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Drawing... question for our Artists here...

Alright then, since we don't have an Art forum.. I just wanted to ask:

What are some common mistakes and bad habits I should watch out for as a beginner?

Soon I plan on getting a tablet, but for now I'm simply doodling in a sketchbook. I want to progress very far, and I will dedicate as much time as I can to this. But since I'm doing it by myself, I don't want to develop habits that will hurt me in the long run..

A few tips would be welcome too, but I am more concerned about things I shouldn't do..

Re: Drawing... question for our Artists here...

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot What are some common mistakes and bad habits I should watch out for as a beginner?

Dont go outside the lines.

Re: Re: Drawing... question for our Artists here...

quote:

Originally posted by jonSun Dont go outside the lines.

Re: Re: Drawing... question for our Artists here...

quote:

Originally posted by jonSun Dont go outside the lines.

LOL!!!!!


Oh and while connecting the numbers, make sure you go in order , or else...bad things happen. Jesus eats your soul.

A lot of practice is the main key for sketching. It took me about 3-5 years just to learn how to do figure drawing.

What kind of things are you sketching?

btw, I'm thinking of getting a tablet too.

quote:

Originally posted by pvdAngel A lot of practice is the main key for sketching. It took me about 3-5 years just to learn how to do figure drawing. What kind of things are you sketching? btw, I'm thinking of getting a tablet too.

I sketch everything. I was told by quite a few guys that I should just doodle as much as I could first.. I draw geometric shapes... but I can barely draw anything complex from my imagination.

When I first started, I saw this about.com article that suggested drawing the outline mangled coat hangers or string. Is that *really* going to help me? It's quite difficult to do..

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot I sketch everything. I was told by quite a few guys that I should just doodle as much as I could first.. I draw geometric shapes... but I can barely draw anything complex from my imagination. When I first started, I saw this about.com article that suggested drawing the outline mangled coat hangers or string. Is that *really* going to help me? It's quite difficult to do..

OK, you lost me on the coat hanger thing. lol

this looks liek a useful site
http://www.geocities.com/~jlhagan/K...ntroduction.htm

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot I sketch everything. I was told by quite a few guys that I should just doodle as much as I could first.. I draw geometric shapes... but I can barely draw anything complex from my imagination. When I first started, I saw this about.com article that suggested drawing the outline mangled coat hangers or string. Is that *really* going to help me? It's quite difficult to do..

Key phrase:

Practice makes perfect!


What size tablet are you getting?
If it's an A6 well good luck making any real progress learning to draw with that as it's most inconvenient/un-natural/too small.

One retarded thing that I used to do that helped me master line thickness and such was drawing over pictures in the newspaper sort of like tracing around. It helps give you a sense of perspective in some cases but it's most certainly not an ultimate learning tool.


If you want to really go crazy learn matte painting in photoshop get some gnomon stuff ... read this magazine too http://www.2dartistmag.com/

akridrot, what you shouldn't do is practice many different arts all at once, focus on one.

didn't you ask for writing tips a little while ago? and aren't you a postet in the production forums?

seriously, how will you get good at anything if you're trying to start it all and do it all from scratch?


i'm a good music producer because i've been doing it for 9 years, same for djing.

i'm good in philosophy because i've been reading it and discussing it for a few years too.

Re: Drawing... question for our Artists here...

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot What are some common mistakes and bad habits I should watch out for as a beginner?

The biggest mistake inexperienced artists make is that they draw what they think something should look like rather than what they see. For example,an apple most would draw/paint it red even if its not. Or draw an orange as a perfect sphere when its really not. It takes a lot of practice to be able to draw what you see and unlearn your visual stereotypes.

Another 'mistake' is being afraid to produce the full tonal range that one sees especial the dark. The final one, is silhouetting the subject. Begginners tend to draw the outline of a subject without using line to express its three dimentionality.

Re: Re: Drawing... question for our Artists here...

The biggest mistake inexperienced artists make is that they go out and purchase a tablet before gaining any real experience/skill.

quote:

Originally posted by Psy-T akridrot, what you shouldn't do is practice many different arts all at once, focus on one. didn't you ask for writing tips a little while ago? and aren't you a postet in the production forums? seriously, how will you get good at anything if you're trying to start it all and do it all from scratch?

Yes.. you are absolutely right.. so right it hurts. FFS, I even dabble in programming every once in a while. The problem is I have all these creative ideas in my head.. but I find it hard to just choose ONE way to output my creativity a time. I'm impatient, and I want to be good at what I do NOW..

Guess I'll have to make that choice soon or end up living a life of mediocrity.. *cringes* This is going to be one of the hardest decisions ever..

You understand me quite well, it's pathetic how I jump from playing on the keyboard to writing little short stories to doodling and then dabbling in PHP... nothing substantial ever gets accomplished, it's all half assed.

quote:

Originally posted by igottaknow The biggest mistake inexperienced artists make is that they draw what they think something should look like rather than what they see. For example,an apple most would draw/paint it red even if its not. Or draw an orange as a perfect sphere when its really not. It takes a lot of practice to be able to draw what you see and unlearn your visual stereotypes. Another 'mistake' is being afraid to produce the full tonal range that one sees especial the dark. The final one, is silhouetting the subject. Begginners tend to draw the outline of a subject without using line to express its three dimentionality.

