Beginner Thread
Because we should not have to make new threads or post in draw threads with our fundamental exercises. Feel free to post even the smallest exercise you have done to show you are still trying, do not give up.
Do not forget to resize and crop your images before uploading them. 1kpx is fine.
→ → → → Before asking "what should I read/view/study/learn," consult the sticky: >>1579290 → → → →
Questions go in the QUESTION THREAD
This is for posting studys & getting critique.
>Thread study: Havent done a bird in a while so lets do a tit! The key thing is to capture the volume, try to brak it down to simple forms, two balls should do (one for the head, other for the body) Try not to have your drawing look flat!
TRY TO BE MORE ACTIVE AND GIVE PEOPLE SOME FEEDBACK - there are many studies left unreplied, which is bit sad and can be quite demotivating for the people that try their best to improve, but are left directionless.
Old thread: >>2300633
Concerning my figure studies, while they may not always be accurate, they're almost always not accurate in the same way. The drawing is larger than the reference, and it's rotated off-center. Is there a way to go about fixing these two specific issues?
>>2305463
Oh yeah and this was drawn after I ctrl+T'd it. Should've mentioned that earlier
>>2305465
er i mean screencapped.
if we keep drawing we WILL get better r-right?
Just a copy. Not as successful as I wished
>>2305471
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2_Mn-qRKjA
>>2305301 just reposting
>>2305476 man..
>>2305483
anything is possible with the right brushes.
>>2305471
>bbc-chan
<.<
critique please
http://the-ult.tumblr.com/tagged/my+art idk what I should be doing. I've been told that I'm symbol drawing, and I've been given multiple ways on how to stop doing it. Except that some people say I'm not symbol drawing and need to work on proportions and that I've gotten better at art but also got worse and idk anymore. A lot of artists on tumblr have never even heard of symbol drawing and its just really frustrating.
Sorry for posting so much I'm just a really anxious individual.
>>2305524
I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing. I just don't want to be one of those delusional people who thinks they're improving when really they're just staying the same.
>>2305524
You're definitely symbol drawing, and hard. If you want to learn to draw, ditch doing cartoons for a while until you know what you're doing, or you'll just wind up making all the same stupid mistakes and constantly draw symbols, you won't learn how to draw anything that looks three dimensional drawing like you are on your blog either. You do genuinely need Loomis. Start with Fun with a Pencil, or even just watch the Proko videos on construction.
The image you posted is a step in the right direction, but some of your elipses seem really arbitrary to me. The pecs are also really misplaced. It looks a bit like you drew a contour then added the construction lines afterwards, which isn't really the point of doing construction. Look at how other artists draw 'mannequins' and try to apply what works for you.
>>2305524
HAHAHAHAHA YOU CENSORED THE GENITALS, WHAT A BEGINNER.
>friday night
>these nerds are home alone drawing
>>2305475
falling off the page there a lil bit senpai
>>2305554
Here's your response.
I was painting over the linework, that I found somewhere on 4chan.
Sadly I won't finish it today - it took more time than I thought it would.
Oh well.
>>2305463
>Is there a way to go about fixing these two specific issues?
More careful measurements.
You should be able to guess what a horizontal and vertical line looks like - by comparing those imaginary lines to the lines on a model you can estimate the angle more accurately - in a life drawing session instead of imaginary lines you could use a pencil.
You can also compare relative sizes of various body parts: how wide is head? Is pelvis 2 heads wide or more? Are shoulders wider than the pelvis? Here as well you could use a pencil when drawing from life.
You'll find more explanations of this techniques (and many other!) in a book called "Keys To Drawing".
>>2305471
Not necessary.
Repetition is good only for exercising your muscles and making your drawing habits (both good and bad) permanent. It's not enough to just keep drawing - make sure to study as well. Book "Keys to drawing" is a good starting point.
>>2305475
We all have to start somewhere ;^)
>>2305505
Good job with putting in correct values.
I dislike your visible brush strokes - it's fine at the beginning of a painting but not on a finished portrait. Watch this, you may find it interesting:
http://www.ctrlpaint.com/videos/brush-technique-blending
And remember to carefully measure facial features - most of it looks somewhat right, but there's still room for improvement (especially your right eye looks bad).
first time charcoal. suggestions?
>>2305569
How about not using a grid any more?
>>2305573
I cant get the shape right if i am not
>>2305577
That's exactly why you shouldn't use it anymore: to learn how to manage without it.
You can't use a grid when you're drawing from life.
>>2305577
then all you're doing is copying, not drawing. are you looking to actually make art or just be a photocopier?
>>2305476
Huh.
