How do I draw?

[Dog--]

I know seems like a hard question to answer, but these tutorials and shit on the internet don't help.. I suck at drawing, and I want to draw good, I can draw stick people good, but that's it.. I suck at drawing and am looking for tips on how to get better. Any tips will do my good chums.

 

[Vegeta897]

Draw a lot, every day. It's really what anyone will tell you.

 

[MJ12]

Take a basic art class and practice your ass off.

 

[Krynn72]

"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me what I did at work. I told her that I worked at the college -- that my job was to teach people to draw. She stared back at me incredulous and said, 'You mean they forgot?'"

-Howard Ikemoto

 

[StardogChampion]

Open a childrens comic book like the Beano or something, place it next to a blank piece of paper, then try and draw what you see as accurately as possible. It's not difficult.

Forget drawing tutorials.

 

[Iron Kat]

Find a simple-looking cartoon character and just practise drawing it. Obviously becoming good at drawing requires practice; some people are just naturally talented (ZT, I'm looking at you).

 

[Cormeh]

Although some people are more talented than others, it's really down to how much time you yourself put into sketching and practising.

I used to be pretty good at the old freehand pencil drawing, but now I can't really do it because I stopped.

Mind you, this is all dependant on what exactly you want to draw. My advice would be to sketch more life like things (people, objects etc.) then as you get better, add your own little twists in.

 

[Raziaar]

Eat the brain of a talented artist.

There are plenty on these forums.

 

[Cormeh]

That won't work. Brains are a suppository.

 

[bbson john]

To learn drawing, you must LIKE drawing first.

 

[alpha incipiens]

Get this book. Drawing is more about how you see things rather than physical ability.

 

[Crushenator 500]

What bbson john said is true

If you do enjoy it though, get an apple or something and really study it with your eyes, really get a sense of it, then just... draw it

Really take your time over it, it wont look very good, but then try it again, with another object maybe. You'll start liking whats ending up on your page after a while and can try harder things with more complicated shapes after a while

If that sounds very boring to you then find something that doesn't, try copying photographs, drawing something from imagination (although thats pretty much guaranteed to suck if you can't otherwise draw from observation, there's no harm at all in trying though, especially if you find it the most fun!)

If you feel like you need something to help you specifically, I don't have any experience with this book, but it's meant to be very good from what I've heard http://www.amazon.com/New-Drawing-Right-Side-Brain/dp/0874774241

Lots of people will tell you to study anatomy blah blah blah but so early on If you can barely even get marks down on a page then I don't think that would really be much use to you right now


EDIT: I see someone else mentioned that book lol

It is meant to be a good book but really, don't feel like you can't draw if you don't buy it, it's only a guide, and not a foolproof one

 

[knut]

Take a sketchbook with you wherever you go and DRAAAWWWWW. It doesn't even matter what you draw, or how detailed it is, just go at it and leave no white space blank.

 

[ZachAttack]

I'm much more concerned with your grammar skills.

 

[Crushenator 500]

Take a sketchbook with you wherever you go and DRAAAWWWWW. It doesn't even matter what you draw, or how detailed it is, just go at it and leave no white space blank.

I actually think the opposite... Instead of just drawing rubbish constantly really think about every line you put down and why, you'll learn soooo much faster that way by putting your mind and heart into it than just meaningless scribbles

 

[knut]

Not detailed doesn't mean something is rubbish. Whenever I start practicing something I am unfamiliar with, I go at it with either very simple drawings, or very fast sketches.

For example, when I first started drawing hands I would start with blocks and lines. Very messy, very simple. I'd never sit down and try to map out a hand as detailed as I could because I don't think people will ever learn how to properly understand anything if they spend hours doing one singular thing and out of chance, they get it right. I'd go at the basic structure and form as much as I could until I had done so much practice that I began to understand the form and structure of a hand that is underneath the aesthetic (aka, the skin) It's after I had worked so much into understanding the hand that I then began to put in the detail.

Everyone has a very different style of drawing, but starting simple and building my way up to the final product has always worked best for me. I can totally dig putting in hours of work to make something look it's best, but it's never worked to my best efforts before. Months back, I'd spend hours drawing a hand and I'd finally get it right but I was never happ with myself because I knew the only reason it was right was because it had so much unnessecary fine tuning done towards it.

