Learning to Draw

[arakura]

I should start off by saying that art in general has always impressed me. I've never been anywhere near decent at drawing anything, but it's always been an interest of mine. It's always been something that other people do and that I enjoy, but I kind of want to get into it on a semi-casual-but-also-kind-of-invested level.That said, I figure that just drawing things is the best thing to do if I want to get better at it. For you artists out there, what did you do to get some general skills (like shading)? Otherwise, it'd be fun to hear some stories about all you crazy-skilled artists and how you got where you are!

[DimDito]

This is coming from a 17-year-old who only practically draws as a hobby... 

I don't have any inspiring story to how I end up now. What I've been doing, and the only advice I have, is to just keep practicing.

 

Here're some of my drawings I do in my spare time from about a year ago. 

 

The Eye

 

Crow (Minami Ikki, Air Gear)

 

Crazy Apple (Noyamano Ringo, Air Gear)

 

Eren Jaeger (Shineki no Kyojin)

 

I have a fetish for shading. Sorry, too lazy to scan ;;

[Aniki]

I figure that just drawing things is the best thing to do if I want to get better at it.
 
Quite so. That's how most people improve their artistic talent. They would continue to draw, preferably the same theme, and keep improving in every attempt.

-amazing work-

...
Teach me, sensei.

[arakura]

Those are pretty great. My distaste for being bad at what I do has kept me away for this long, but I'm really feeling it this time. I would upload something, but there isnt really anything... I'll work on it

[DimDito]

Those are pretty great. My distaste for being bad at what I do has kept me away for this long, but I'm really feeling it this time. I would upload something, but there isnt really anything... I'll work on it

Thanks~ Don't underestimate yourself, there's always room for improvement. 

Do watch Mark Crilley's videos on YouTube, I learned the Eye from him. Link in MrAldred's post.

[krill]

first i must mention im not that good until recently it was nearly a decade since i stopped drawing . i just started up again so i could refresh my skills and be able to teach my son as he grows up.

i took lots of classes but honestly other then learning basic concepts like 2 point perspective,  and use of negative space the classes didnt teach me much . find something that you are intrested in and practice drawing that and inbetween the drawings of those things do random drawings of things you have less intrest in such as landscapes or still life.

 

 

This is coming from a 17-year-old who only practically draws as a hobby... 

I don't have any inspiring story to how I end up now. What I've been doing, and the only advice I have, is to just keep practicing.

 

Here're some of my drawings I do in my spare time from about a year ago. 

(amazing pencil work here)

 

I have a fetish for shading. Sorry, too lazy to scan ;;

 

 

its funny dim that you enjoy shading im a inking fanatic lol its my fave type of drawing i can ink for hours and it makes me feel calm and joyful. 

 

here is some examples of my stuff.

 

 

 

thats before the inking its a rough outline sketch

 

this is after inking

 

 

this is a sunset in mixed medium of ink, pencil shading and charcoal

 

 

 

 

 

 

as you can see i tend to enjoy drawing darker inspired things and i dont use color much due to heavy color blindness. but im trying to teach my self to remember the  colors by shade so i can overcome thatt hurdle.

[arakura]

"Dear Diary, I seem to be dead" - That got me xD (And the last one is my fav I think, it's so cool)

 

I have actually seen MarkCrilley's youtube, but that was a long time ago and I totally forgot 0.0 so I really appreciate it. It's kind of depressing to watch some of this stuff, cause it reminds me that almost everyone who is good has been doing it for years. But they do say every long journey starts with a single step (heh, how lame am i for using that line? :3)

 

ok, for a while at least I think I'll work on drawing things from life and working on shading!

[~K.S~]

You could read books by Andrew loomis . Good for beginners

i'm self taught though i did go to some classes (waste of time mostly) . Learning to draw is a sloooooow process sadly , you could trace stuff .

Use cotton buds to help with shading , it smoothens everything .

Use a putty rubber or blu tack for highlights/reflections/glints in eyes .

 

some old drawings ......

 

http://imgur.com/BP9wHHX

 

http://imgur.com/YU3QuFm

 

http://imgur.com/fLL5vfJ

[Drakenero]

What the....how can you guys draw something like that?I draw like a kid,and you guys can draw like that?

