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Learning to draw

Scotteh

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After spending some time in #skullgirls irc and reading this forum, I've noticed there's a lot of artists here. So I ask - how did you guys first learn how to draw? And, what advice do you give to someone who would like to get better at drawing (and is currently completely hopeless at it) but doesn't know where to start? From reading about how to get started etc everyone says to "learn the fundamentals" but then doesn't go on to explain how to learn the fundamentals.

Any help or advice would be cool.
 
I have pretty much always been good at art through inherited natural talent I guess, but to get better you really just have to do it more. Don't make it a labor thing, just do it for fun. For the type of stuff I do I just come up with some cool idea and sit down and put it on paper.
For fundamentals definitely learn value. Being able to understand that is important. Also don't draw what you think you see. The easiest example of this is how a lot of people draw faces with eyes two thirds of the way up the head, when actually they're pretty much dead center. Instead just focus more on the shapes of what you're doing. I can help you out more if you're doing stuff like pencil art, but I know nothing about computer art.
 
I have pretty much always been good at art through inherited natural talent I guess, but to get better you really just have to do it more. Don't make it a labor thing, just do it for fun. For the type of stuff I do I just come up with some cool idea and sit down and put it on paper.
For fundamentals definitely learn value. Being able to understand that is important. Also don't draw what you think you see. The easiest example of this is how a lot of people draw faces with eyes two thirds of the way up the head, when actually they're pretty much dead center. Instead just focus more on the shapes of what you're doing. I can help you out more if you're doing stuff like pencil art, but I know nothing about computer art.

I'm definitely more interested in pencil. I own a drawling tablet but that's for osu :p I suppose I can make use of it for computer drawing later on when I get better
 
Graphite? I used to do a lot of that but I've recently been doing colored pencil mainly. With graphite its all about value since you don't have color.
 
Yeah, I wanna learn with just regular graphite if possible. I have a HB pencil that I've been using mostly so far and some others (it was a pack of like 5 different strengths of graphite)
 
The hardest I ever use is an F (right near HB), but I like to go all the way up to 9b. Do you have anything you could post?
 
Haha. I'd say just practice then. I just put some of my graphite stuff in my art thread if you want to see it. Also if you want to smudge it, don't use your finger since it gets oils all over the drawing. I used to do that for a while until I realized it was a bad idea.
 
After spending some time in #skullgirls irc and reading this forum, I've noticed there's a lot of artists here. So I ask - how did you guys first learn how to draw? And, what advice do you give to someone who would like to get better at drawing (and is currently completely hopeless at it) but doesn't know where to start? From reading about how to get started etc everyone says to "learn the fundamentals" but then doesn't go on to explain how to learn the fundamentals.

My favorite "how-to-draw" material that I learned a TON from:
http://www.lackadaisycats.com/howtodraw.php
http://www.lackadaisycats.com/exhibit.php?exhibitid=356
http://www.lackadaisycats.com/exhibit.php?exhibitid=333
http://tyshea.deviantart.com/art/Tutorial-Feet-and-Shoes-252869062
"Fun with a pencil" by Andrew Loomis. Google it for a PDF (I use this one: http://illustrationisland.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/andrew-loomis-fun-with-a-pencil.pdf) or check if your local library has a copy.
 
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I can't say much as I'm not exactly an artist myself, but I'll contribute this:
http://www.philintheblanks.com/stories/drawlikeasixyearold.html
It's less of a learning resource and more of a motivational thing. Essentially the idea is to draw stuff you think is cool even if it'll turn out looking worse than you want it to, and keep trying until eventually you get stuff that looks the way you intended.
 
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This is every drawing tutorial as far as I'm concerned. orz
e5c.jpg


It's probably the one "talent" I'd love to have the most but alas, no luck with that.
That said, I do have a lot of consideration for folks who stick with it and it's interesting to see how some improve by leaps and bounds.
 
You probably won't find a complete guide to drawing so think of tutorials and other guides as advice. There's just too much to learn so don't get discouraged if you aren't seeing results immediately. You probably won't notice any improvements for weeks or months (Years even), so just accept that you're going to suck for a while, and think of it as a continuous learning experience. What discourages a lot of people from drawing is when they start comparing their art to another artist's, which is a bad idea because that other artist was probably working at it a lot longer.

Generally you want to know the basics before you start making cartoony/anime styles so it's imperative that you have something to work from. If you're into characters/people, then get at least one anatomy book (I have like 5 or 6 now lol but you don't need that many if you're just starting out) that you can quickly refer to when you have a question about proportions or placement of limbs, etc. The more you understand anatomy, the easier it will be for you to exaggerate different body parts and develop different styles yourself, rather than just limiting yourself to a style of something such as your favorite anime/manga.

Bring a sketchbook to a nearby park or coffee shop, or anywhere you can find people or other 3-dimensional objects, and just draw them. The more you know about what you're drawing, the better. If you're drawing something small like a rock or an action figure then hold it in your hand, observe it at different angles, and understand what it is you're trying to draw. It would be ideal if you could get a live model or have someone pose for you, just don't rely on copying photographs or other 2D images. They're okay if you think they'll help you learn something specific but you want to learn how things behave in 3D space.

Post your work somewhere and ask for critiques. Don't be afraid to receive criticism. If you get comments like 'Your drawing sucks,' ask them to explain why they think it sucks. If they don't give you any useful information, then ignore them and focus on the ones that provide constructive criticism. Sometimes you'll get both in the same comment but just focus on what you can learn from it. Ideally people should be pleasant, but this isn't always going to be the case so don't let negative comments hit you personally, just brush them off.