But everyones different and thats what's so great about art.

 

[Crushenator 500]

You're confusing speed, details, technique, and paying attention to what you're doing

You don't have to take forever and slave over a drawing to really think about what you're doing with it, and it doesn't mean you have to go straight into something without mapping out the basics first either

Show me your drawing of a hand please

Here's a video you might find interesting too;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhF4fBetN4Y

 

[CptStern]

if you're serious take a life drawing course at some community college ..it'll improve your skill much more so than any book or method ever will ..no seriously I taught life drawing for almost 7 years I've witnessed quite a few people who improved greatly in a short period of time

 

[knut]

You're confusing speed, details, technique, and paying attention to what you're doing

You don't have to take forever and slave over a drawing to really think about what you're doing with it, and it doesn't mean you have to go straight into something without mapping out the basics first either

Show me your drawing of a hand please

Here's a video you might find interesting too;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhF4fBetN4Y

I know, I'm not saying anything as a fact. I'm saying what I prefer to do when approaching something. There is no definitive way to drawing an object or a person or anything, but I'm putting forward my two cents as to how I practice and work with something I'm unfamiliar with. In my experience I have often approached a drawing not knowing how to draw a certain object, and because of that, I have put in a load of time fine tuning that single part of the drawing until it looks near enough perfect, when really I shoudn't be approaching a drawing not knowing how to draw said object - I should of practiced beforehand, worked out how best to approach the part before going straight into it. I would much rather have a sketchbook of very simple practice pieces to look back upon then one single perfect drawing that I did one time. Practice makes perfect... or something.

But again, we're all different. Everyone has their own techniques. If someone wants to do this or that, fine, I've no problem with it. I'm speaking from my own experience of drawing and it's really just my own personal preference.

I'll post up a sketchbook page or two later if you really want to see how I approach my drawings. They aren't exactly anything special to look at - don't get the impression I'm the God of Hands from my posts as I'm still an art student who hasn't even scratched the surface of what there is to know about drawing. I'm still a learner. Though for the most part, I don't draw that much 'realistic' stuff anymore now as I much, much prefer to mess around with proportions and whatnot but then I'm a big comic fan and I'm in the process of doing the pencils for a comic right now. I still use anatomy as ground work, though, as should everyone.

EDIT: That video is pretty much what I'm getting at, but in a different manner. I don't finish up drawings in a straight, blocky simple way. I'm not saying that. I start out practicing a piece or something I don't know by going at it like that, and when I'm happy I've familiarised myself with how (using the video for example) the arm looks, I'll start over slower, adding in detail and what not. Thats all I'm saying.

 

[Crushenator 500]

Erm, I never said to make everything perfect, I said to take your time and really think about what you're drawing, big difference

What are you talking about with that video lol? The guy is saying to really feel your lines and make them unique, not that he draws things fast and blocky to familiarise himself enough to draw them properly afterwards

w/e, arguing is silly

Also, what stern said is very true

 

[knut]

Yes, I know, I think you're missing what I'm saying, though. It's in drawing things blocky and simple that I familirize myself with objects or pieces of the human body, or anything. I know he's saying to go at them with a nice flow, I even said I understand about taking a drawing slow to give it a smooth, realistic feel, but I'm talking about the technique that best suits me before I even bother to start attempting detail. Maybe that Youtube guy has a knack for being really good at drawing anatomy, maybe he started right from the start drawing that fast and managing to get it perfect right from the get go. I'm not saying at all that you should never draw things with that much relaxation or anything, as I don't always draw in blocks and simple, fast sketches at all. It's the beginning stages I like to spend time doing as many things possible in order for me to get to know the form and structure of something, and then after that I feel confident enough to work slower and without the need for frames or line work. If anything, I'm saying I like to do the both styles - what could be better than having both rather than sticking with one? The more individual styles of practice, the better, I say.

Obviously you think different, you have a different work style, so I'll say again - we're all different, and that's whats great about art.