Quite useful and clearly written, I understand every single point you make. Thanks.

edit:

quote:

Originally posted by Yan The biggest mistake inexperienced artists make is that they go out and purchase a tablet before gaining any real experience/skill.

WTF? Why not? It makes perfect sense to me.. I could experiment in photoshop with my wacom and it would be just like drawing on paper.

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot Yes.. you are absolutely right.. so right it hurts. FFS, I even dabble in programming every once in a while. The problem is I have all these creative ideas in my head.. but I find it hard to just choose ONE way to output my creativity a time. I'm impatient, and I want to be good at what I do NOW.. Guess I'll have to make that choice soon or end up living a life of mediocrity.. *cringes* This is going to be one of the hardest decisions ever.. You understand me quite well, it's pathetic how I jump from playing on the keyboard to writing little short stories to doodling and then dabbling in PHP... nothing substantial ever gets accomplished, it's all half assed.

oh man .... I could totally have written these words almost verbatim

I totally get your situation

quote:

Originally posted by jdat oh man .... I could totally have written these words almost verbatim I totally get your situation

Let me guess.. is the "Goodbye" in your sig referring to this "situation"?

Apologies if it's not, and something more personal..

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot WTF? Why not? It makes perfect sense to me.. I could experiment in photoshop with my wacom and it would be just like drawing on paper.

First of all regardless of the size in every single case it is NOT a natural thing and I will almost go as far as calling it cheating ...

also I am assuming you may have gotten the near cheapest one so the size is really small?!

Am I right? or am I right?

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot Let me guess.. is the "Goodbye" in your sig referring to this "situation"? Apologies if it's not, and something more personal..

ta hiatus but I can't really make a clean break.

First I need this persons phone number so I can have phone sex when I'm gone

quote:

Originally posted by jdat First of all regardless of the size in every single case it is NOT a natural thing and I will almost go as far as calling it cheating ... also I am assuming you may have gotten the near cheapest one so the size is really small?! Am I right? or am I right?

I haven't gotten one yet, I was just pointing out to everyone that I am 100% going to get one soon. And yes, I was planning on the cheapest one, because I do not have that much money..

quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot WTF? Why not? It makes perfect sense to me.. I could experiment in photoshop with my wacom and it would be just like drawing on paper.

The "perfect sense" is in the natural events that take place; more often than not, you'll end up purchasing an object and not using it for what it's worth (using it enough to warrant the price). Only if you're devoted to art will you actually pull away anything from owning a tablet (unless you're a PS user, as well). In reality, you'll need some skills to be developed prior to using a tablet.

Don't hold the pencil the way you do for writing - this position allows you fine control of your pencil with your fingers so you can make small letters. Drawing is, for the most part about much longer lines, you should be using your whole arm to move the pencil not your fingers. First practice drawing straight lines accross your drawing pad (you should use a large one... A3 at the very least). Once you get confident try several parallel lines close to each other. then try a circle - see how close to a perfect circle you can get freehand. DO this for a couple of minutes at the start of your drawing practice.

The first few times you draw you should set up a few simple still lifes - cups, fruit, simple everyday objects and practice getting them right. Change the composition and keep going. Once you learn to control the pencil on still lifes, and train your eye, the transition to more complex things such as figuredrawing will be way easier.

COMPOSITION
Set up a composition. remember where evrything is so you can set it up again the next day or whenever you want to come back to it (drawing takes time - your first still life should take you several hours, so you might want to spread it over a few days).

Start with your hardest pencil (the one that makes the lightest mark - say a 3H or something). Without pressing at all, with straight lines mark out the space on the page that the composition takes up - just a rough polygon that outlines all the objects. Say your composition is an apple a banana and a bottle between them. The contour will be roughly a triangle. Don't think about it too much, just put it down roughly on the paper. Now adjust the lines so the triangle matches the space that the composition takes up pretty accurately. When you look at the composition imagine the triangle around it and think about how all the elements fit in the triangle.

Next hold your pencil out in front of your face and close one eye. Hold it vertically in front of the bottle and put the top of the pencil in line with the top of the bottle. Adjust your thumb so it's in line with the bottom of the bottle. Now turn the pencil sideways and hold it in front of the apple, this is a handy way to check the proportion of elements of your drawing. You might find that the diameter of your apple is roughly one third the height of the bottle. Now you can mark a rough circle within the triangle where the apple should be, and you can make the diameter of that circle one third the height of the triangle that marks your composition (since the bottle is the highest element). When you first start out drawing you'll be doing this obsessively... you'll use your pencil to measure the width of the bottle, the length of the neck, the length and width of the banana etc... Constantly checking the proportion of objects in your still life with repsect to each other and altering your work. Remember to keep all your lines very very fine and not press hard so you can continually correct your work.

The main thing you should remember is to start rough and general and get more specific and detailed as you go. Don't start, as some people/books will tell you, by outlining the apple and drawing the little twig on top... that kind of detail is the very last step. There is no point drawing little details like that only to find out that the whole composition is proportionally out of whack.