That was a nice and simple message.
tried drawing some skulls
started on this
>>2305688
This couldn't have taken more than a few minutes. I understand it's a beginner thread but you need to at least put a little effort into it if you want any relevant feedback.
I feel like this isn't too bad. Although I took almost two weeks off which is bad.
suggestions?
day 6 of drawing, how am i doing?
>>2305751
Work on having cleaner edges, even in a painting it looks like you're chickenscratching.
i normally just use lines + traditional so just a fun lil experiment
should i give up?
>>2305832
more
>>2305832
If u want to be better just start learning basics like anatomy, shading and perspective. It's really help ;)
bottom middles thumb and pointer is fucked up but it's 1 layer and I'm lazy
>>2305838
top left index finger has no joints
>>2305892
was going for a cartoon hand on that one but yeah it does look off
>Finally realise there's a pen tool in Sai's vector layers
>tfw you're a goddamned idiot that's been doing it wrong for years
>>2305744
Study anatomy and look into dynamic poses.
>>2305678
not the best proportioning but nice values
how do you know youre ready to start drawing figure from imagination? i can do pretty spot on copies from reference in under 15 min.
I bought Anatomy For Artists Made Easy which is Bridgman but revised by a Jake Jackson.
Did I done goof?
I don't know how to use photoshop yet, or understand painting landscape.
>>2306027
Maybe. Generally speaking it's better to not rely on people to reinterpret work of other artists for you. That said the book might be alright. Bridgeman books are cheap as fuck though, there are an assload of Dover releases.
Reference.
>>2305552
>>2305524
hes clearly not symbol drawing you fucking retard. Stop using the buzzword wrong or it loses value.
He's doing form bad but ya, there nothing to say about that, tell him to look at the negative space perhaps. But god damn it dont say hes symbol drawing when hes clearly showing cylinder in multiple areas.
>>2306034
Dude, symbol drawing can generally refer to drawing what you know rather than what you see and poor accuracy.
>>2305552
What book is this from?
>>2306031
take atmospheric perspective into consideration. the hill is further back, you show this by using lighter desaturated colors. right now youre using the same colors as the foreground so it looks flat. learning all the ins and outs of photoshops comes with time. if this makes sense, it becomes a situation where you notice youre workflow is being interrupted by photoshop and you think 'i fucking wish there was a tool that did x' and there probably is so just youtube it or ask here. some of the obvious ones are changing the brush size, zoom in/out, new layer, undo, 'b' for brush, etc
>>2306039
LOOMIS
O
O
M
I
S
>>2306041
Which one?
>>2305505
you took a bit of his face away on his left side but overall looks really good
>>2306043
it's figure drawing for all it's worth, you could assume this pretty safely based on the fact that it's probably his best known or most widely approved book on /ic/ beyond those who turn up their noses at his idealised proportions.
>>2306040
Added a layer of light blue over the mountain in the back and also put some terrible detail in the foreground.
am I doing this gesture thing right
>>2306057
Stop drawing contour lines.
>>2306062
>>2306049
The value and saturation is a bit much and doesn't match the value/saturation of the the lit part of the mountain. Colorpick the lit part, set your brush to 50% with pen pressure on and lightly go over the shadow part once. Maybe twice. Hopefully you can tell when to stop. kek
>>2306049
Actually, sort of ignore my suggestion. >>2306076
I didn't see the ref pic.
Your values in your first post were much closer to the ref pic than what it is now. Notice how the sky in your ref pic isn't very blue? It's borderline gray. Just get a very low saturated blue and very softly graze over the entire mountain area (with the same 50% and pen pressure that I said) and then go over it again at the top of the mountain. Because the mountain is descending into space and the farther back things are the more atmospheric perspective.
And again, the value of the shadowed area is too dark and saturated.
>>2306080
Thanks I appreciate the criticism!
So just downloaded drawing on the right side of the brain because the 5 principals for drawing it gave sounded really helpful.
When the FUCK do I draw, I'm not reading all this shit. I think I saw a info pic with all the actual exercises on it before, does anyone have that? I tried to google it but all I found was the stupid vaseface that I've already done before.
I can't tell if I'm doing this right at all
correct me if I am wrong but it seems that gestures are supposed to be just vague outlines
are these even remotely acceptable or am I wastin gmy time
>>2306098
They just use to tell the moment and stories
there is no correct way to do gesture (for me atleast)
it just use to make you understand the pose of the figure
>>2306104
I guess I have trouble with this because I'm so used to copying other things and not actually drawing,
I guess I'll practice more
>>2306106
https://mega.nz/#F!2RARFaLA!VTiQb6eRXfV4V6mYQ6FJTA
Try Vipplu Gesture video in video folder
Do any of you guys paint with SAI? I use the generic brush settings and they aren't that good but I don't really know how to edit the brush settings that well so it'd be neat if you guys could recommend me some settings.
