Some aspects of Giambattista Tiepolo’s early career are explored in this article, in terms of his activities as a draughtsman before about 1722, calling into question some traditional views on his artistic development and on the dating of drawings. In particular, Tiepolo’s education and networks, and his formative involvement with commercial print publishing are emphasised. The article concludes by tracing the legacy of Giambattista’s education in his method of encouraging his son Domenico in his development as a draughtsman.