Question for Aeire, and i guess for others.
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Alex_AtM
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How did you learn to draw? Was it a matter of just practice and a few books, or was it a school/uni art thing or art courses?<P>this goes for other people too, what do you think the easiest or best way to learn to draw is.<P>now i know everyone will say practice, thats fine, i will but what other hints are there?
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Alex_AtM:
<B>How did you learn to draw? Was it a matter of just practice and a few books, or was it a school/uni art thing or art courses?<P>this goes for other people too, what do you think the easiest or best way to learn to draw is.<P>now i know everyone will say practice, thats fine, i will but what other hints are there?</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Whoo. That's a hard one. I started drawing when I was THREE. Genes or something, I suppose. I've been drawing ever since. It's an addiction. It's like a drug. It's something I have to do EVERY SINGLE DAY, PERIOD. I don't even think about it, I just DO it. I took a few classes in high school, and that's about it. As far as tips...damn. Well, lesse. I'm going to be blunt here, as I'm tired, so forgive me. *g*<P>Draw everything. All the time. Don't stick to one genre. Develop your own style. Don't copy pictures, come up with your own. Study anatomy. LOOK at people. Really look at them. Look at yourself in a mirror. You'll get more and more familiar with the human body that way. Check out some anatomy books at your library - those help too, in showing you basic proportions and such. Most things, hell, EVERYTHING can be broken down into simple shapes - make a note of that when you're looking at things. Draw from real life, draw what's in your head, whichever works better for you - I have all sorts of critters in my head that just jump onto the paper, but some people are more comfortable with drawing real life stuff - one of the more useful things I got was one of those silly How-to-draw-Disney books, The Little Mermaid I believe - get one. Just take a look at it, take a look at the proportions they use - they're GREAT for showing faces in particular. Make a note of expressions, and how those expressions are made - often a lift of an eyebrow can change the whole look of a picture.<P>Take classes. Take as MANY AS YOU CAN. Stuff as many as you can in there. Pay attention to what they say, do the exercises and whatnot. There's some useful stuff to be found, really. I didn't take that many classes, but then by the time I got to a grade level where those classes were offered I didn't *need* them - I was already on my way to where I am NOW. *g*<P>Here's the thing though. You *do* have to practice, you really do. If you aren't willing to do that, I'm sorry. There's no *easy* way to learn to draw, there AREN'T any shortcuts you can take - it's like learning to read - you can do the hooked on phonics method, but nothing you write/draw will look genuinely like something you came up with YOURSELF - it's always going to look like a carbon copy of someone else's style. You don't WANT that - you want to develop your OWN. There are a LOT of influences in my work, Disney for one, obviously, also Elfquest - I read it a lot when I was a kid and I used to draw the characters and make m'own little mini comics. You'll notice I didn't say copy. I didn't, and I still don't. I'll draw the characters, sure - but put 'em in different poses and positions, different expressions, it's more of a challenge that way anyway.<P>If you REALLY want to get where *I* am at, be prepared to give up your social life for the next 22 years or so. I didn't have one. So I drew. THAT is why I'm as good as y'all say I am - that's what I do, that's what I've always done, it keeps me occupied and strangely, I never run out of ideas for things. I recently started trying to do the anime style of art, and I'm attempting to *do* that without losing my own style - that's why I waited this long to ATTEMPT it, because I wanted MY uniqueness set in stone FIRST. <P>ANYONE CAN DRAW. *PERIOD*. It's just a matter of loving it more than ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD, and letting that love of doing it keep you going - that *is* what keeps me going! I love it! *g* As I said, my social life takes second place to my art - always has, probably always will. But if you don't genuinely love what you're doing, if you don't really WANT it that badly, then no, you aren't going to go anywhere with it. It's a matter of retraining your eyes and your hands to do something completely different from anything they've ever done before - and above all else, it takes TIME. A *lot* of time. <P>So be prepared to practice, and if you love it enough, be prepared to lose yourself in it, because that's about what happens. *g* But it IS fun, and it IS a wonderful thing to do, and a wonderful thing to WANT to do, and a GREAT talent to have - I love it. <P>Okay, enough rambling from me, I gotta get t'bed. *g* Hope that helps a bit.<P>------------------
<A HREF="http://xenith.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Xenith</A>: the horizon is here...