As Stern said though, life drawing is dead important.

 

[Crushenator 500]

I haven't said anything at all about technique though, I only said to think hard about what you're doing as you're doing it, that applies to anything you do wether it be quick sketching or long cast drawings

I even said in my first post in this thread that there's more than one way to go about things!!

Btw the guy in the video is Marko Djurdjevic if you were wondering, check him out, he's awesome!

 

[knut]

And I never said anything about not thinking hard whilst doing either style of drawing.

I fear we're going in circles. Dog, ignore our bickering.

I've seen his work/videos before. In fact, I think I saw that very same video from another time it was posted here, probably by you, which is how I came to know of his work. He's got some sweet illustrations and covers out there.

 

[Saturos]

There is no specific "order to the chaos" according to many artists I know.

The best artists probably never even take art class or pick up an "Art 101" book tbh.
It comes natural for many people because it's their passion. I wish it was my forte'.

I have the imagination, but my pencil only draws ugly shit.

 

[Naph]

Think of objects on how they really are, not on how they appear in your mind.

It's more an inspiration to draw rather than a solid tip. But it has always worked for me when I'm drawing something serious.

 

[Saturos]

Think of objects on how they really are, not on how they appear in your mind.

It's more an inspiration to draw rather than a solid tip. But it has always worked for me when I'm drawing something serious.

Hey, that's a really good tip Naph!

BTW, did you just draw that little doodle in MS paint or something? Not bad for just throwing something together.

 

[Naph]

Hey, that's a really good tip Naph!

BTW, did you just draw that little doodle in MS paint or something? Not bad for just throwing something together.

yeah Tablet and photoshop

 

[CptStern]

There is no specific "order to the chaos" according to many artists I know.

The best artists probably never even take art class or pick up an "Art 101" book tbh.
It comes natural for many people because it's their passion. I wish it was my forte'.

I have the imagination, but my pencil only draws ugly shit.

they may not take art 101 but every single artist at some point or other needs to learn the rules of the trade or suffer for it. Even the most gifted artists could learn a thing or two fro schooling ..anyone who says otherwise is just doing themselves a disservice. You could literally struggle for years to overcome an artistic handicap that may be taught on day one in some university course ..seriously I see people who are professionals who make common everyday mistakes that a first year student would

 

[Saturos]

they may not take art 101 but every single artist at some point or other needs to learn the rules of the trade or suffer for it. Even the most gifted artists could learn a thing or two fro schooling ..anyone who says otherwise is just doing themselves a disservice. You could literally struggle for years to overcome an artistic handicap that may be taught on day one in some university course ..seriously I see people who are professionals who make common everyday mistakes that a first year student would

What about Picasso? He was a dropout.

 

[CptStern]

ah but he had natural talent ..plus he picked enough to understand the process behind art ..not to mention being surrounded by the very best in the art world at the time

 

[Saturos]

ah but he had natural talent ..plus he picked enough to understand the process behind art ..not to mention being surrounded by the very best in the art world at the time

Seriously? I thought too he rose from humble beginnings. That his father told him he would never amount to anything and people scoffed at his work.

Goes to show, the best pioneers in their repectable trade doesn't get the recognition they deserve until well after their time.

 

[CptStern]

what? no, picasso was a success from an early age, he died famous and rich. his father encouraged him and supported him as he was an artist himself

lol @ picasso's full name:

Pablo Diego Jos? Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Mar?a de los Remedios Cipriano de la Sant?sima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ru?z y Picasso


but to fair spaniards take the mother's maiden name as well as their father's name

 

[Crushenator 500]

Talent is a means, not an end, everyone still needs to put in the hours

I cant remember who said this quote but I like it;

"Anyone can ride a bike, but not everyone can be Lance Armstrong"

 

[Vegeta897]

"Anyone can ride a bike, but not everyone can be Lance Armstrong"

Lance Armstrong, probably.

 

[Krynn72]

I lol'd

 

[Iron Kat]

lol @ picasso's full name: Pablo Diego Jos? Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Mar?a de los Remedios Cipriano de la Sant?sima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ru?z y Picasso

WTF??? That has got to be the longest name ever!!!!