Oh and here, I tried it for a bit! I'll get there soon.
>>2306106
>>2306108
I draw with SAI and paint with Krita
>>2306113
Krita? Is it actually any good? I haven't tried any other free options.
>>2306118
I'm not going to pretend that I'm an expert on digital painting programs, but I prefer it over others.
>>2306118
its nice. it's also free, so no reason to not just try it out yourself.
I need help not feeling so terrible when I draw. I've tried reading all the recommended books and doing the exercises but it never comes our right and I'm always messing up. I don't know how to fix this at all. I would give up but this is my last option for money since I'm a NEET. Any help is appreciated.
>>2306127
Don't do it for money. do it because you're giving shit about drawing
Money is optional
>>2306097
Okay all of this stuff I remember doing in my elementary school art class. Though I never got any description of why we were doing them.
Also would it be sufficient to just put a horizontal and vertical line on a reference picture or do I HAVE to go out and make a view finder.
im trying start drawing from imagination and did a couple poses i want to paint. are these okay figure outlines? ignore the chicken scratch i cant do anything about it right now
>>2306149
1/2
>>2306150
2/2
>>2306030
Cheers. Appears to mostly be reproductions of sketches with some short descriptions. Was super cheap so worth a look I guess.
I keep trying to look at Bridgman and Hogarth stuff and I feel like I'm learning things but that I'm also just not getting it overall.
>>2306150
>>2306151
poses are pretty stiff, and the anatomy is pretty sketchy. With the second one, try redrawing the far curve of her torso to show more hip and less rib. The butt is also too round, given that she's sitting. It should point out on the right a little more due to the shift in fat. The breasts are slightly out of perspective and while they might be pushed together a bit by the arm being so close to the body, the line of convergence (I'll admit, I made that term up) will be roughly parallel to the closer arm. Try to make the S curve in the back more pronounced and your figures will look more feminine.
People here like to say 'don't polish shit', but painting it won't kill you if you're aware of the mistakes in the underdrawing. Nothing wrong with practicing painting, especially in digital, since it doesn't cost you anything. :)
To fix the anatomy, try having a look and a muscle/skeleton diagram and sketching them over in a new later. I see some indications of guides but using overly simplified shapes to construct will push you away from realism. This will also help you when it comes to adding light and shadows to your painting. It's a good start anon, I'm happy to offer any guidance if you post the painted versions or any revisions. :)
I tried drawing a tree from imagination but it is just lacking in general. It's not supposed to be photo-realistic but I know something is still wrong with it.
Can someone critique and tell me where i fucked up?
Next time I'll use a reference.
>>2306229
The contouring isnt too bad but branches and roots are almost always more erratic than that and a lot of trees don't grow completely vertically. I think use a reference then try again and you'll see where it can be improved. It's also really smooth (as in no bark/no surface aberration) and the branches are shaped really strangely. I'd say typically branches don't start down that low on a tree of that size, but there are some fucking weird trees out there.
Why does this look so uninteresting? Is it the perspective?
>>2306229
Looks good to me, although as the other guy said, it doesn't look really natural, but maybe thats not what youre going for
>>2306229
>>2306236
Speakin' up for my main man fibonacci, a lot of things in mature (especially plants) follow the pattern. Not that you need to know the mathematics of it, just mentioning it for the curious.
Like the anon above said, vary the shape a bit. Trees aren't always completely straight and cylindrical, and the bark has troughs and peaks that should roughen up your borders a bit.
>>2306238
it's pretty symmetrical. There aren't a lot of interesting shapes and there's not enough variation in colour to really bring your eye to anything.
Composition mostly, perspective is okay.
>>2306238
I think you jumped into this painting thinking "I want to paint a GloomyForest.jpg" too soon, without any crystal clear idea of what the thing you want to see actually looks like.
Spend a minute or two before painting doing nothing by but clearing your head and thoughtfully visualising what it is exactly you need to paint to get what you want, and more importantly what it is you actually want to see.
>>2306220
What do you mean?
>>2306238
To me the problem is there's no centre of attention, everywhere has the some colour/level of detail, nothing attracts the eye specifically to it.
>>2306238
>>2306242
I tried making some more interesting shapes, and the blurriness kinda bothered me - hows this?
>>2306249
that is exactly what happened, just wanted to let my mind wander and paint something
>>2306328
I tried introducing some new things
What's a good tablet for ~<$100 usd?
I'm used to paper drawing and being able to see my image as I draw it, and I'm interested to try my hand at this.
