I'm trying to learn how to draw. When I was a child/young teen I got alot of compliments for my drawings despite hating the obvious flaws in what I drew. I stopped drawing when I started college, a few years later and I really want to pick it up again! So, if you're a good drawer or college artist or whatever please give me some tips on the best way to improve the skills I have!
My strong point is in the proportions. Height-wise my drawings are great, but I mess up a few things (like drawing hips at the right width). I'm also best with a pencil (I've always liked using 2B shades for some reason).
Probably my weakest points are how badly I draw faces and expressions without a clear reference to guide myself with, and how flat my drawings feel overall when they are completed. Nothing stands out from the page and bodies look proportionate, but static.
My family all seem to be decent drawers and painters, but none of them have ever made productive use of that skill, but I want to!
So... Ya... Should I keep using references for everything? Should I try to draw in the style I'm comfortable with or should I try to draw as realistically as possible to develop talent? What are the best pencils to use? Should I always use references? Any tips would be appreciated!
My strong point is in the proportions. Height-wise my drawings are great, but I mess up a few things (like drawing hips at the right width). I'm also best with a pencil (I've always liked using 2B shades for some reason).
Probably my weakest points are how badly I draw faces and expressions without a clear reference to guide myself with, and how flat my drawings feel overall when they are completed. Nothing stands out from the page and bodies look proportionate, but static.
My family all seem to be decent drawers and painters, but none of them have ever made productive use of that skill, but I want to!
So... Ya... Should I keep using references for everything? Should I try to draw in the style I'm comfortable with or should I try to draw as realistically as possible to develop talent? What are the best pencils to use? Should I always use references? Any tips would be appreciated!
It might take a while until you really like what you drew, but soon it will be worth it! ^^ You will get a better eye for proportions, composition etc.
This is what a lot of friends of mine do (who study illustration and design). And they say it really helps.
As far as nothing popping, pay special attention to placement of items. Obviously bigger things are in the foreground... make sure your drawing has a foreground, a mid ground, and a background. Use atmospheric perspective... the things closer to the viewer should be bold and detailed. The things further back in the composition should be faded out and not as detailed, more so as you go further back to the horizon line.
A lot of people argue that drawing realistically is necessary to get the skills, personally I've never been much of a fan of drawing realism and have developed most of my skills in my own style. It's ultimately up to you, I don't know if one way is truly better than the other, I think it should come down to individual preference. There are so many different kinds of art and so many different ways to be creative. Yes it takes talent to draw photorealism, but that doesn't diminish the talent of other artists with different abilities.
I actually dislike life drawing quite a lot, it's a chore, but it ultimately benefits every artist interested in producing accurate representational art.
You're an amateur, that's not a bad thing you just need more practice with faces and human form. You need to learn the rules before you break them. Artists who focus on developing a style early normally hurt their skills.
Drawing from life is best but you could also use posemaniacs.com Don't use just a pencil. Use charcoal, conte, and chalk. Don't use just white paper, use black, grey, brown paper.
If you have issues with form try drawing a few skeletons. There are a few good tutorials on faces.
Head Any Angle - http://bit.ly/headangles
Eyes - http://bit.ly/draweyes
Nose - http://bit.ly/drawnose
Lips - http://bit.ly/drawlips
Ears - http://bit.ly/drawears
Hair - http://bit.ly/drawhair
Once you're comfortable enough drawing humans developing a style would be much easier.
Life drawing functions well alongside stylised drawing/painting. In fact the two inform each other and grow naturally; as you learn about capturing the realism of the external world, that information bleeds into your own, less restricted work.
It's exciting. It's also a good way of maintaining the passion in my opinion - focusing solely on drawing what you see, with no relief, can become tedious and uninspiring. It's great to have that contrast, to be able to let loose and produce art unrestricted and inaccurate, but with feeling and passion behind it. I guess it's the equivalent of following a monotonous 9-5 office job with a crazy alcohol-fuelled night out :) The two together create balance.
Of course it depends on the artist and their art, but that's my view anyway. ABSOLUTELY DO DRAW IN YOUR OWN STYLE, but also ABSOLUTELY DO DRAW WITHOUT STYLE.
I agree that it's good to take a break from it a few times maybe draw in a fun style or fanart a few times but if you're a new artist don't make developing a style your focus. Drawing from reality should be your focus.
I know this has been said already too, but the best way to get better is to practice. I always enjoyed drawing things from anime books and stuff.
Also, you have to be consistent with your routine so that you don't get out of shape with your skills.
I'm not saying the method influenced the result; I'm just stating the facts.
Draw whatever you feel. How you see the world how the world sees you. Let it come from deep within. Draw a line, and just turn it into something. Doesn't have to be realistic. My specialty is abstract actually. My girlfriend and I do this thing where she draws random lines and shapes onto a piece of paper, I then connect those random lines and turn them into something and fill it in. It's a great way to jog your artistic brain ;)
Good Luck!
Made to do realistic art in school (which I hated), but have drawn from a very young age and always had my own style which I've changed and adapted over the years.
Look for any little damn thing that inspires you (A pattern on a wall; a pair of knickers; someone's face/moods/thoughts/actions; a moment in a book/film/TV show; etc etc etc). Take a notebook with you everywhere you go and draw whatever comes to mind.
ps never think you have masterd it.