Topic: Drawing 101 (Read 2902 times)

Mothra · « **on:** July 24, 2010, 10:42:47 AM »

Anyone know any decent video tutorials for getting down the fundamentals of proportion and scale and outlining and such? I've been looking at artist's work I like (Ueda, Tony Moore, etc) and trying to mimic what I see there, but I'm still limited by the poses and characters and proportions they've chosen. It's not working as well as I hoped in terms of getting me to the point where I can commit out any old scene in my head to paper/photoshop.

Art classes I've taken have been a lot more about different drawing methods and tools than the actual process of going from a sheet of paper to an outline to detail work.

halp

Disposable Ninja · « **Reply #1 on:** July 24, 2010, 12:13:29 PM »

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Anyone know any decent video tutorials for getting down the fundamentals of proportion and scale and outlining and such? I've been looking at artist's work I like (Ueda, Tony Moore, etc)

That seems like a strange solution. You're looking for someone else to explain what you should be able to see with your own two eyes.

Okay, that probably sounded kind of dick-ish. But look, you can get a textbook definition of how proportion and scale work off of wikipedia. Actually acquiring an understanding of it? You have to draw it yourself. Photographs work, of course, as does drawing whatever physical object is in front of you. Eventually combine the textbook explanation with your practical application, and you should be able to understand the hows and whys of drawing.

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I've been looking at artist's work I like (Ueda, Tony Moore, etc) and trying to mimic what I see there, but I'm still limited by the poses and characters and proportions they've chosen.

You're not limited. You just have to draw what the other artist didn't. It's simple mathematics, dude -- calculating the third point of a triangle. You've got one drawing from this angle, another drawing at that angle, and all you have to do is figure out what the third angle is.

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It's not working as well as I hoped in terms of getting me to the point where I can commit out any old scene in my head to paper/photoshop.

If your drawing ritual is as simple as that, then you probably will fail at committing a scene from your head to a drawing. Get some reference photos, do some rough sketches. Skill and ability are important, but creating a drawing plan is just as, if not more necessary.

Brentai · « **Reply #2 on:** July 24, 2010, 01:42:54 PM »

What if you happen to have fucked-up depth perception and spacialization?

Disposable Ninja · « **Reply #3 on:** July 24, 2010, 02:07:23 PM »

I don't know. Crawl into a fetal position and cry?

Brentai · « **Reply #4 on:** July 24, 2010, 02:31:38 PM »

Mothra · « **Reply #5 on:** July 24, 2010, 02:54:52 PM »

Such tude, DN!

I feel like an asshole for ever having asked!

Mongrel · « **Reply #6 on:** July 24, 2010, 03:08:38 PM »

I feel like I should say something helpful, but I really have no useful advice. My experience has been pretty much the same as Kabbage's, only it took a decade and cost $35,000.

DN is right about having a plan though. This stuff doesn't happen by 'magic'. You need to do preliminary sketches before committing so you can see over all structure. Work loose and broad to tight and detailed. Always wait until the last possible moment before committing.

And abuse the living hell out of digital tools to help you break all the rules.

Oh well, I guess I said something after all.

Kayin · « **Reply #7 on:** July 24, 2010, 04:07:28 PM »

My advice. Just fucking draw You need a baseline. Theres no tricks or anything to actual good ol' lines and it all depends on WHAT and HOW you want. Judging by the work you've been looking at I don't think you should start working about proportions and anatomy much. You don't want to ignore them, but you wanna be more expressional. Just take pens and draw shit and people. Just stare at things and draw.

If you wanna talk about like... doing finished works (I guess what I'm good at?) well..... it all depends. You need to have an image in your head and plan out how to get there. Theres really no trick here or advice. It's ALL about your method. How your method of producing art interacts with the design process is very important. Also I'm with Mongrel. Bring the full hammer of cheating digital BS to bear. Thats how I get by.