>>2306443
Some used bamboo is fine.
Intuos 3 is phenomenal, cause it's dated but the hardware is still just as good as the new shit. So it's well priced.
I love my 6x11 inch intuos 3. That's the a4 wide (or medium wide).
Awesome technology. Great size. Feel thick. Solid. Tight.
>>2306469
>http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1HHZVHXJ0E7IM&coliid=I2KHCKSFYUHDGY
I was looking at that because of the size and price point. But driver support has me iffy.
>>2306473
4chanx posted before I was ready.
I was looking at wacom, but i've been unsure about used stuff because my friends have had bad experiences and I want something that will last a while.
>>2306469
I agree with this guy. Save for an Intuos 3 model. There isn't anything more you can ask for from a piece of hardware until you're such a pro that you can afford a cintiq with commission money. Admittedly, I've never tried a Huion, but if you're choosing between Bamboo or an Intuos proper, you know?
>>2306045
I've heard a lot about that book, but never looked into it. That page alone looked really informative. Guess I'll have to check it out.
>>2306220
the point of studying something is to replicate it from your imagination right?
so copy the thing until you feel you have it, then put everything away. now pull out a blank sheet and draw the thing you just learned from imagination. you probably didn't learn it to your satisfaction the first time and that's normal, so repeat the whole process over until you are happy.
>>2306238
Add ripples to the water and the reflections of the trees. That would be cool
guys i just got a tablet and it feels like hell. its also in a really high position relative to my arm..should i just man the fuck up?
I shouldn't have added color.
>>2306653
of course you should, how else would you know you dont want to use it next time?
>>2306631
hmm... I need another brush type.
I don't know what im doing, Im sorta just stumbling through this
Tried drawing the Picassso Igor upside down. Made the lower part way too big, caused problems in the upper half. Should I try again or do something else?
>>2305705
i super beginner this took like 2 hours
>>2306469
>Great size. Feel thick. Solid. Tight.
lmao
>>2305449
Am I at least on track for first day of Loomis?
>>2305449
Here's my attempt at the pic OP posted. Feedback,guys?
>>2306764
Slightly changed version of this >>2306776
I'll do one again when I get the time.
>>2306779
It looks like it's crying and about to fall back.
>>2306783
It just reflect my feelings.
Second attempt, this time without colors.
I use gray markers, however. I even did the whole Peter Han thing and focal point stuff.
>>2306800
you chose the backgroud square poorly. this way you get the visual connection netween the bottom ege of the square and the black underline of the head.
im not the best at this, but i think its better, would be curious to see how other people woul place that rectangle (or one with different proportions)
>>2306842
>im not the best at this, but i think its better, would be curious to see how other people woul place that rectangle (or one with different proportions)
Yea, that seems like a better spot.
Or perhaps using a different shape/color overall (like a darker background and using a circle instead?).
>>2306798
iktfb my bird express my madness
>>2306346
Liking the hard edges a lot better, and the red mushrooms were a nice touch to break up the monotony. I still think you need to pick a focal point.
I'm also a big fan of really detailed paintings, so if you didn't want to use a focal point you could just detail everything.
Also I think the ground needs some work - why is it green if all the trees are dead? mostly just throw some twigs and grass in there.
>>2306637
move it if it's uncomfortable. You'll ruin your wrists if you're not careful.
That being said, tablets do take a bit of getting used to. If it's still uncomfortable after a week of using it, raise your chair or reposition it.
Wip. I need to know if you guys can tell what's in the upper right corner (the big thing). Other critique is appreciated but not really what I'm looking for.
>>2306764
looking pretty good, but make sure you remember brow ridges/consider the brow as a 3d form. The main purpose of fun with a pencil is to get yo9ur construction done though so in that respect you're golden.
>>2306924
some sort of rock/cave deal?
Woman's (or the cave-person) seems a little awkward, the shoulder on the right is a whole-tit below the other one. Might be the perspective though, ignore me if that was the plan.
>>2306924
>I need to know if you guys can tell what's in the upper right corner (the big thing)
looks like a mutilated dick desu. The second closest thing I can think of is a plane, but right wing seems to be too twisted and there's something between it and the cockpit?
>>2306932
Ah, okay. Tips on making it look more like a crashed spaceship?
>>2306933
I see what you mean. I need to drop in the dark background, then it should be more clear that the 'wing' is the top of the cockpit, with a windshield between it and the rest of the plane. Thanks.
>>2306226
thanks a lot anon! i reworked them a bit. for the sitting pose i think the torso was a bit long so i brought the leg up and shorted the arms, which were also too long. i also exaggerated the s curves of the backs on both.
