Need help breaking references down / finding where to start

[TheDrawingIrish]

I have decent control over my Wacom now (thanks to everyone who has been helping me along the way), and now I want to move into making good drawings (and doing it much more quickly than I do now.

I know there are two main approaches people often use.

1. Find basic shapes in the subject, and draw them, and then refine details.

2. Start with a line that stands out the most (highest contrast), and then slowly build lines around the drawing, boxing in each feature.

I think the second one would be easier for a beginner trying to get proportions, because with the construction shape method, you have to get the shapes proportions right before you can move on to the next one.

I was wondering if anyone had any videos / step by step tutorials (or links) that should the very early stages of a sketch. Most step by steps I see are "here is a blank page, here is a sketch, here is where the coloring begins".

Basically I want to see what the first 12 or so lines look like, and when they were drawn in order.

I hope I've explained this properly, I'm basically trying to do as little erasing as possible while laying down a quick sketch. The less erasing I do, the faster I can get the base line drawing down.

[CubicleGangster]

The main suggestion tutorial wise would be the DVD's here, although some might be a bit intermediate, while still being a great step in understanding.

I've seen some step-by-step progression in certain pieces around here, although you might have to do some digging, or you can check out some of the mentoring archives.

Other than that, I'd suggest either Youtube, Metacafe, and even general Google searches on the subject.

[TheDrawingIrish]

Thanks for the response :)

I'm too far away from intermediate to really benefit from any of these DVDs that are out there now. I don't have experience with the Massive Black ones, but I've seen some ones, and while they are pretty cool, I'm not able to take much away from a viewing. I need to get proportions right and angles / lengths of lines correct from reference. I'm still having trouble making everything line up unless I take excruciatingly long to finish a sketch (that would take someone decent less than a quarter the time it took me).

Some of the digital painting process outlines around here on the forum are pretty good, but I have yet to find anything that starts slowly from a blank page and shows how the artist breaks down the reference line by line.

Usually the ones I see have a base sketch that happens very quickly (usually in time lapse) and its hard to tell how they chose which lines to put down first and how they measure vs other ones, etc.

I'm still looking on google / youtube for something that isn't time lapsed. But I would also like to see a reference image for sketch, so I can see how certain lines and details became simplified in the drawing.

[dcorc]

Check out the threads on Bargue drawings here. The first things to put down are marks for the upper and lower, and left and right limits. Then, look for any firm line - put it down, estimating its place, length and angle against the limit-lines. Find the next line to it, do the same, and look at the relationship between the two lines. Choose the easiest lines - ones which are really big, obvious and clearly demarcated. Often these are the outer edges, and the lines along the edges of shadows.

[Lee W]

Check out ElectricAsylumArt on YouTube. He has some time elapsed video that short how he starts. He also has some drawing tutorial too.

Edit: Create2Imitate on YouTube is good too :)

[TheDrawingIrish]

Thanks for the feedback!

I've tried copying other people's drawings, which I find relatively easy to do compared to seeing something in a photo or in life. My problem is, after I copy a drawing for practice, I haven't actually learned anything because I can't see the original image (especially if its in someone's imagination).

Maybe I need to find a mentor that will show me their sketching process from a reference. The very basics of the sketch always have me stumped.

(those youtube artists are great, and its a humbling experience, I've been trying to learn as much as I can from youtube, but its driving me crazy).

[dcorc]

I did a post here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1797694#post1797694

trying to describe a drawing approach.

Any help?


Dave

[Flake]

This site has lots of sketching videos, might be of some use to you to see how he works.
http://idrawgirls.blogspot.com/

Also, check out the Loomis books if you haven't already.
http://acid.noobgrinder.com/Loomis/

[TheDrawingIrish]

Thanks Dave(dcorc),

I've been hearing a lot about this method, and I'd like to see an example if you have one?

Basically a photo ref beside a couple of the really early steps for setting the external boundaries of the subject.