<B>How did you learn to draw? Was it a matter of just practice and a few books, or was it a school/uni art thing or art courses?<P>this goes for other people too, what do you think the easiest or best way to learn to draw is.<P>now i know everyone will say practice, thats fine, i will but what other hints are there?</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Whoo. That's a hard one. I started drawing when I was THREE. Genes or something, I suppose. I've been drawing ever since. It's an addiction. It's like a drug. It's something I have to do EVERY SINGLE DAY, PERIOD. I don't even think about it, I just DO it. I took a few classes in high school, and that's about it. As far as tips...damn. Well, lesse. I'm going to be blunt here, as I'm tired, so forgive me. *g*<P>Draw everything. All the time. Don't stick to one genre. Develop your own style. Don't copy pictures, come up with your own. Study anatomy. LOOK at people. Really look at them. Look at yourself in a mirror. You'll get more and more familiar with the human body that way. Check out some anatomy books at your library - those help too, in showing you basic proportions and such. Most things, hell, EVERYTHING can be broken down into simple shapes - make a note of that when you're looking at things. Draw from real life, draw what's in your head, whichever works better for you - I have all sorts of critters in my head that just jump onto the paper, but some people are more comfortable with drawing real life stuff - one of the more useful things I got was one of those silly How-to-draw-Disney books, The Little Mermaid I believe - get one. Just take a look at it, take a look at the proportions they use - they're GREAT for showing faces in particular. Make a note of expressions, and how those expressions are made - often a lift of an eyebrow can change the whole look of a picture.<P>Take classes. Take as MANY AS YOU CAN. Stuff as many as you can in there. Pay attention to what they say, do the exercises and whatnot. There's some useful stuff to be found, really. I didn't take that many classes, but then by the time I got to a grade level where those classes were offered I didn't *need* them - I was already on my way to where I am NOW. *g*<P>Here's the thing though. You *do* have to practice, you really do. If you aren't willing to do that, I'm sorry. There's no *easy* way to learn to draw, there AREN'T any shortcuts you can take - it's like learning to read - you can do the hooked on phonics method, but nothing you write/draw will look genuinely like something you came up with YOURSELF - it's always going to look like a carbon copy of someone else's style. You don't WANT that - you want to develop your OWN. There are a LOT of influences in my work, Disney for one, obviously, also Elfquest - I read it a lot when I was a kid and I used to draw the characters and make m'own little mini comics. You'll notice I didn't say copy. I didn't, and I still don't. I'll draw the characters, sure - but put 'em in different poses and positions, different expressions, it's more of a challenge that way anyway.<P>If you REALLY want to get where *I* am at, be prepared to give up your social life for the next 22 years or so. I didn't have one. So I drew. THAT is why I'm as good as y'all say I am - that's what I do, that's what I've always done, it keeps me occupied and strangely, I never run out of ideas for things. I recently started trying to do the anime style of art, and I'm attempting to *do* that without losing my own style - that's why I waited this long to ATTEMPT it, because I wanted MY uniqueness set in stone FIRST. <P>ANYONE CAN DRAW. *PERIOD*. It's just a matter of loving it more than ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD, and letting that love of doing it keep you going - that *is* what keeps me going! I love it! *g* As I said, my social life takes second place to my art - always has, probably always will. But if you don't genuinely love what you're doing, if you don't really WANT it that badly, then no, you aren't going to go anywhere with it. It's a matter of retraining your eyes and your hands to do something completely different from anything they've ever done before - and above all else, it takes TIME. A *lot* of time. <P>So be prepared to practice, and if you love it enough, be prepared to lose yourself in it, because that's about what happens. *g* But it IS fun, and it IS a wonderful thing to do, and a wonderful thing to WANT to do, and a GREAT talent to have - I love it. <P>Okay, enough rambling from me, I gotta get t'bed. *g* Hope that helps a bit.<P>------------------
<A HREF="http://xenith.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Xenith</A>: the horizon is here...
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Elvengrrl
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hmm. i don't know if i could say i LEARNED to draw...i think i just developed a skill. like Aeire, i've been drawing since i was old enough to hold a crayon...and never stopped. i took a few classes in high school, and i'm taking some at college now. i do encourage the taking of classes, as they help with the general aspects of drawing...such as line, composition, perspective, and things of that nature. even if you think you already know this stuff, the classes help you get even better...<P>draw constantly. this is a given, but you really do improve through doing it more...(i don't like saying practice...it sounds too forced...)<P>observation helps a lot as well. draw from life as much as you can...it's a lot more challenging than drawing from images, but it trains you to think quickly, especially when drawing people, who tend not to sit still if they don't know they're being drawn (hee hee). i would also suggest looking at drawings and other forms of art by other artists...to give you ideas and such.<P>and try different mediums...pencil, charcoal, ink...hell, even crayons are still fun! <P>so in general, just draw all the time (and as i said, calsses DO help) and be creative...you can only improve...
Living proof of what they are saying i was like them when i was a kid then one day a mixture of drigs and manic depression told me that the world would be a better place if my art was not in it. so i stopped Now im 20 and all that crap is behind me and i picked up my ol number 2 and found out that i did have talent albet raw and un practised and wow i cant spell today Practice Practice Prctice!!!!!!!
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Alex_AtM
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unfortunatly i have picked the wrong time to ask this question, i start final school leaving exams (HSC for anyone who knows how the aussie system works) tommorow so i have had to totaly demotivate myself and get down to more serious work.<P> damit I hate school, but then only 3 more weeks to go EVER. <P>anyway thanks for all the feedback, i will keep it in mind when i start up again after exams but for now my english texts call.
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Alex_AtM
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oh another little question, while i am still destracted.<P> the comment about drawing from your mind or from reality, well i want to end up able to just draw things i think up, i dont mind drawing from reality but i love just drawing from my mind, the thing is its rare i can actualy manage, i have the ideas but i just cant seem to start pictures, once they start i get lost in them and it all works out but composing the pictures poses a real challange for me. any hints?<P>i dont think it is a perspective thing, its more an overall compasition thing.<P>thats probably too general to be answered anyway but hey somone out there may be able to help.<P>now seriously back to my english books.<P>cya all and thanks again.
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ZOMBIE USER 1425
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I've spent the last ten years or so thinking I couldn't draw. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Just recently (thanks in great part to chem lecture <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">), I've started doing random doodles, and they aren't half. I can do a decently stylized face, though the bodies aren't so great yet. If you're going to do cartooning, realize that things don't *have* to be realistic; one of my major problems in drawing assignments in school was trying to make everything look realistic. I didn't have a prayer; if I had not even tried to be realistic, then the art would probably have been better.<P>Mainly, I'd just reiterate what others have said already - keep drawing. I'll probably never reach anything like Aeire's skill level, because I'm not as involved in drawing as she is. However, with practice, I think I could probably be a decent sketch artist. Some of the stuff out on the net is truly amazing (Aeire first and formost! <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">) - check out the authors and try fiddling with their styles. If you want a list of comics whose art I think is worth examining, just ask. I've tons of 'em. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">