>>2306957
2/2
>>2306963
well i started with the torso, hips, head, and drew the figure around it and erased the construction. i used this video (and its second part) to get started
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WJxFgAzWR4
i cant fix the lines, im drawing in car so the tablet is away from me and and awkward to draw with.
im seeing the hips on the sitting figure arent really on the same plane/angle as the torso.
is it at least mostly anatomically correct? these are literally the first two ive done
>>2306925
thanks, I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
I tried to end my first day of getting back into drawing with a face from imagination. I knew the construction of a nose (to a basic, basic, basic degree) from a while ago, but I drew that and realized I had no idea how to construct the rest. Mostly guesswork, looked at my lips in the mirror and tried to make do. The rest is totally guesswork. I'll get on anatomy next week.
>>2306966
Attempt brand new ones. Don't erase the construction, either. Keep it there, cause the anatomy still seems really off.
>>2305471
Definitely. Keep going at it and don't give up.
people think my art is sexual when it's clearly not. How do I fix this? Ive been drawing for 1 month so far and this is a re-occuring problem
>>2305524
all you ogtta do is fix your figure.
>>2306036
IF WHAT YOU KNOW ISNT SYMBOLS BUT RATHER FORMS, ITS NOT SYMBOL DRAWING. i'm guessing creative use of reference is symbol drawing according to your definition, if not, you just stop symbol drawing once you're good enough?
I'm just looking for some general feedback on this, this is just a sketch I did
>>2307006
Everything is bad. For starters, you can't faces. You have a very common beginner mistake, and that's drawing your person with no skull. Basically, your character has no brain.
Read the sticky.
>>2306049
drawing skills > program. dont make excuses
>>2306104
push your shapes.
okay heres another outline. that shows the contrustion. i can already tell the lower arm is too long and i need to change the angle of the head tilt but thats easy. how does everything from the neck down look?
>>2307039
Holy crap, quiet a bit is off.
For one, stop using digital already. Traditional only.
Two, work on line quality. REALLY work on line quality.
Three, for now, connect the chin to the neck, and from the neck to the collar bone, and from the collar bone, connect the arms and create the rib cage.
But even with these fixes, your anatomy is very, very weak. You need to understand the human form way more simple. Your symbol drawing is very strong here. Learn to simplify. Find the gesture before you do anything else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzydK56tr9U
>>2306969
Okay last exercise of the day, did a 30 minute constructed study of Ezra Pound. Think things are starting to come back to me now
>>2307055
your anatomy is flat.
>>2307063
I think I lost control around pic related, honestly. I just really have trouble with picking values to bring out the construction and make the anatomy jump, so I appreciate your pointing it out. I think I just need to do a few of these exercises everyday until I figure it out
>>2307068
there are better exercises for that. i used to do what you are doing right now. Start here and post your results
Also don't shade like that, it's poor.
>>2307071
Well, tried to fix it a bit, but I think you're right, I need to jump back a bit
Know a good resource for skulls for learning cranial/facial construction? Either print or website works
I'm awful at shading. Probably should spend some time on some hatching exercises
Alright! SO here are the skulls from the previous thread.
>>2307076
just do lines for now, you need to get your forms down before you worry about rendering. you dont need to be polishing shit.
as for resources, i can give you my anatomy folder, but it's a lot for newbies to take in. you will be better off going to loomis, hogarth, bridgeman, and buying one of these.
http://www.amazon.com/Budget-Life-Size-Skull-Quality-CS202/dp/B0009VLRUC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1449378183&sr=8-6&keywords=skull+model
>>2307083
you have two one here that are good and the rest are bad. at least your proportions are good, but so much for the eyes though, make sure you really look at it instead of trying to draw what you see. no need to rush through your drawings.
>>2307087
>you have two one here that are good and the rest are bad
could you be little bit more specific?
>>2307090
no. you will see them the more your practice. that applies to anything you put your effort in to, you will be able to see them yourself in a few days if you stick with it.
post more.
>>2307093
i mean could you be more specific with your feedback?
(and you mean the two on the top right page right? the upward side one and the back shot one?)
Any way to get prismacolor marker off paper? I made a mistake
>>2307095
No, my feedback on that doesn't matter in the long run but if you want to know the top right two are the ones I'm talking about.
>>2307099
well, thank you for nothing i guess
>>2307100
shut the fuck up and do your art.
painting is hard
>>2307101
you literally posted nothing useful (if you dont count the pictures)
>>2307105
pictures are all that matters.
>>2307106
>https://www.google.com/search?q=human+skull+reference&tbm=isch
go be 'useful' somewhere else
Can someone help me out with finding material on vanishing points, perspective and stuff? I'm reading Drawing on the Right Side at the moment but I don't think I have any kind of grasp at the subject.