You will need to learn perspective and shading/lighting techniques... but that is harder to explain (and not as crucial for a beginner). It's somethign you should probably by a book about. If you buy a book on drawing make sure it's not a book for kids that dumbs down the process or one of those gimmicky "BE AN ARTIST IN 24 HOURS!!!!!" books. Get a serious text. Drawing well is a skill that is hard to master (but fun!).

At some stage you should consider taking classes.

quote:

Originally posted by astroboy Don't hold the pencil the way you do for writing - this position allows you fine control of your pencil with your fingers so you can make small letters. Drawing is, for the most part about much longer lines, you should be using your whole arm to move the pencil not your fingers. First practice drawing straight lines accross your drawing pad (you should use a large one... A3 at the very least). Once you get confident try several parallel lines close to each other. then try a circle - see how close to a perfect circle you can get freehand. DO this for a couple of minutes at the start of your drawing practice. The first few times you draw you should set up a few simple still lifes - cups, fruit, simple everyday objects and practice getting them right. Change the composition and keep going. Once you learn to control the pencil on still lifes, and train your eye, the transition to more complex things such as figuredrawing will be way easier. COMPOSITION Set up a composition. remember where evrything is so you can set it up again the next day or whenever you want to come back to it (drawing takes time - your first still life should take you several hours, so you might want to spread it over a few days). Start with your hardest pencil (the one that makes the lightest mark - say a 3H or something). Without pressing at all, with straight lines mark out the space on the page that the composition takes up - just a rough polygon that outlines all the objects. Say your composition is an apple a banana and a bottle between them. The contour will be roughly a triangle. Don't think about it too much, just put it down roughly on the paper. Now adjust the lines so the triangle matches the space that the composition takes up pretty accurately. When you look at the composition imagine the triangle around it and think about how all the elements fit in the triangle. Next hold your pencil out in front of your face and close one eye. Hold it vertically in front of the bottle and put the top of the pencil in line with the top of the bottle. Adjust your thumb so it's in line with the bottom of the bottle. Now turn the pencil sideways and hold it in front of the apple, this is a handy way to check the proportion of elements of your drawing. You might find that the diameter of your apple is roughly one third the height of the bottle. Now you can mark a rough circle within the triangle where the apple should be, and you can make the diameter of that circle one third the height of the triangle that marks your composition (since the bottle is the highest element). When you first start out drawing you'll be doing this obsessively... you'll use your pencil to measure the width of the bottle, the length of the neck, the length and width of the banana etc... Constantly checking the proportion of objects in your still life with repsect to each other and altering your work. Remember to keep all your lines very very fine and not press hard so you can continually correct your work. The main thing you should remember is to start rough and general and get more specific and detailed as you go. Don't start, as some people/books will tell you, by outlining the apple and drawing the little twig on top... that kind of detail is the very last step. There is no point drawing little details like that only to find out that the whole composition is proportionally out of whack. You will need to learn perspective and shading/lighting techniques... but that is harder to explain (and not as crucial for a beginner). It's somethign you should probably by a book about. If you buy a book on drawing make sure it's not a book for kids that dumbs down the process or one of those gimmicky "BE AN ARTIST IN 24 HOURS!!!!!" books. Get a serious text. Drawing well is a skill that is hard to master (but fun!). At some stage you should consider taking classes.

For once I read this without needing the 'c0r version'. Good advise.

astroboy - abstract > still life

quote:

Originally posted by astroboy Awesomeness

WOW.. great post! I fucking LOVE IT! Oh man, you have no idea how many times this post made me grin. You dropped so many little gems. Hahaha, if only everything else was explained like this!

How to hold the pencil, paper size, how much time I should expect to take (I didn't know people drew things for HOURS before or came back to it later.. honestly). Awesome.

Up until now I've never used composition in any of my drawings.

Once again, GREAT POST. Thank you.

I wasted my middle school years teaching myself to draw. Through school I would always take an art class. It helped with getting body positions less ridgid and odd looking. Im not great but I feel I dont suck. I draw cartoons mostly....it allows more freedom because there are no rules. The way you draw it is the way its supposed to look. Portraits/realism are hard for me so are cars.

Toward the end of highschool I started messing with a bit of graffiti.

Its always been a hobby and Ive tried a few different mediums. I picked up some acrylic paint to try that medium but I still love the freedom of a pencil.

Here are a couple pics of stuff out of my book. I have some better stuff...just no pics of them. Nothing crazy.

quote:

Originally posted by L.E.N. I wasted my middle school years teaching myself to draw. Through school I would always take an art class. It helped with getting body positions less ridgid and odd looking. Im not great but I feel I dont suck. I draw cartoons mostly....it allows more freedom because there are no rules. The way you draw it is the way its supposed to look. Portraits/realism are hard for me so are cars. Toward the end of highschool I started messing with a bit of graffiti. Its always been a hobby and Ive tried a few different mediums. I picked up some acrylic paint to try that medium but I still love the freedom of a pencil. Here are a couple pics of stuff out of my book. I have some better stuff...just no pics of them. Nothing crazy.

Neat!

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