I'm nowhere near the level I'd like to be with my art but if you have other questions let me know. Just start somewhere and stick with it.
 
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Do what I did growing up.

Find people whose drawings you like and copy what they do.

And maybe take a life drawing class?
 
Find references/proportions as you go (ie: When drawing a face from the front the eyes are about an eye apart, this is 1/3rd the length of that, etc.)
Simplify objects into shapes, then add in details later.
Start small. I started by drawing little comics on writing paper. Start with pictures four lines high focusing on body proportions and omitting details of faces. Once your pictures look ok, go to 5 lines high and so on.
Ask artists you know to look at your pictures and explain why an element of your picture you don't like looks wrong. Any reasonable person won't judge you by sh*tty drawings. They all drew like you at some point. If someone insults your drawing, they probably can't draw worth sh*t. The internet's a great place to show your beginning work. If someone says it sucks, you don't know them anyway, so their opinion of you is irrelevant.
 
Because I was in dire need of a hobby, I felt like rekindling this old passion of mine. Been taking a different approach, one where I find myself more focused on the process than the end product. And I've been going at that by using figure frames and simplifying into basic shapes (I know, super basic stuff but I never tried that before).

Anyway, I'm here to drop a few links I think might be useful.

Skullgirls' official model sheets. (requires Google+ account to access)
This Pixiv artist with a gallery filled with hundreds of tutorials for drawing hands, feet, torso, pelvis, etc from several different angles in a somewhat simplified manner.

And some Danbooru pools.
Learning how to draw
Artist helper: Anatomy
Artist helper: Foreshortening
Pool group: Body (more specified elements like eyes, hair, muscle, shading, etc)

Bar the SG model sheets, all these links are NSFW.
 
Well, I am self taught, however I have read books on what I'm trying to learn, copy other people's style, and even have a mentor I take advice/ get links on drawing related stuff(hate to use the word "stuff" but meh), but when it comes to the actual drawing part, I learn from my mistakes. This has it's pluses, but the minus is without guidance, stuff like proportion and perspective could be messed up with understanding how to fix it. Honestly the best way to learn is to do. It is easy to read how to, but that doesn't mean you reflect that in your drawings. There are gonna be times when you want to quit or even tell yourself you can't draw, but stick to it, because it takes a lot of time to get good hell it took me 16 years to get where I'm at, and I'm 21 now. I would start off learning proportion and perspectives and from there copy other people's style. and when your ready, start developing your own style. Don't be afraid of criticism and don't be afraid to use reference guides, cause even professionals use them.
 
I've just started this hobby about a month ago and I am in love with as much as video games. The only advice I can give is what's been already said and that's do it as much as you can, whenever you can and don't be afraid of how terrible you may be or what others think. (I suck tremendous booty by the way)

Another thing is that you should draw whatever ideas that come to your imagination ASAP it may be bad now but when you improve on those ideas you love it will show.
 
I started with a tutorial then I thought it looked pretty good next thing you know I'm drawing things I never knew I could and when I look back at my first drawing it was not as good as I thought it was. Anyways I started by doing tutorials by mark crilley and Sophie Chan on YouTube. I still don't have an original style though.
1397775129036.jpg 1397774988973.jpg Left is my recent, right is my first.
 
Scotteh, I'm going to tell you stuff that I wish someone told me a long time ago.

1. Stay away from Anime Tutorial Books, they are inherently evil and THEY TEACH YOU NOTHING!!!!
2. Pick up this book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
book32.gif
It's a great book that's about 20 bucks that will LITTERALLY TRAIN YOU on how to draw. It's a great book to get started. Don't worry about what edition to get, they're all good.

3. Draw with your arm, not your wrist. Drawing is not writing..........unless your drawing and writing at the same time.

4. Learn about Gesture Drawings, then practice gesture drawings. It'll loosen you up and your drawings will have a more organic feel. This is important

5. Make time for yourself to draw. When you find yourself not doing anything important or if you're just bored or watching TV its time to bust out a paper (or
preferably a sketchbook) and doodle.

6. Do not be frustrated that your drawings suck. They will always suck.

7. Drawing is a skill, not a god-given talent to the chosen few. Like any skill, drawing can be learned, practiced, and mastered.
 
how did you guys first learn how to draw?
much like anything else I do in my life, my hands started moving on their own. I just happen to like what they were doing so I just said "fuck it keep on going"

And, what advice do you give to someone who would like to get better at drawing (and is currently completely hopeless at it) but doesn't know where to start?
No advice just draw. draw until it looks like something you like, it'll take you awhile but eventually you'll get there

From reading about how to get started etc everyone says to "learn the fundamentals" but then doesn't go on to explain how to learn the fundamentals.
Well if you want to learn the fundamentals go ahead and do it. There's plenty ways, go to school, copy others, online tutorials or just wing it. Just so you know wasting time not draw, isn't going to help you get better at drawing

but me personally I'm the figure it out on the way kinda guy. So I'm pretty sure I'm not much help to you
 
1. Stay away from Anime Tutorial Books, they are inherently evil and THEY TEACH YOU NOTHING!!!!

I can vouch for this. I was one of the sorry souls that started with THIS cursed blue tome in primary school.

51166TNTG2L.jpg


It will hamper your growth, give you horrible habits, and it will take you longer to learn how to draw well in general.
 
I can vouch for this. I was one of the sorry souls that started with THIS cursed blue tome in primary school.

51166TNTG2L.jpg


It will hamper your growth, give you horrible habits, and it will take you longer to learn how to draw well in general.

My eyes! They burn!