>>2307111
Perspective Made Easy. It sums everything up very nicely, you can find it in the book thread.
>>2307109
>posting shit
>doesn't know what to do
>will be stuck doing the same thing for months/years
>gets advice to do underneath construction
>is a cunt
have fun in your anime sketch club. i hope you don't develop Aspergers.
Tried doing 2 minute skull sketches. I think it's helped me internalize some of the form of the skull at the cost of losing other parts.
spent most of my day doing studying for finals but I managed to squeeze in some Loomis at the very end.
Left is referenced from the book, right is original. Proportions are more loose on the right. I'll give another update in like 12 or so hours.
Always interested in art but did nothing more than a few doodles. Looked up stuff on shapes and tried it out drawing a famous person. Critiques welcome and can anybody tell who this is?
Hint: he's a musician
>>2307150
that looks like anne frank
>>2307150
eyes are too big. study the sockets for the skull then how the eye fits in there, then study the structure of an eye and put eyelids on top of that. proko did a video that sums it up well. i'd suggest going through the other features while your at it.
the hair is shit too. find a tutorial on that. the head is cut off at the top too. draw someone bald then put the hair over that.
also form on that arm sucks
Very ugly birb
>>2307150
Yeah the arm was a 3 second shit sketch. I am aware that the eyes are too big but I'm trying to draw him in the style of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (I'm not a weeb, I promise).
it took me 3 hours to get this far
i'm not gonna make it
>>2307215
even so, the eyes are still too big on yours. general rule is an eye-ball can fit between both eyes. in this pic it works because the structure and eye socket is considered in the drawings
>>2307228
Gotcha, I'll consider that next time I draw. Thanks for the help
>can't get shit right even while using crosshairs
what's the quickest way to kill myself?
getting used to tablet slowly
>>2307282
>>2307234
head construction ya fool. Learn you some loomis for great good, read the sticky.
>>2307281
the easiest thing you could do is make the contrast between dark and light stronger on the object that's at the focal point. Harder edge too, and give it relatively more detail than everything else.
There are other, more nuanced ways of creating a strong focal point, but it's hard to explain without a picture, and I don't quite understand them myself.
i tried my best
but my best wasn't good enough
Does studying the skull really help drawing faces? Isn't the meat on top what defines the features the most?
>>2307332
no, the bone structure is the most important. Though if you don't see yet how a skull helps you, why not practice those construction heads from whatever source?
What's a good book that helps with studying the face/skull?
I want to kick start improvement after not... ever really continually working on bettering my art other than just drawing more and browsing /ic/ like 2 years ago.
If I'm going through the sticky/aguri's one year of fundamentals/loomis etc since I primarily work on my tablet does it make more sense to do my "lessons" digitally or traditionally?
I feel like I need to go back to basics and just work with a pencil so I can be better at digital art or is that counter-productive/shitty logic.
>>2305449
>Questions go in the QUESTION THREAD
Someone should probably make one, then.
>>2306922
i cant really move it my table is too high! i feel my shoulders feeling tired to soon too..
>>2307006
>self portrait
>>2306783
I tried another one. Feedback is appreciated.
>>2307486
body has the wrong volume
>>2307489
How do I fix it?
>>2307241
As a brand new person to drawing, completely, would it matter if I started using a tablet or pencil and paper?
Here's my attempts at the bird and the upside down dude. Again, these are my first ever attempts at drawing. I started reading the suggested books in the sticky.
>>2307520
you didn't even try with those damn birds you nigger
>>2307520
You drew some guide lines on your second attempt, but made them flat and perpendicular to each other. Try drawing those lines as if they were going across the surface of a rounded object, and think about how they're moving closer or away from you.
Do the same for the legs; think of them as cylinders, with little ellipses that show their direction in space.
>>2307489
Can someone tell me how to fix that?
>>2307520
>would it matter if I started using a tablet or pencil and paper?
It matters a great deal, yes. Learning strictly digital would be like having learned to maintain balance and walk using a cane. It would be immensely difficult for you to draw 'on the spot', and from life, using traditional techniques as a result. Digital is less punishing, and lets you take shortcuts. That said, there's nothing /wrong/ with it, if you don't mind the disadvantages. Neither will be easy to learn.
>>2307499
>>2307552
you didn't construct the feet, so they look like they're tacked on in 2D space. You drew a circle for the bird's midsection, but didn't follow it at all for form.
Here's what's wrong with the form: look at how the light hits your bird. Does it wrap around the neck, under the belly, etc.? No, it kind of just pillows around the edges, as if the bird were a single plane the shape and form of a McDonalds chicken nugget.
