. This course's methodology, which teaches how to reproduce complex shapes and create detailed graphics within PowerPoint, is directly applicable to the practice of technical illustration. The skills to add shadows and depth, and to select the proper colors, are all essential to creating clear and useful technical illustrations. The course's project examples, such as the Crew Dragon and Airbus A380, demonstrate that the methodology applies to objects of any nature. This course provides a practical set of tools for those who want to become a technical illustrator by offering hands-on experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Illustrator

E-Learning Developer

An E learning Developer designs and develops online learning content, and this course helps build a foundation in that field. The skill to create graphics using PowerPoint, as taught in this course, supports the development of engaging e learning modules. The course's focus on reproducing shapes, selecting optimal colors, and creating 3D effects applies directly to the interactive visual elements required for any online course. An e learning developer can leverage the techniques used to recreate iconic objects for a variety of graphics, helping them to create high quality online courses. This course provides a practical education for visually rich e learning experiences.

See salaries and explore the career path for E-Learning Developer

Content Creator

A Content Creator develops various forms of digital content, and this course helps build a foundation in that field. This course's emphasis on graphic creation through PowerPoint helps creators produce higher quality content. Content creators can use this course's methods for recreating shapes, setting colors, and adding 3D effects to any visual material, whether it is for social media posts, blogs, or presentations. The ability to quickly reproduce graphics without needing specialized software makes this course a good option for content creators who want to generate powerful and impactful content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator

Graphic Designer

A Graphic Designer develops visual concepts, and this course helps build a foundation in the field. Although graphic designers typically use specialized software, this course teaches important concepts that are transferable even beyond the native PowerPoint environment. The skill of reproducing shapes, choosing colors, and adding depth translates to any design software. This course helps provide a foundation in these concepts. The hands-on projects in this course, such as recreating the Crew Dragon and A380, can be a good way to practice. The techniques taught in the course provide valuable training for those who want to create professional designs in any context.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer

Instructional Designer

An Instructional Designer creates engaging learning materials, and this course may be useful for this purpose. This course's focus on creating custom graphics within PowerPoint supports the instructional designer's need to develop visual aids for their training programs. The skills taught in the course--reproducing shapes, setting colors, adding shadows and depth--can help the instructional designer to create more effective visuals for educational purposes. While instructional design involves more than just visual creation, the ability to generate custom graphics using PowerPoint can help elevate the overall learning experience, making this course a helpful tool for those in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Marketing Specialist

A Marketing Specialist develops and implements marketing strategies, and this course may be useful. This course's lessons may help marketing specialists improve their visual marketing efforts. This course teaches strategies for generating customized graphics using PowerPoint, which is useful for creating marketing materials. While a marketing specialist does not exclusively focus on graphic design, the ability to create engaging visuals helps with effective brand communication and promotion. This course provides a means to improve visual elements in marketing, making this course a helpful resource for marketing strategy.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Specialist

Digital Artist

A Digital Artist creates art in a digital medium. This course on creating graphics in Powerpoint may be useful for this purpose. Digital artists may need to create quick mockups for their clients. This course provides a very practical introduction to the world of digital art, and it teaches many of the core concepts that are essential to digital artists. The course's focus on reproducing shapes, coloring properly, and adding depth effects, makes it a useful educational tool. Although digital artists may use programs other than PowerPoint, the skills learned in the course, such as the methodology for producing custom artwork, are transferable. Thus, digital artists may find this course to be useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Artist

Web Designer

A Web Designer designs and builds websites, and this course may be useful for some aspects of this role. Although web designers typically produce web pages, they often need to create graphic assets to place on web pages. Learning how to create graphics in PowerPoint is useful for this purpose, and in some cases, can be a helpful tool. The skills taught in this course, particularly how to reproduce shapes, set colors, and add depth, can improve the quality of any accompanying graphics. While this course does not focus on web design directly, the ability to produce custom graphics can be helpful, making this course a practical tool for some web design projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Animator

An Animator creates moving images for various media, and this course may be useful for some aspects of this role. Although animators often use dedicated animation software, the skills taught in this course may be useful for some projects. The ability to reproduce a shape, set colors, and create depth is essential for animation. This course offers a structured process for developing graphic elements and this can be helpful in animation. While the course does not teach animation directly, the lessons can improve the quality of the visual assets used in animation. The skills taught in these courses may also be useful for creating quick mockups and storyboards, making them useful for animators.

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UX Designer

A UX Designer designs user experiences, and this course may be useful. UX Designers may need to create mockups to test their design ideas. This course teaches practical skills for creating custom visuals, and these skills may help in that process. The skills in this course, particularly the ability to reproduce shapes, set colors, and add depth, translate to creating mockups of interface elements. While this course is not about the design of user interfaces, it does help a designer create graphics and visuals for use in testing. The hands-on approach of this course may be useful for any UX designer.

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Game Designer

A Game Designer designs the elements of a video game, and this course may be useful for certain tasks within this role. The ability to generate graphics, as taught in this course, may help with the creation of early mockups or conceptual art. The skills taught include the reproduction of any shape, setting the right colors, and generating depth, and all of these are useful for some game design work. While a game designer typically uses specialized software, the concepts in this course are transferable. The hands-on approach of this course offers a practical way to learn the fundamentals, making this course a tool for game designers.

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Architectural Drafter

An Architectural Drafter creates technical drawings for buildings and structures, and this course may be useful. While architectural drafters often use computer-aided design software, the methodology of this course, which includes reproducing shapes, setting colors, and adding depth can be helpful in their work. Architectural drafters often need to produce visuals for presentations or to accompany reports. The ability to create graphics within PowerPoint can be useful in producing visual material. This course teaches methods of quickly producing a variety of visuals, making this course a helpful resource.

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Illustrator

An Illustrator creates images for books, magazines and other publications, and this course may be useful. While illustrators typically use special design software, the skills provided in this course may be useful for mockups or early drafts of their artwork. The ability to reproduce a shape, set colors, and add depth is a core skill for creating illustrations, and this course provides a practical approach to learning this methodology. While not a replacement for professional illustration software, this course provides a foundation in this area of design, and may be useful for illustrators or those who wish to work in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

How to Draw Anything with Powerpoint

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Create illustrations in powerpoint via tracing

Activities

Career center

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