I think I will need extra classes of art...

[Aniki]

I think I will need extra classes of art...

Nah. I think these gentlemen simply practice drawing in their spare time.

Don't take art classes unless you're desperate.

[DimDito]

What the....how can you guys draw something like that?I draw like a kid,and you guys can draw like that?

I think I will need extra classes of art...

Believe.

[krill]

i try and do at least one drawing three to four times a week so thats my practice, i throw most away though im very critical of what i draw.

[itsJazz]

Drawing... Well, I've been drawing anime since 2nd grade, and yes, that's quite some time. I think what helps the most is looking at references or artists that you look up to. Find out their style, integrate it into yours, and you eventually end up experimenting with everything that you end up with your own, unique style. Using different mediums is pretty fun, too. I've just recently gotten into watercolors last November, and wow, I feel like I it's a completely different part of art I was missing out on... And yes, I still suck at it, but it's art, so why not? (I personally have stuck to digital, pencil, and color pencil since my entire life).

 

Of course, there's always practicing, too. It really helps if you do sketches of real-life anatomy. Oh... sketches. Sketches help a lot, and doodles. Keeps your technique fresh. But yeah, real life anatomy. Not just humans, but also on, say, animals if you're interested in drawing them, plants, trees, clothes. When you know how get the gist of how to draw the concept as it were in it's "natural" form, you can shape it in your style... if that makes sense. But first, it's best if you have a steady hand on drawing first. Always gotta know how to draw a line before you draw a square, right?

 

By the way, I say sketches because first off, it's different when you're copying an image exactly as it appears than just sketching it. Sketching is more abstract, more lenient, more care-free, more... your style. You're not copying how another person's art looks like, or the shape of a real life object, you're making your own lines take the shape of what you perceive from it. And no, it doesn't have to look exactly like your reference either. It's art.

 

You do not, and I repeat DO NOT have to go to some fancy-smancy art school or take art classes to get better at art. It's all practice, and there's resources all over the internet (youtube is a great one) for you to learn from, totally free of charge. Of course, there's no holding you back either, if that's what you're wanting to do, but check out what's at hand for you before you decide to go for master classes. Art school is getting wayyyy too expensive nowadays anyways. 

[zarathos_omni]

I'm gonna post some of my sketches too since I dont really get to show it to people. As for how i got my general skills, well my interest in art pretty much started with drawing my favorite characters from when i was little. I pretty much only draw as a hobby so i basically just improved from there. Although my skills are nowhere near that of most of the other people here and i honestly dont know much else beyond my own opinion since i more or else keep all my drawings to myself.

http://i.imgur.com/ofcpbS4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dXPt1wC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2UM0JDR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LtbWkFz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ayRK2q2.jpg

 

BTW cud anyone tell me what sort of medium you use for colouring? I always seem to mess up mine whenever i attempt it.

[krill]

 

BTW cud anyone tell me what sort of medium you use for colouring? I always seem to mess up mine whenever i attempt it.

 

i don't color often and when i do its either color pencil or the new one im trying out colored inks, i been experimenting with color ink inserts for my nib set lately its no more difficult to control line width and flow then with the black cartridges but the color throws me off alot since i cant tell many of them apart from one another.

[DimDito]

BTW cud anyone tell me what sort of medium you use for colouring? I always seem to mess up mine whenever i attempt it.

People usually consult to digital editing when it comes to coloring. Try scanning your work then coloring it via SAI or Photoshop. You can even re-trace and outline your sketch there, or add filter effects and lens flares if you're feeling dramatic. It's independent learning from that point on.

 

But if you'd like to keep it analog, you can always try color pencils or watercolor. For color pencils, make sure you get some good bold ones with lots of color variety, none of those 'drawing for toddlers' sets. It's fairly easy to come across pencils that are very thin and don't bode well with gradation, be sure to check on that.

 

Personally, I use Adobe Photoshop and colored pencils (very rarely). 

[~K.S~]

 

 

BTW cud anyone tell me what sort of medium you use for colouring? I always seem to mess up mine whenever i attempt it.

 

I use pastel pencils & polychromos pencils for colouring drawings , though for things in colour i usually do oil painting .