That's what's wrong. I would read Loomis again.
>>2307520
wow the birds are bad! but thats ok if you just started. you are the perfect example of symbol drawing (read the link in the sticky, it explains what it means quite well)
But even though they might look terrbile, you managed to capture the ientityof the bird on some primal level, it almost reminds me of some cavepaintings. everybody who would look at those would recognise them as tit right a way without any problem.
KEEP AT IT ! youll be surprised how fast youll progress at the very beginning!
(could you please post the birds without the strawinsky? id like to save them, because for whatever reason i like them quite a bit - there is just something hones to them)
>>2305584
>>2305585
Oh god, why. This is some of the worst "advice" I've ever seen. These tools exist for a reason, that reason being to help train the eye to be able to draw without them. Grids are great for learning to be extra observant. It's not a crutch, it's a vital exercise. You'd struggle with seeing accurately forever if you didn't do things like this, and you're telling people not to do it. Damn it man.
>>2307557
>>2307548
>>2307544
Thank you all, and I did try on those birds. The fat bird on the right was my first attempt.
>>2307563
>cavepaintings
lmfao thank you, and thanks for the tips. I tried doing what I did with the guy sitting on the chair and draw what I see. That's not symbol drawing right? I had to save this as a jpg as my internet sucks a fat one.
>>2307520
Is it just me, or do the sides of the abdominal muscles line up with the centers of the pectoral muscles?
>>2307575
nope that one is not symbol drawin imo, assuming you COPIED the lines without thinking too much about what exactly it is you are drawing.
also are these birds stretched? or the previous ones squished?
>>2307585
stop trying to sound like you know what you are talking about
>>2307589
I used paint and the shift + drag tool doesn't auto size it to keep the same ratio. I used paint for both the 2 pictures I uploaded, so it's probably not right. The second picture seems the best.
In the first chapter of drawing on the right side of the brain he talks about a kind of dissonance when you're drawing and I had that feel. I want to not really focus on the object i'm drawing right? As in copy the lines I see to the piece of paper i'm on?
Drawing the sitting guy felt really good as I saw it progress, I couldn't believe I was actually making an object appear. I know it's not good but it was a lot better than I was expecting it to go.
>>2307590
I don't, that's why I'm asking.
>>2307142
And here's that update I said I was going to do. Made sure to include the ribcage this time (though I mostly drew over it), but I need to look into how muscles are more like ropes than blocks.
>>2307585
You tell me motherfucker
>>2307604
oh ok.
you want to focus on the object to some extent, just try not to draw what you think the object is, observe how that exact specific object you are looking at looks like and draw what you see.
well thats good! just keep at and and dont get burned out. also note that the drawing on the right side is not the only book out there, explore multiple sources to see what you like the most!
>>2307618
Any suggestions? I have only read the sticky and don't wanna get suckered into something. Thanks for your help anon.
>>2307620
you can have some fun with the potatoheads in Loomis - Fun with pencil, but i wouldnt recomend going past that if you are complete beginner (ie stop before the construction of the head starts - thats little bit advanced, or just try it and see how it goes once you get there, insead of putting it aside)
also Vilppus Drawing manual is really good. Start with em gestures early!
If you cant find the books, just go to the artbook thread
>>2307629
Sweet dude, I'm excited. I can probably do this at work as well so that'll chew up a lot of free time.
>>2307629
Is Loomis a program or something I know he's an artist but I can't seem to find what potato heads are.
Do I just draw a mr. potato head and add stuff to him? Sorry I replied twice, but google isn't helping seems like it's a 4chan thing.
>>2307640
open fun with pencil and look throuh the first pages, youll see what i mean
>>2307646
Ohhh sorry I thought you were telling me it was fun with a pencil lol. Thanks.
>>2305449
Which book should I start reading as a beginner? The sticky says Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and Keys to Drawing but Loomis gets thrown around here so much I don't know if I should start with that
>>2307651
There is literally no reason not to look through all of them.
>>2307651
You'll be going through all of them.
>>2307558
Is one of these acceptable? How do I construct bird feet?
I realize that the one one the right's body isn't nearly close to the ref. but it's almost 2 AM here and I'm tired. I'll try again when I get time (which probably will take around a week.)
Also, I haven't read Loomis yet (I plan on it, but I'm extremely busy right now.)
>>2307615
and some more stuff that I've done.
>>2307703
Construct
>>2305449
No idea what I'm doing
[spoilersdon'twork]>mfw the last time I painted something was like a year ago[/spoilersdon'twork]
I'm asking a question pls don't kill me there's no question thread and i'm very new.
