Introduction. The article discusses individual problems of training students in academic drawing in the context of modern conditions for reforming the education system. All levels of education have been subject to reform, which makes its own adjustments to the content of training in special artistic disciplines not only in the art departments of pedagogical universities, but also in the system of initial pre-professional education, as well as in the context of teaching fine arts in comprehensive schools. In particular, methodological approaches to teaching schoolchildren and student academic drawing have undergone major changes, since this discipline, first of all, relies on the processes of perception and thinking in the course of creating any image. The process of mastering initial professional drawing skills is based on the perception and comprehension of the patterns of the constructive structure of the depicted objects and requires long-term exercises in the formation of figurative perception, as well as in mastering the technique of drawing, which allows conveying the formed idea of the aesthetic assessment, compositional solution and constructive features of the depicted objects. In the context of the reduction of contact teaching hours in academic drawing at the university, it is necessary to substantially revise the content of special artistic disciplines and the methods of their teaching at all levels of continuous artistic education. Purpose – consider the methodological features of the formation and development of professional drawing skills, clearly delineate the tasks of teaching academic drawing in a secondary school, in the system of additional art education, at the level of higher education. Materials and methods: theoretical analysis of the literature on the research problem, long-term observations of the educational and creative activities of students of art faculties of pedagogical universities, analysis of the educational work of applicants for entrance examinations, as well as long-term observations of the educational process in academic drawing and other special artistic disciplines on the basis of secondary schools, children's art schools and art schools. Results, discussion: dentification of typical errors and individual problems in the context of mastering professional drawing skills by students at all levels of continuous art education. Conclusion: determining the objectives of teaching academic drawing in the system of general secondary and additional art education, highlighting uniform requirements for applicants to the art departments of pedagogical universities, emphasizing the objectives of teaching drawing to understand the harmony of the surrounding world, searching for figurative solutions, studying techniques and means of creating a harmonious figurative image using various graphic materials and means.