Royal☭ · « **Reply #8 on:** July 24, 2010, 04:17:15 PM »

DNi, way to sound like a total DeviantArt prick. He's not asking for resources on how to see, he's asking for resources on how to convert what he sees into lines and shading. This is not the same thing as just drawing. There are actual skills to be used for proportion, anatomy, depth and color. Drawing is more than just making lines of what you see, it's about acquiring skills to translate the lines of the world around us into something on paper.

I'll get you some resources when I get home tomorrow, because I hate using a laptop that isn't mine. In the meantime, check out used book stores for books on basic drawing technique, as well as your local library!

Kayin · « **Reply #9 on:** July 24, 2010, 04:25:38 PM »

While DNi did come off as a prick, I think he sorta feels what myself or mongrel might. "You're getting ahead of your self." Not that you shouldn't post anything you have that might help (I know I don't have anything, All my progression was blood/sweat/tears and a lot of looking at porn), but our attitudes (even' DN's) should not be confused with blowing him off.

Mothra · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2010, 05:27:51 PM »

Well I've been watching the Gunshow guy, KCGreen's UStream for a bit, and this is sort of what I've leaning towards.

Actually watching an experienced artist go from a blank sheet of paper to a finished drawing is likely the most important thing. I'm great at detail work but where the fuck do you even start? Art classes I've taken have only touched on sketching before committing any solid lines - the process of outlining is an utter mystery to me. I know simple shapes are involved, I guess, but it's frustrating having every book I pick up start into art history and drawing poses without telling me how to get the fucking structure of the picture up.

The thing with the light blue lines and the shapes! This is that pivotal first step, the foundation, which is annoyingly difficult to find anyone talking in-depth about.

Mothra · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2010, 05:36:34 PM »

Aw fuck this

*gets drunk, passes out*

Brentai · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2010, 05:44:19 PM »

I'm pretty sure my personal failings at art only stem somewhat from my utter inability to draw solid lines and mostly from my unwillingness to spend more than half an hour on a single image.

jsnlxndrlv · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2010, 06:14:21 PM »

Quote from: Mothra on July 24, 2010, 05:27:51 PM

Well I've been watching the Gunshow guy, KCGreen's UStream for a bit, and this is sort of what I've leaning towards.

Actually watching an experienced artist go from a blank sheet of paper to a finished drawing is likely the most important thing. I'm great at detail work but where the fuck do you even start? Art classes I've taken have only touched on sketching before committing any solid lines - the process of outlining is an utter mystery to me. I know simple shapes are involved, I guess, but it's frustrating having every book I pick up start into art history and drawing poses without telling me how to get the fucking structure of the picture up.

The thing with the light blue lines and the shapes! This is that pivotal first step, the foundation, which is annoyingly difficult to find anyone talking in-depth about.

I feel this way about many, many creative enterprises. The problem is that, the more easily the enterprise in question is characterized as "art", the more probable it becomes that experts in the field will be fucking terrible at discussing how they do what they do. At this point I'd insert a youtube video of Michael Jackson talking about how he puts songs together if I weren't already 15 minutes late to the bar.

Mongrel · « **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2010, 06:17:45 PM »

There's a lot of talk in this thread and NO PICTURES.

Mothra · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2010, 06:30:10 PM »

I dunno man, that's kind of the point. Finished pictures don't tell me shit about how they were put together.

Folks keep telling me to "practice drawing my shapes", so I'm going to give that a go and see if it changes anything.

Mothra · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2010, 06:37:39 PM »

THAT SAID

Here is a picture:

Mongrel · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2010, 07:34:28 PM »

It...

Doesn't show up.

Mothra · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2010, 06:47:01 AM »

Fixed.

I'VE EMAILED KCGREEN AND MOMO FOR ADVICE WE'LL SEE HOW THIS GOES

Mongrel · « **Reply #19 on:** July 25, 2010, 07:09:32 AM »

Did you do that? Because if so... what's the problem? It looks great.

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Author Topic: Drawing 101 (Read 2902 times)