Does the sketchbook I get matter? Nothing too elaborate, some place to hold my pencils and a nice binder so I have a flat surface. Do pencils or types of paper matter? Does it matter what I draw in there, use it for leigt drawing or can I just practice? Should I just wait until I really get into drawing before a sketchbook and just grab some regular printer paper?
>>2307716
2H pencil is a good jack-of-all-trades pencil, and a sketchbook is fun to browse through once you git gud to see the progress. Quality of paper doesn't matter yet.
>>2307724
I wouldn't be wasting it by practicing in it would I?
>>2307728
No more than you'd be wasting printer paper by practising on it.
>>2307731
ty m8s, hopefully you see some of my shitty drawings in the future :)
is there a trick to drawing an ellipse or circles in perspective? or do I just have to keep drilling them until they look decent?
>>2307716
I have two sketchbooks. One that I only draw "good" stuff in, and can show to people if I want to impress them. The other is what I draw everything else in.
>>2307740
An ellipse is a circle in perspective.
And yeah, you really just have to keep drilling them.
>>2305449
Didn't give enough of a shit
what am I doing wrong with my rendering? Not sure if it's just not enough time's been spent on this or if it's a more fundamental problem.
>>2307703
Her head is way too small dude
>>2307281
Pick a spot and add more detail and more colour contrast. Otherwise/additionally you could mix it with composition in thirds or golden
ratio, but it's a bit late for this piece.
>>2307314
Pick round or sharp lines, don't do both for something as small as this. You can have borderless sharps in your colours, if that's your thing. Anatomy in general, but tone down the exaggeration a bit, I find the crazy shape of the delts incredibly distracting.
>>2307328
Looked great in the thumbnail but you need to include some hard edges and more details somewhere. There's also some artifacts/leftovers from painting/erasing in some places, but good job anon.
>>2307332
it helped me imo, but you'll notice the most differences in faces so you might find it more beneficial to study those instead.
>>2307338
>http://airbrushdoc.com/download/ultimate-skull-reference-pack/
Need to tweet though, more than 30 seconds might find you something better. Some anon posted their reference folder a while back. Pic related, if you're interested I'll see if I can dig up the link.
ignore shitty file path I really need to organise all that.
>>2307430
If you want to learn more, use both. When I first wanted to git gud I did all digital - there was some improvement but it didn't really transfer to my paper shit because the improvement was based on what people around here bash as 'digital crutches' like undoing or colour adjustments.
>>2307436
Pics of setup?
>>2307520
thought I'd also offer my opinion on the traditional vs. digital. Said it above, do both. You don't have to do them equally, but make sure you can get similar results with both to begin with. If your end goal is to main digital then I don't really see an issue with main-digitaling, as it were.
>>2307618
A lot of people here recommend loomis to start with, but personally I think you'll get a lot more out of it if you start with keys to drawing.
rate
>>2307759
cont. because I hit character limit. Also sorry, I should've resized my screenshot.
>>2307708
looking good anon, but the wing melts in a bit with the face.
>>2307746
why post then? Thumbnail's passable but opening it up makes me think there either wasn't enough construction or you didn't think about it when detailing. For specifics, I can't tell the wing is there, and the beak seems kind of off to me.
>>2307749
Are you looking for softer transitions? If you're in photoshop, set your flow or opacity lower and use alt colour picking to grab mid tones. Otherwise I'm not really seeing the issue.
>>2307761
>>>/trash/ / 10
>>2307761
rare pepe / 10
Also being drawn on a paper solo cup is impressive.
pic related
>>2305449
is it even humanly possible to pull off a gradient as smooth as the feathers on its forehead while maintaining texture
Tried to draw my DnD Wizard. No clue what I'm doing really.
My main concern is the hair. How the fuck does one do hair?
Hows this
Hey, if if i want to make comics and good comics, should i go to art school? Everyones telling me to go but on one hand i know its shit scam but on the other it might be helpful because it'll leas me somewhere, cause i lose focus.
This is a fast sketch from when I started to draw. I abandoned it. Should I try again?
What do you do when your sketches get harder to read as what you're trying to represent?
>>2307864
Use more layers?
>>2307862
ok, so what should i tell my parents? They're trying to get me into a 2 year college
>>2307871
HONESTLY BREH
if you're from the US listen to your parents. I wish I had.
Even if you don't want an associates degree just do your gen eds. You are taking 4 classes for the price of 1 at a tech school
Wish I did it. Also the teachers were more involved and there are no lectures. Loved my 2 year experience.
>>2307871
Up to you. Just don't expect to learn much from these art classes. They'll provide resources, and state what they believe is the authors way in learning said methods. But if you wanna make it, you're gonna have to do a lot of self teaching.